Project # 4:  Proposing a Solution

Assignment

The exploratory essay that you wrote was essentially a narrative, a “story” written in the first-person about your research project and progress. Like all “open form” writing, the exploratory essay moved towards a thesis or a tentative conclusion, rather than presenting one in the beginning. The Proposing a Solution Essay is the opposite. Your conclusions – in other words, your thesis – must be clearly stated, presented early, and supported with evidence throughout the rest of the paper.

For the Proposing a Solution Essay, you will take your research project from the intermediary stage of your exploratory essay to a formal, conclusive paper. Your aim is to make an argument that calls an audience to action.  You’ll make a claim that some action should be taken, and then you’ll offer a solution to one of the problems you identified in your Exploratory Essay.

The writing style should be objective.You may use the first person “I,” but try to limit its use to relevant passages in which you discuss your experience (if any) with the issue that you are writing about. Do not report the subjective process of your thinking and your research as you did in the exploratory. Only report findings, insights, evidence, conclusions, and so forth.

Process

As stated in The Allyn& Bacon Guide to Writing, “for every proposal there is always an alternative course of action, including doing nothing.” Your task as a proposal writer is threefold: 1) demonstrate that a significant problem exists; 2) propose a solution to the problem; and 3) justify the solution, showing how the benefits outweigh the costs and that the proposed solution will fix the problem better than alternative solutions would. Your essay should contain the following three parts:

• a description of the problem
• a proposal for a solution
• a justification for the solution

Your introduction should get your audience’s attention (possibly by appealing to pathos), provide background on the conversation you are joining, and clearly state the claim you intend to support.  The body of your argument should appeal to logos by presenting reasons and evidence in support of your position, as well as appeal to ethos by responding to opposing views (rebutting the counterargument).  You may also appeal to pathos within your body by appealing to the values and beliefs of your audience.

Requirements:

• 1500-2000 words – roughly 6 pages or more (not including Works Cited page)
• At least 7 secondary sources (these may be the sources you used for your exploratory essay)
• Size 12, Times New Roman Font
• MLA format for headings, style, and citations
• Thesis-driven, closed-form prose style
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Grading Criteria

• Does the essay contribute something new to the subject?
• Is the thesis clear, easy to find, meaningful, and sufficiently argumentative (in other words, not a question or a bland statement of fact)?
•  Does the writer make a convincing argument as to why his/her audience should take action or should accept the writer’s point of view?
• Is the proposed action (or “claim”) clearly identified and explained?
• Is the proposed action feasible, financially, politically, and socially?
• Is this claim logically supported by reasons and evidence?
• Have possible objections to the underlying assumptions linking the claim and reasons been addressed?
• Have opposing views been addressed?
• Does the paper provide adequate background on the problem the author is attempting to remedy?
• Does the essay use credible, relevant sources?
• Does the essay use appropriate style and tone?
• Is there evidence of an effective writing process?
• Is there a logical progression and organization of thoughts?
• Are there smooth transitions between ideas/ paragraphs?
• Use of appropriate college-level spelling, grammar and mechanics?
• MLA format, in-text citations, and Works Cited page?

Submission Directions

1) Essays must be submitted in class by the due date specified on the Moodle page with the in-class, peer-reviewed draft (not including the peer reviewed draft will cause you to lose 5 points from your overall score).

2) Essays must also be submitted onto the Moodle Turnitin link by the due date (this is done to check for plagiarism).

Note: For everyday I do not have your final draft (both in hard copy and on Turnitin), you will lose ½ a letter grade from your overall score.