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I want you to make a claim of policy that you can support from your own experience. Discuss a situation in which you believe something unfair or wrong was done. Describe the situation, and support your contention that there was something wrong with this situation. Then advocate a policy that would correct the problem. Support your contention that your solution would work by using example, reasoning, logic, etc. Keep your audience in mind; retain your credibility by maintaining a calm and reasonable tone.
This paper should be approximately 750 words (three typed, double-spaced pages). Use a standard font and type size (I prefer 12-point Times New Roman). Give your essay a title (first impressions are important). Number your pages.
Step one: Brainstorm. Think about all the possible topics you could select, and then narrow down the possibilities to one that you can adequately explore in three pages. You may select from any facet of your life, but be sure this is a situation for which you have evidence from your own experience.
Step two: Outline. I’m not going to force you to do formal outlines, but it’s a good idea to get into the habit of writing up an informal outline for any written work you do--just to keep you focused and on track. Try to think of the logical progression; clearly you must describe the problem before you advocate a solution. Also try to anticipate any objections to your solution. Basic organizational rules: keep related ideas together, and try to work from least to most important.
It’s now time to start your rough draft. If you hand-write your draft, be sure that you write on every other line and on one side of the paper only. If you type, double-space. I will want you to hand in ALL DRAFTS when you hand in your assignment.
Step three: Introduction. In your introduction you have several important tasks. You have to establish your relationship to your potential reader (I advise that you keep your tone relaxed and informal). You need to give us enough general background so that we can understand your perspective. In addition, you should provide your reader with a clear statement of thesis that will serve as a guide to the rest of the paper.
Step four: Body Paragraphs. Be sure that you look at your paragraph structure carefully. In your description of the problem, you will probably follow a chronological organization, with paragraph breaks between the main events. In your solution, each element of your solution will likely have its own paragraph, with a clear topic sentence.
Step five: Conclusion. In your conclusion, you will remind us what your thesis was, and remind us how your solution would solve the problem.
Step six: Proofread. Check your first draft for errors in grammar and spelling. Also, look for ways to improve the clarity of your sentence
structure. I will look at your rough drafts and your final draft to see how you changed things through revision, so if you work on a computer PRINT OUT drafts occasionally.
By Wednesday of next week, you should have a completed rough draft. Bring it to class. By Friday, you will give me the completed paper, ready for my evaluation. |