INFORMAL OPINION ESSAY (IOE)



INFORMAL OPINION ESSAY (IOE)

DUE DATE:

• Consult the course schedule for due DATE.

FORMAT:

• typed (typical essay formatting)

• 2-3 pages in length (longer than typical journal)

• Apply the “ESSAY BASICS”

o title, introduction, thesis statement, conclusion, clear organization

• SUPPORT your argument:

o make a Claim & support it with reasons, examples, anecdotes, sense details, metaphors/similes

o perform and incorporate NO RESEARCH!

• PROOFREAD!

o While this is “informal,” I nevertheless expect you to proofread for grammar and spelling errors.

TOPIC:

❖ PRO-CON: Argue FOR or AGAINST an issue.

o make a strong claim (THESIS = Topic + Main Idea + Support)

❖ Choose one of the contemporary debatable, researchable (“hot-button”) topics

o one that appeals to your interests

o we may be using this for later assignments, so choose wisely

o for ideas, look at the topics covered on Opposing Viewpoints

▪ go to the database, linked through our library’s site

▪

▪ or, look at the list below

ESSAY:

• “informal”

o as in no research

o not as in poor writing, slang, or other informalities

• “opinion”

o make a Claim concerning your topic & support it

▪ For example, what is your opinion regarding abortion or health care reform or immigration?

▪ argue for or against – we should or we should not

❖ no research - just your organized, well-worded ideas on the topic

• “essay”

o follow the tenets of the “Essay Basics”

▪ esp. re: set up & organization

❖ Title, Introduction (concluding w/a Thesis Statement),

❖ Body (1 reason per para.), Conclusion

o proper headers on each page

o no cover/title page

• Draft, proofread, revise, and submit your essay.

o submit to

▪ nothing should be flagged since this is your opinion

o AND

o submit to Dr. H.

▪ I grade hard copies only - not electronic copies from or email

RHETORICAL PROSPECTUS

1. What is your thesis?

• your claim, thesis, position

2. What is your purpose?

• your aim, goal, object

• what you want to accomplish

• your Aim of Argument (inquire, convince, persuade, mediate)

• SO WHAT?!

3. Who is your target audience?

• your readership

• their qualities, traits, opinions, stance on this issue

• your relationship with your readership/audience

4. What is your subject matter?

• obligated by your thesis

• what you need to research

5. What are your prospective sources?

• cursory, preliminary research

o not to be included in the IOE

o to be used in a later assignment

• possible Web sites, magazines, documents

• databases (Opposing Viewpoints)

6. What is your Organizational Plan?

• Outline

o order of support, reasons

o “emphatic order” – “best” for last

OPPOSING VIEWPOINTS: Topics

• Abortion

• Adoption

• Affirmative action

• AIDS (Disease)

• Alcoholism

• Animal experimentation

• Animal rights

• Assisted suicide

• Athletes

• Bioethics

• Biological weapons

• Birth control

• Capital punishment (death penalty)

• Censorship

• Child abuse

• Church and state

• Civil rights

• Cloning

• Creationism

• Crime

• Death

• Divorce

• Domestic violence

• Driving while intoxicated

• Drug abuse

• Drug traffic

• Drugs and athletes

• Eating disorders

• Education

• Elderly

• Emigration and immigration

• Employment

• Endangered species

• Environmentalism

• Euthanasia

• Evolution (Biology)

• Family

• Family relations

• Feminism

• Gambling

• Gangs

• Genetic engineering

• Genocide

• Global warming

• Globalization

• Gun control

• Hate crimes

• Health care reform

• Health insurance

• Homelessness

• Homosexuality

• Human rights

• Illegal immigrants

• Internet

• Iraq

• Islamic fundamentalism

• Juvenile drinking

• Juvenile drug abuse

• Juvenile offenders

• Lowering Legal Drinking Age

• Media violence

• Medical care

• Medical ethics

• Mental disorders

• Mental health

• Middle East

• Minimum wage

• Narcotics legalization

• National security

• Nuclear weapons

• Nutrition

• Oceans

• Outsourcing

• Patriot Act 2001

• Political corruption

• Pollution

• Population growth

• Pornography

• Poverty

• Prisons

• Race relations

• Rape

• Religion

• Renewable energy

• Right of privacy

• Same sex marriage

• School violence

• Sex education

• Sexual behavior

• Slavery reparations

• Smoking

• Social security

• Stem cells

• Suicide

• Teenage pregnancy

• Teenage sexual behavior

• Terrorism

• United States foreign relations

• Violence

• War crimes

• Welfare reform

• Women

• Women's rights

• Working women

• Recent topics:

• Gulf Disaster: Gulf, off-shore, deep drilling

• Drilling in shale

• Sexting

• Texting (WD)

• Helmet laws

• Spanking children

• Corporal punishment

• Health care reform

• Rape shield laws

• Water boarding

• Terrorism: civilian trials/military tribunals

• Terrorism: memorials

• Terrorism: Guant. Bay

• Arizona law

• Deportation of illegals

• Amnesty for illegals

• Plastic surgery (teens)

• Full inclusion (special needs students)

• Affirmative action

• Euthanasia

• Prescription drugs

• Gun control

• Education: music, art, health, or sex ed.

• No Child Left Behind

• Gays in military

• DADT

• Organic/synthetic food

• Animal rights

• Animal testing

• Vivisection

• Free speech

• The Internet

• Fracking

• Unions

• OBL death

• Egyptian & other ME Revolutions

• Libya

• NFL lockout

• Head hits (NFL, NHL), catcher crashes (MLB)

• Medicinal Marj.

• SSM

• Gambling/casinos

• Birth Control/Sex Ed/Abstinence

• Nutrition/Obesity

• Renewable energies

• Smoking

• Cremation, cryo, liquidification

• Suicide, PA suicide

IOE Assignments:

I. Informal Opinion Essay

II. Works Consulted page

III. Annotated Bibliography

IV. Researched IOE

|RHETORICAL CONTEXT Opening: |

| |

|In discussions of subject X, one controversial issue has been__________. On the one hand, __________ argues __________. On the other hand, |

|__________ contends __________. Others even maintain __________. My own view is __________. |

|From They Say, I Say |

|side, proponents, opponents, advocates, supporters, backers, challengers |

|In discussions of alcohol, one controversial issue has been the legal drinking age (LDA). On the one hand, presidents at major universities |

|have recently argued that the LDA should be lowered. On the other hand, MAAD have countered that lowering the LDA would be disastrous. Others |

|even maintain that a lower LDA would increase DUI instances. Similarly, my own view is that the LDA should not be lowered because…. |

|GENERAL CONTEXT: |

|What has been the debate on this issue before and after this piece was published? |

|What have people been saying/writing or arguing concerning this topic? |

|What stories have been in/on the news lately regarding this issue? |

|Recently, have there been any related court cases or rulings? Laws, speeches, protests, marches, bumper stickers, movies/documentaries, …? |

|What are the “sides” or positions on this topic? Who’s who? |

| |

|INTRODUCTION: |

|Opening Generalization (introduce the subject/issue) |

|Side #1 |

|Transition of Contrast (however, on the other hand) |

|Side #2 |

|You, too, side with Side #2 |

|Thesis: Topic (the issue)+ Main Idea (for or against) + Support (arguments/reasons/points) |

RESEARCHED IOE ESSAY

INTRODUCTION:

• Remain objective (*)

o No opinion

o No bias, agenda

• Introduce the issue

o Recent events

o Legal battles

o Political races

• Identify both sides

o Opponents

o Proponents

• End with a Thesis Question (Should we/ Shouldn’t we?)

BODY:

• SIDE #1 –

o The main points/arguments raised by the side

o In the Emphatic Order

o One argument per paragraph

• SIDE #2 –

o The main points/arguments raised by the side

o In the Emphatic Order

o One argument per paragraph

CONCLUSION:

• Weaknesses (fallacies) of Side #1

• Strengths of Side #2

• SIDE #3 (*)

WORKS CONSULTED:

• Proper MLA format

• Alphabetical order

• Reverse indentation

-----------------------

Failure to cite = Failure

Structure

• Headers

• Title (For or Against)

• Introduction w/ Thesis

• Argument #1

• Argument #2

• Argument #3 (most important)

• Conclusion

FOCUS

• Pro or Con

• For or Against

• not both

ASSIGNMENT OBJCTIVES

• narrow a broad subject to a focused topic

• engage in a structured academic, reasoned argument

• make a claim & support it with appropriate, relevant grounds

• successfully apply the Essay Basics

• proof read for grammar

• follow directions well

• utilize the tool

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