also discuss trends in society, why they are a cause for concern, and possible solutions.

Write a research paper that takes a stand on and support your position by doing the following things: You need to analyze the issue and present your position by appealing to credibility/character (ethos), emotions/values (pathos), and logic (logos). This is also called the Rhetorical Triangle, and we will talk about it in class. Social or civic arguments discuss current issues and problems in society, and what can or should be done about them. Social arguments also discuss trends in society, why they are a cause for concern, and possible solutions.  If you have any questions regarding what is or is not a social issue/argument, please email me or meet with me. Your introduction should identify your topic, provide necessary background about the issue, interest your reader, and clearly state your position. (at the end of intro paragraph): Your statement of claim and (briefly) main reasons. Explanation and support of individual argument and connected reasons and assumptions. Show research through use of outside sources that show evidence and support. The body of your argument will also summarize and respond to opposing views, also called counterargument (this is where some of your research will come in—you need to know what the opposing views are) as well as present reasons and evidence in support of your own position.  You need to choose whether to summarize and refute counterarguments/ opposing views before or after you have made your own case, or you can intermix the two. Review of major points, summary of the contribution of this argument to the greater conversation on the topic, a call to action, or possible solutions. Always choose your words carefully. Don’t use “academic-sounding” word unless you are sure you know what they mean.  When in doubt, say it as simply as possible. The essay needs to avoid using the first person “I” or the second person “you”, but if you have an example/evidence from personal experience, it’s entirely appropriate to use “I” only when relating that experience. Standard Format applies for rough drafts and final drafts: size 12 Times New Roman font, double-spaced, 1-inch margins, MLA Style.  Final draft must be at least 1200 words, which is 4-5 pages when correctly formatted. You much research your topic thoroughly—understanding the different sides of the issue and the history of the topic. . These sources must be quotations or paraphrase, and they must be cited correctly. In some rare cases, a source may be another display of information (for example, picture/graphs/charts).  When in doubt, make time to clear your source with me before you use it. Please note that if you use picture/graphs/charts, your essay must still reach the required page count the picture/charts/graphs. Including graphs and charts in order to make your paper look longer is NOT appropriate and will result in losing points. Please see the following resources on how to include quotes and cite your sources correctly: Chapters 22 and 23 in your textbook 2. The OWL at Purdue on Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resources/557/01/ . Your works cited page is a separate page at the end of your essay. It does NOT count toward your minimum of 4-5 pages, it is . See page 462 in your textbook for an example. See these resources for more information: – Chapter 24 in your Textbook. – The OWL at Purdue on Works Cited pages: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resources/557/06 . Also, most of them were badly done because these topics tend to produce a lot of “junk internet sources” out there and that results in papers that rely on assumptions, hearsay, and lazy research. . This is for your own protection: I don’t want to be unintentionally prejudiced against your paper before I even read it, due to an overdone topic.