Closing the Gap Between College and Career

Essay Instructions:

Please review attachments for Outline
Your argument research essay will be driven by the questions you explored in your discussion groups and your critical thinking assignments based on one of the following themes:
- Closing the gap between College and Career
- Closing the gap between military service and civilian career
- Science Writing and the Public (Secular Science)
- Enterprising America and the World
If you deeply engage in the lecture content, group discussions, and your critical thinking assignments, you will find that the work for your final portfolio will be a compilation of your efforts throughout the term. With your final portfolio paper, you will share your "answer" to your inquiries throughout the term in an argument essay.
Use the template to complete the project:
Argumentative Paper Format and Outline Template (Template found in the Module folder.)
Your essay must address the following:
- Be persuasive in purpose, i.e. have an argument
- Be directed at a specific audience
- Have a thesis statement, which includes a claim and reasons
- Support the thesis through evidence from research
- Summarize and respond to counter arguments
- Document sources both within the essay (parenthetical citations) and in an APA formatted References page
When you initially read these instructions in Week 1 of this course, this may sound like a lot of work, but you will find that as you move through the term you will engage in critical thinking, researching, and writing about this issue in the weeks leading up to the completion of your research paper. The purpose of this course is to teach you aspects of writing as process. Remember that your task as you move through the term is to take what you have learned and shape it into a specific argument for a persuasive purpose.
*Purpose: to persuade audience to accept a claim about a debatable issue
*Audience: specific/narrow group who can make change regarding this issue, e.g. state or local government
*Voice: Third-person (no “you” voice; limited “I” voice for personal stories/examples)
*Length: 1,800+ words (not including References page)
*Citations: APA parenthetical/in-text citations throughout and APA References page com Score: 5-20% range.
*Sources: 8 or more research sources used and cited within the essay (and on the References page)
3+ peer-reviewed scholarly articles from the library databases
2+ magazine/newspaper/government document/book/eBook sources (or peer-reviewed articles)
2+ other credible sources, such as more general websites (may include any of the more credible source types above)
1+ personal interview
A Successful Argument Essay*
*Essay is persuasive, utilized rhetorical devices, demonstrating largely effective logical and persuasive skill.
*Essay is directed at a specific/narrow audience.
*Successful focus on topic and stance; thesis is a viable, well-worded opinion (claim + reasons format) leading to focused argument.
*Thesis and body strongly aligned throughout: flows in an organized manner that matches the thesis “map.”
*Utilizes topic sentences, transitions, etc. well and paragraph content is focused, purposeful, and smooth.
*Support is extensive, varied, and sophisticated throughout the paper:
*Informs audience about the background/context of the issue.
*Offers strong support for thesis by developing the reasons listed in the thesis.
*Cites and incorporates evidence from multiples sources for each reason.
*Employs research from at least 8 credible sources, meeting requirement. Sources are current (published within last five years).
*Synthesizes research with writer’s own ideas.
*Source materials are smoothly integrated with successful interpretation/accreditation; avoids "dropped"/"dumped" quotations.
*Successfully synthesizes opposing points-of-view, i.e. fairly acknowledges and responds to possible counterarguments.
*Cites paraphrases, summaries, and quotations with APA parenthetical citations.
*Point-of-view is appropriate and sustained with third-person voice.
*Language usage, voice, style, and tone are appropriate and effective; insignificant padding, redundancy, and/or overstatement.
*Errors in surface features largely non-existent; minor errors do not distract from reading.
*Is double-spaced, alphabetized, and indented as prescribed by APA conventions, uses level headers to separate sections of content for ease of reading.
*Meets the length requirement of 1,800 or more words.
*Has a Turnitin.com originality score in the 5-20% range, meaning a relatively small portion of the essay contains direct language from others/outside source, minimally repurposes previous work. Should you need to repurpose prior work from English 101, or another class, please inform your instructor of your intentions to do so.
*References page included in same document as the essay, as the final page.
*Contains citations in proper and consistent APA format (6th edition).
*Is double-spaced, alphabetized, and indented for second and following lines of each entry.
*Is relatively free of errors in punctuation and mechanics.

Argumentative Paper Format and Outline Template

Introduction

● 1 to 4 paragraphs (max)

● Purpose: To lay the foundation for proving an issue or argument and making your thesis/claim. This can include noting:

● Summary of the problem

● Definition of key terms

● Explanation of theories

● Provide a brief explanation of the theory or issue

● Note your claim at the end of your introductory paragraph

Supporting Evidence Paragraph 1

● Purpose of this paragraph: To develop your argument. This is normally one paragraph, but it can be longer depending on the evidence presented. For the purposes of this class, keep this to 1 to 2 paragraphs.

● Topic sentence: The topic sentence provides details for examples to help your reader understand why you are inserting the evidence that supports your claim. Your topic sentence is closely aligned with your thesis and works to introduce evidence to support your assertions.

● Explain your topic sentence: Provide clarification of your topic sentence here if you see a need.

● Evidence introduction: Insert your evidence with a brief introduction (As Dr. Smith stated, “…”)_ or in a full sentence (To better understand the issue this data will help to illuminate…)

● State the evidence: What supporting evidence will you include to support or explain your topic sentence? You can paraphrase or quote your sources directly. This can include reasons, examples, facts, statistics, quotations, or paraphrases.

● Explain evidence: How should your readers interpret the evidence you just gave them? Don’t leave the information hanging without noting why you inserted the evidence. You will want to be as direct as possible with your readers regarding the meaning of the evidence inserted as tied to your claim. This statement can be an opinion and is typically about one to three sentences in length. End this paragraph with a concluding sentence that reasserts the point of the topic sentence and helps your readers to see the overall claim you are making in the paper.

Supporting Evidence Paragraph #2, 3, 4, etc.

● (have at least 4 supporting evidence paragraphs)

● Repeat above instruction for paragraph 1

Counter Argument Paragraph

● Purpose of this paragraph: To acknowledge and anticipate opposition to your claim or thesis while making yourself seem objective and knowledgeable about the topic.

● Length: 1 to 3 paragraphs

● Commentary: Note what possible objections your reader might counter your argument with. Be sure to provide common ground and note some aspects of their reasoning to show you understand the issues. Insert two to three arguments here and counter them with evidence.

● Conclusion: End your counter argument with a concluding sentence that reasserts your argument as a whole.

Conclusion – Part 1 – Summary Paragraph

● Purpose of this paragraph: Circle back and gently remind your readers of your argument and the points made in your body paragraphs. This resembles the conclusion you might have used in a previous English class while writing a persuasive paper. You will restate your thesis here coupled with supporting evidence.

● Conclusion – Part 2 – Looking to the future paragraph to note the “so what” of your premise

● Purpose of this paragraph: To show you have thought deeply about your topic and are not simply restating your thesis and introduction paragraph. This paragraph should tell your readers what is at stake and why we should care about your thesis and supporting evidence. You are informing your readers of what they should take away from your work and remember for future use. Your conclusion works to show your reader a more complex means of looking at your argument and the issue you wrote about.

● Remember to incorporate vivid language and use rhetorical strategies of development to leave a strong impression on your reader. Be careful about introducing completely new information into your paper; instead, draw inferences in your conclusion that develop from your argument.

Outline Template

Introduction: (Note your working thesis here)

Body Paragraphs:

Supporting Evidence Body Paragraph #1