ENGL 101 - Wise

For your final essay, you will write a 5- to 6-page essay in which you enter into an ongoing scholarly debate about a specific topic and put forth your own original argument about that topic.  For your topic, you will be responding directly to one of the argument essays we’ve read together as a class this semester. In other words, this assignment asks you to develop your own viewpoint about this topic.

To develop your argument, you will need to perform library research for two reasons:

1. To find necessary background information about your specific topic
2. To engage effectively with the scholarly conversation surrounding it.

In addition to the primary essay to which you’re responding, you will need to use ideas or information from at least four outside sources to develop your argument. One of these sources can be another article we read together as a class, but you will need to find at least three other sources through your own research.

In the Research Essay, you will develop your argument by taking the following steps:

• Summarize your topic, explaining the conflicts, problems, or unresolved dilemmas it raises.
• Explain the ongoing scholarly conversation your topic has generated thus far.
• Define your own argument about this topic.
• Make your argument persuasive, supporting it with clear reasoning and use of evidence.

Throughout your Research Essay, use paraphrase and quotation effectively, citing both parenthetically by page number. Also be sure to include a Works Cited section at the end of the essay, following MLA guidelines (see Everyone’s an Author or Easy Writer). Your essay’s formatting should also follow MLA guidelines.

To achieve the aims of this assignment, you will need to observe the following steps:

• Begin by deciding which of our readings you’ll want to use: to which do you want to respond? What ideas might you want to contribute to the ongoing conversation it represents?
• Conduct library research so that you’ll have at least four outside sources to help you support and develop your ideas.