Arguing a Position on Should parents vaccinate their children?

Word Count: at least 1000

Genre: argumentative/persuasive essay

Worth: 30%

Rough Draft: Sunday, June 27th by 11:00 p.m.
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upload to the Unit 3 Discussion Board (A) opens in new window
FINAL Draft: FRIDAY, July 2nd by 11:00 p.m.
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The final draft of this essay CANNOT be turned in late. NO exceptions.
OVERVIEW

An argumentative essay explores a topic and asserts a position. Argumentative writing is not always about a win/lose situation. The goal for these essays is to present a thoughtful, logical, and plausible point of view on a given topic. A successful argumentative essay presents a position with a knowledgeable and respectful tone. These essays consider the contexts of the issues, incorporate outside research to develop and support points, and address opposing viewpoints. The purpose of this essay is to persuade your audience to see the issue from your POSITION.

TASK and TOPIC

For this essay, you have two topics you may choose from. Both are narrow and begin with a RESEARCH QUESTION. Also, both topics have one pre-approved source that must be used.

RESEARCH

For this essay, you have two topics you may choose from. Both topics are narrow and begin with a research question. Also, both topics have pre-approved sources. You will use BOTH sources below. You may also locate additional sources using the library search engine opens in new window if you wish. However, you only need TWO sources for this essay.

TOPIC A: TEXTBOOKS
Research Question A: Should textbooks be free for college students?
Pre-approved source: Ray Schroeder – “It’s Time for Open Educational Resources opens in new window” (Unit 3 folder)
Pre-approved source: Emma Whitford – “Open Resources in an Age of Contingency.” opens in new window (Unit 3 folder)
TOPIC B: VACCINATIONS
Research Question B: Should parents vaccinate their children?
Pre-approved source: Sarah Dzubay – “An Outbreak of the Irrational” opens in new window(Unit 3 folder)
Pre-approved source: Chephra McKee et al. – “Exploring the Reasons Behind Parental Refusal of Vaccines” opens in new window (Unit 3 folder)
Both issues are controversial. For example, the cost of textbooks is a growing concern for many students. While many courses are moving to free digital textbooks, other courses still require physical texts and other materials because of the discipline. For the other topic, some individuals are ardently against vaccinations due to possible side effects. Yet there are those who feel vaccinations are the best way to protect children from deadly illnesses.

In your paper, you will argue/assert your position on the topic you select. Only select ONE of the topics. Since you are trying to persuade your reader to see the issue from your POSITION, you need to choose a firm stance and develop an argument that supports your claim using EVIDENCE! You must develop logical, research-supported thesis points that reinforce your argument. Additionally, you should consider opposing viewpoints and provide a successful refutation to these oppositions.

You can use the information to support your own ideas, and/or you can examine the refutations offered within the selected texts. Regardless of how you use the sources, for each, you need to ensure you incorporate the following for each article:

one paraphrase
definition: rewording someone’s ideas using about the same number of words but not the phrasing or sentence structure of the original
one direct quote
definition: using someone else’s words exactly as they were spoken or written

THESIS and AUDIENCE

You will have an argumentative thesis. It will answer your research question and clearly state your POSITION on the issue. It will also MAP out your discussion points for your reader. Remember that your thesis (especially since this is a longer paper) can be more than one sentence. You can include your position statement in the first sentence, and then your discussion points in the second if it’s clearer for the reader. Regardless, ensure your reader understands the purpose and can pull out your main idea. You have a different audience based on the topic:

Textbooks: Your audience is a college’s administration. They are educated and informed on the topic.
Parents: Your audience is a parent of a two-year old child. They are educated and informed on the topic.
Therefore, you should clearly frame and contextualize the discussion for this particular audience (using your resources). Your overall tone should be formal, academic, and persuasive.

FORMALITY and MLA

You need to follow MLA formatting, i.e. in-text citations, a Works Cited page, etc. Since this is an academic essay, do NOT use:

2nd person pronouns (YOU)
Contractions
Rhetorical questions
Slang, colloquialism, etc.

FORMATTING and GUIDELINES

As with all your major paper assignments, you should follow the Paper Formatting Guidelines opens in new window posted in the Grade Rubric folder. Refer to the MLA section in Guide to Writing (web version) opens in new window. Also, per the Paper Formatting Guidelines, “Each writing assignment for this class must be your original work.” Therefore, this paper should be original work you’ve created for the first time after having read this assignment sheet. You cannot use a paper you have previously written. Doing so constitutes self-plagiarism