Argument Essay

In this discussion board, you will begin writing your argument essay due at the end of Unit 7 by submitting the introduction to your essay. The introduction is the opening of your essay. You want to hook the reader from the first paragraph of your essay. In order to do that, you will need to pay attention to the first sentence you use in your essay. You want to engage the readers with that sentence. Your next sentences will briefly explain your essay topics. Finally, end the introduction with a thesis statement that reveals your argument as well as your topics.

Here is a sample introduction on cyberbullying in high school to give you an idea of how an introduction should be organized:

Cyberbullying through online platforms, such as Twitter, has become a growing problem that needs to be strongly addressed in public high schools around the country. Why, one might ask, is cyberbullying such an important issue? Cyberbullying is the act of bullying someone online. Often, that bullying may include sending messages that harass and intimidate another person through a medium that can mask the person’s identity. This type of behavior is not acceptable anywhere, but particularly within the school system because it promotes a negative educational culture and also can be harmful to the person being bullied. High schools need to implement specific programs surrounding the topic of cyberbullying that provide education on the subject, intervention for those being bullied or doing the bullying, and severe consequences for acts of cyberbullying.

Review these instructions for the upcoming argument essay.
Overview:

Over the course of the last few units, you have been working on crafting the argument for your Argument Essay. You will now write an argument essay that answers one of these questions.

The essay should answer ONE of these questions:

1. Should there be a standard American minimum wage in all states?

2. Should screen time be limited for children?

3. Should American citizens be required to serve on a jury?

Each of the above questions relate to one of the issues you have already written about in the Unit 4 Assignment: Pro and Con of an Issue. Now, choose one side of the issue to develop into an argument essay.

You should answer ONE of the above questions in a well-thought out and developed argument essay with:

• A clear introduction that sets up the issue, explains your topics, and ends with your thesis statement.

• Body paragraphs focusing on one topic in support of your argument in each paragraph.

o You need three reliable and academic sources for this assignment in support of your argument. You should include evidence that is directly quoted, paraphrased, or summarized to support each topic. The evidence should have appropriate in- text citations.

o You will typically want to include one piece of evidence in the body of each paragraph, as you did in the paragraph and pro/con assignment. You are not required to include a source about the counterargument (other side of your argument), but you may if you would like.

• Then, end with a conclusion that wraps up your essay’s argument and leaves the reader with something to consider about your issue.

• Include a references page for the three sources you used in your essay.

You can use the ideas from your Pro/Con paragraphs in your argument essay, but they should be revised and reworded so that you are not just resubmitting your Unit 4 assignment.

Argument Essay and Third Person, Objective Writing

We have probably all had to argue for a position we held. What makes someone receptive to your argument? Normally, the audience is more willing to listen to your position if you argue for it objectively and avoid unreasonable, argumentative tactics. Your argument needs to be logical and fair, giving people the ability to disagree with you.

Your argument also should be written in the third person to show that you can be objective, meaning you use “He,” “she,” “they,” “people,” “one” and do not use “I,” “me,” “we,” “us,” “our,” “you,” and “your.”

Instructions:

• Create an argument essay that answers ONE of the above questions.

• You should have a well-articulated argument essay with an introduction, body

paragraphs (with evidence), conclusion, and a references page.

Requirements:

• Please submit a Microsoft Word document or PDF.

• The essay should be three to four pages in length with an additional APA-style title and reference pages. The document should follow proper APA style formatting (Times New Roman, 12 font suggested) with 1-inch margins and double spaced.

• Include three (3) sources in your essay that are reliable and academic.

o Make sure you have at least three (3) in-text citations where you have directly quoted, paraphrased, or summarized material from the sources. You will need corresponding references for each of these sources that match the in-text citations.

• You need an introduction and conclusion for this essay. Remember the introduction sets up the essay and ends with the thesis statement. The conclusion sums up the essay and restates the thesis in a different way. The introduction and conclusion should not be exact replicas of each other.

• Your body paragraphs should each focus on one topic that supports your argument.

• Your writing should be free of punctuation, spelling, and grammar errors and contain appropriate word choice for an academic setting with clear sentence structure.

Be sure to read the criteria by which your work will be evaluated before you write and again after you write.