The Argumentative Essay White Supremacy

Essay #4: The Argumentative Essay White Supremacy and Systemic Racism in the United States ASSIGNMENT: This semester you will write an argumentative research paper that defines, provides background on, and explores a subject that grows out of a subtopic from our course theme of white supremacy and systemic racism in the United States. You will do this by using the topic finding and narrowing activity we did in class last week (or a second attempt you may have done on your own), locating a debate or controversy within your chosen topic. Your primary purpose is ultimately to convince your readers that your position is a valid and reasonable one. You should do your best to follow the Toulmin model of argumentation we reviewed in class to structure your essay. Required paper elements: • Introduction o Attention-grabbing opening commentary/anecdote o Provide overview of your selected topic, such as the context of the topic/controversy you will discuss or any definitions your reader may need o Two-part thesis statement (one sentence placed at the end of your introduction) that states your topic and position on that topic • Body o State and discuss several different points supporting your thesis using specific evidence such as personal experience and/or facts, examples, statistics, and quotations from outside sources (at least two) o Introduce a counterclaim (an opposing viewpoint) o State your response to the counterclaim (you must argue against it effectively)
Note: counterclaim and rebuttal should be separate paragraphs/sections
• Conclusion
o Bring your paper full-circle.
o Restate your thesis in other words.
o Close with a thought-provoking ending and a call to action.
Grading Criteria: • Proper grammar, usage, and mechanics • Effective introduction, summary (of your topic/issue), and two-part thesis statement • A logical argument that attempts to effectively convince your readers of your claim(s) through good paragraph organization and adequate development • At least two direct quotations from an outside source(s). • Proper MLA formatting • LENGTH: About 1,200 words. • STYLE: MLA format. (No exceptions; points will be deducted for inconsistencies). • DUE: Your final draft of this paper is due through via Brightspace by Saturday, July 25th, 2020 (11:59 pm). STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC INTEGRTY (I.E. PLAGIARISM): You must credit or cite anything you have quoted, summarized or paraphrased from an outside source, but remember: you are writing mostly from your own knowledge; you will only add support where necessary (ideally no more than twenty to thirty percent of the paper if you use outside support). Cutting and pasting language from other writers (e.g., on the internet) without attribute is intellectual theft, and any essay displaying this, per my definition, will be scored a zero with no opportunity for makeup.