Community Involvement to Lower Crime in Lower Manhattan, New York

Assignment Description:
Based on research, you will make a proposal argument about a current issue that you see as a crisis (or a crisis about to happen) in your local (city or county or similar size) community. You might consider looking through local newspapers to help you find current issues.
A proposal makes an argument about something that should happen to fix a problem or prevent a potential problem from occurring; you’ll need to first argue that it is a crisis that needs to be solved, and then you will argue for a practical proposal that offers a specific action to solve the problem.
Practical proposals tend to be narrower and focus on a particular audience that has the power to enact the change you suggest. For this paper, the best topics will be ones close to home, that directly impact you, your friends, your family, or your community. Choose a topic that affects a local group, or a town/county - not the whole state or country.
The essential pieces of a proposal are the following:
Convince your target audience that a problem exists – and that it needs immediate attention.
Convince them of the course of action and specific steps that need to be taken to solve the problem or help mitigate it.
Convince them that this course of action is feasible (possible with the available resources) and will actually solve the problem.
For the first part of the proposal argument, the demonstration of a problem/crisis, you will need to convince your particular audience that the issue is a crisis – a problem for that audience that needs immediate attention. You then need to develop a solution to that problem that is both clear and attainable by the audience you are addressing. Keep in mind that a solution may only make the situation somewhat better; that’s still better than inaction. Each of these pieces of the proposal should have at least a body paragraph devoted to them.
Banned topics: texting and driving, cyberbullying, social media’s effects on social skills, gun control, abortion, GMOs, marijuana or other drugs.
Research Requirements
For this paper, you’ll need to conduct some primary research through an interview or survey as well as find research sources through databases or other research methods. You must include at least three recent, credible, relevant sources in this essay that you conduct. Sources can include newspaper articles, magazines, journals, and periodicals. You can not use sources from the Internet such as Google, Yahoo, or Wikipedia. You may use Google Scholar.
Audience:
The audience for this paper is a very specific audience that has the power to enact the proposal you are making. You might consider targeting a company’s CEO, or to local government officials or entities, or any other relevant audience that can enact whatever your solution is. Avoid general audiences like ‘everyone’ or ‘the American people’ or 'residents of Frisco' because it would be very difficult to actually get your message out to such a broad audience. If you really want to reach the public, you could consider asking the local government or another agency to conduct a public service announcement campaign, and then consider how they could do that most effectively.
Goals of Assignment:
Focus on a specific rhetorical purpose (persuading an audience of your proposal)
Use appropriate rhetorical techniques for a specific audience
Conduct thorough and relevant research, and incorporate that research in your own argument.
Organize your proposal logically and utilize careful transitions
Express your ideas clearly, with correct grammar
Demonstrate that your topic is timely and relevant
Engage with all stages of the writing process (proposals, drafts, peer review, etc), and evidence of revision from early drafts to the final draft
Demonstrate evidence of final editing and proofreading
Adhere to the assignment guidelines
Additional Requirements:
Your paper must be a minimum of 1000 and a maximum of 1500 words. Remember that Works Cited entries do not count towards the word count. Your paper must be grammatically correct and use correct 2016 MLA formatting and citations.
Your paper also needs to include a Works Cited page with at least three relevant, credible, and recent sources. All sources must also be used in your paper itself, with the correct 2016 MLA citation in both the paper and the Works Cited page.
Rubric
Evaluation Essay (1)
Evaluation Essay (1)
Criteria Ratings Pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeMLA Format
The essay includes the correct MLA formatting and spacing according to the examples provided by the Professor.
15 pts
Full Marks
0 pts
No Marks
15 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeIntroduction
The essay includes an introduction with a hook in the first sentence, background information, and a thesis statement (last sentence). Paragraph should be 7-10 sentences.
20 pts
Full Marks
0 pts
No Marks
20 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeBody Paragraphs
The body paragraphs include detailed information focusing on an issue/ crisis – a problem for that audience that needs immediate attention. Additionally, a solution to that problem is both clear and attainable by the audience you are addressing. Essay meets the word requirement
25 pts
Full Marks
0 pts
No Marks
25 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeConclusion
The conclusion summarizes the main points of the essay restates the thesis, and/or makes a recommendation.
20 pts
Full Marks
0 pts
No Marks
20 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeGrammar and Mechanics
The essay is free of grammatical errors. No first or second-person language is used. No contractions are included.
10 pts
Full Marks
0 pts
No Marks
10 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeWorks Cited Page
A works cited page is included with at minimum 3 credible sources
10 pts
Full Marks
0 pts
No Marks
10 pts
Total Points: 100