A research paper requires that you focus on a particular ...



English III with Mr. Boesch

The Argumentative Essay

Topic Due:

Working Thesis Due:

Sources Due (5 minimum):

Finalized Thesis Due:

Rough Draft Due for Peer/Self Editing (guidelines are on our Quia webpage):

Final Draft Due to (by midnight):

The Argumentative Essay

An argumentative paper requires that you focus on a particular subject, develop a claim or thesis, offer the counterclaim(s), and support/ defend your position with convincing, specific evidence: background information, facts, statistics, descriptions, and results of interviews or surveys. 

Your paper should present your view of the topic, but you need to read, think, and reflect on the expert sources you have read and construct an arguable thesis statement.

Physical requirements:

• Typed essay should be four-five pages (not including the works cited page) in length

• Format your essay in proper MLA style. 

• Use the standard font (Times New Roman/ twelve point size).  

• Reference a minimum of five varied sources in your essay and cite them on a Works Cited page

Choosing a Subject

You are asked to sign up for one teacher-approved, debatable topic. Your topic should be interesting to you, so choose wisely.

Narrowing and Focusing Your Subject

Limit your topic by focusing on a particular research question. Your question may lead to a thesis statement or claim that you will demonstrate in your research paper. Limit your paper by considering your purpose and audience. In addition, consider the kinds of claims you might want to make about your topic:

Evaluating Library and Online Sources

• Sources should be relevant to your subject, purpose, and audience.

• Sources should be current, particularly if your topic is scientific or technical in nature.

• Sources should be reliable, free of bias inaccuracies.

Background Information and General Reference

You might get a general overview about your topic by looking in encyclopedias, dictionaries, or other general sources. Realize, however, that these sources help you find general information about your topic. Encyclopedias, dictionaries, biographies, or other general sources do not count toward your minimum sources for your paper.

The Online Catalog: Search Strategy

You may search for your topic by key words in our online databases such as Issues and Controversies, EBSCOE Host, or Destiny.

 Shaping

Although the drafting process may be overwhelming at this point, master the project by breaking up the information into manageable doses. First of all, reconsider your purpose and thesis. Reread your own notes and especially your draft sections from your research notebook. Then answer the following questions:

• What is your general subject?

• What aspect of your general subject is most interesting to you now? What question will you answer or explain?

• Is your purpose primarily to inform, explain, evaluate, describe a problem and propose a solution, or to argue a claim?

• What thesis, claim, or proposal do you want to impress upon your readers?

• Analyze your audience. How can you interest them in your subject? What aspects of your collected data are most appropriate for you audience?

Shaping Strategies

• Review strategies for shaping that are appropriate for your particular purpose.

• Explain to a friend or classmate your purpose, audience, and working thesis.

• Try free writing, looping, or clustering.

• Reread your notes and drafts.

• Take a break.

• Try branching or treeing your main ideas.

• Build a working outline. Organize your notes based on your outline.

Drafting

As you draft, use your outline as a guide, but don't worry if the natural flow of your writing takes you in other directions. Reread your material and decide whether you have strayed from the topic or introduced a new, welcome dimension to the project.

Using Sources

Use your sources accurately, fairly, and honestly. You must cite a source for any fact or bit of information that is not general knowledge. You do not need to indicate a source for your own ideas, but if you find a source that agrees with your idea, cite that source. Citing a source that supports your idea lends additional credibility to the essay. For more information on how and why to document sources, see Documenting Sources from the George Mason University Writing Center.

How to Cite Sources

You will use Modern Language Association (MLA) style. According to MLA style, the in-text citation contains the author and page number of your source (Smith 50). For information on MLA documentation style, go to:

• purdueowl.edu

•

•

Identify Cited References

• Identify in the text the person or source of the fact, paraphrased idea, or quotation.

• If you cite the author in your sentence, the parentheses will contain only the page reference.

• Use block format for quotations of four lines or more.

• Vary your introductions to quotations.

• Edit quotations when necessary to condense or clarify.

How to Avoid Plagiarism

Be honest and give credit for the work of others by carefully documenting all facts, ideas, charts, diagrams, and actual phrases or sentences borrowed from your sources.

Revising and Peer Review

When rereading your paper, be flexible enough to identify weaknesses in your paper such as missing data or passages that no longer seem relevant. Correct them or delete them before submitting for peer review.  Remember, though, that you are the expert at this point. Don't incorporate suggestions that you feel would not make your paper better.

If you have any questions about your essay, please see me.

The Argumentative Essay Scoring Guide

|Criteria |Scale (5= Exceptional-0= Not observed) |

|100 points |Exceptional 5 |Skilled 4 |Proficient 3 |Developing 2 |Inadequate 1 |

|Claim 20% |Text introduces |Text introduces a precise |The text introduces a |The text contains an |The text contains an |

|Text introduces clear, |compelling claim that’s |claim that’s clearly |claim that is arguable |unclear or emerging |unidentifiable claim or |

|arguable claim that can |clearly arguable and |arguable and takes an |and takes a position. |claim that suggests a |vague position. The text|

|be supported by reason |takes a purposeful |identifiable position. It |The text has a structure|vague position. The text|has limited structure |

|and evidence. |position. It has a |has an effective structure|and organization that is|attempts a structure and|and organization. |

| |structure and |and organization. |aligned with the claim. |organization to support | |

| |organization carefully | | |the position. | |

| |crafted. | | | | |

|Development 20% |Text provides sufficient |The text provides |The text provides data |The text provides data |The text contains |

|Text has sufficient data|and relevant data and |convincing, relevant data |and evidence to back up |and evidence that |limited data and |

|to back up claim, points|evidence to back up claim|and evidence to back up |the claim and addresses |attempts to back up the |evidence related to the |

|out strengths/limits |and fairly addresses |claim and skillfully |the counterclaim. The |claim and unclearly |claim and counterclaims |

|of claim and |counterclaims. Conclusion|addresses counterclaims. |conclusion ties to the |addresses counterclaims |or lacks counterclaims. |

|counterclaim and has |effectively reinforces |The conclusion effectively|claim and evidence. |or lacks counterclaims. |The text may fail to |

|supporting conclusion. |claim and evidence. |strengthens claim and | |The conclusion merely |conclude the argument or|

| | |evidence. | |restates the position. |position. |

|Audience 20% |Text anticipates the |Text consistently |The text considers the |The text illustrates an |The text lacks an |

|Text anticipates |audience’s knowledge, |addresses audience’s |audience’s knowledge |inconsistent awareness |awareness of the |

|audience’s knowledge |concerns, values, and |knowledge level, concerns,|level, concerns, values |of the audience’s |audience’s knowledge |

|level, concerns, and |possible biases about the|values and possible |and possible biases |knowledge level and |level and needs. |

|values. It addresses |claim. It addresses |biases. It addresses |about the claim. The |needs. | |

|their specific needs. |specific needs of |specific needs of the |text addresses the needs| | |

| |audience. |audience. |of the audience. | | |

|Cohesion 20% |Text strategically uses |The text skillfully uses |The text uses words, |The text contains |The text contains few, |

|Text uses words/phrases |words, phrases, and |words, phrases, and |phrases, and clauses as |limited words, phrases |if any, words, phrases, |

|and varied syntax to |varied syntax to link |clauses as well as varied |well as varied syntax to|and clauses to link the |and clauses to link the |

|link major sections and |major sections of the |syntax to link the major |link the major sections |major sections of the |major sections of the |

|clarifies relationship |text. It explains |sections of the text. The |of the text. The text |text. The text attempts |text. The text does not |

|b/w claim/evidence |relationship w/ the claim|text identifies the |connects the claim and |to connect the claim and|connect the claims and |

| |and evidence. The text |relationship between the |reasons. The text links |reasons. |reasons. |

| |links counterclaims to |claim and reasons as well |the counterclaims to the| | |

| |the claim |as the evidence. The text |claim. | | |

| | |effectively links the | | | |

| | |counterclaims to the claim| | | |

|Convention 20% |Text presents an |The text presents a |The text presents a |The text illustrates a |The text illustrates a |

|Text presents a formal, |engaging, formal and |formal, objective tone. |formal tone. The text |limited awareness of |limited awareness or |

|objective tone |objective tone. It |The text demonstrates |demonstrates standard |formal tone. The text |inconsistent tone. The |

|demonstrating usage and |intentionally uses |standard English |English conventions of |demonstrates some |text demonstrates |

|mechanics while |standard conventions of |conventions of usage and |usage and mechanics |accuracy in standard |inaccuracy in standard |

|attending to the norms |usage and mechanics while|mechanics while attending |while attending to the |English conventions of |English conventions of |

|of the discipline (MLA) |attending to the norms of|to the norms of the |norms of the discipline.|usage and mechanics. |usage and mechanics. |

| |the discipline. |discipline. | | | |

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