Researched argument essay topic is “Immigration”
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Introduction & Outlining Homework Assignment
Instructions:
For this assignment, you’ll be required to write and submit your own introduction (to your researched argument essay), as well as an outline of the points you plan to make.
Please submit the introduction and outline *together* in the same file, since there is only 1 dropbox for this assignment.
Use the following information and examples to help you write your own intro & outline:
I. INTRODUCTIONS:
Writing a Successful Introduction — What not to do:
- You are presenting a formal argument so don’t include an anecdote or humorous “hook.”
- Rather than saying “I think …” or “I have discovered …”, just say it! Don’t draw the reader’s attention to yourself as the essay’s writer.
- Don’t start presenting evidence in your introduction! Save that for later.
Writing a Successful Introduction — What to definitely do:
- Introduce the subject you’re going to be talking about.
- Before you present your argument, establish some background / context: provide a little summary of what others say about the issue at hand.
- Then, state that there’s a problem with the opposing side. It doesn’t take X, Y, and Z into consideration.
- Your introduction’s last sentence(s) is your thesis statement, which ideally previews the content of your essay. Remember that the main points your thesis makes should be in the same order as the points in your body paragraphs.
Example Introduction
School uniforms, specific outfits students are required to wear while attending classes, are worn by roughly one quarter of public and private school students in the United States. Over the years, the debate has continued over whether or not schools should be allowed to impose this requirement on students. Most who oppose the policy of mandatory school uniforms argue that dictating clothing choices to students encroaches upon their right to be individuals and express themselves. However, opponents of school uniforms fail to take into consideration the much more important issues at stake in the classroom, such as the need for students to focus on their academic work and to feel accepted by and equal to their classmates. School uniforms should be mandatory in schools across America because they promote student focus on their studies, rather than on fashion, and they relieve the pressure and stress that lower-income students feel when they are unable to afford the fashions they see their classmates wearing.
II. OUTLINES
Your researched argument essay will follow the following basic format:
- Introduction
Your introduction, which will be one paragraph in length, will provide background information about the issue and the position being argued. The very last sentence (or sentences) in your introduction should be your thesis statement.
- Body Paragraphs
For an essay this length, you will have room to make and argue roughly 2 to 5 major points with supporting evidence of their own. ALL OF YOUR MAJOR POINTS SHOULD BE MENTIONED IN YOUR THESIS. If you have found plenty of support for one point, it might last more than one paragraph. If you have less to say about a point, it may last a single paragraph. In that case, you may need to make more points to satisfy the page requirement.
Your body paragraphs will present support for your thesis statement. Each body paragraph will begin by introducing the argument you plan to present in that paragraph. Please note that you can use more than one paragraph to support a single point. Each body paragraph (or section of body paragraphs, if you are using more than one paragraph to prove a single point) will end by stating what you have proven in that paragraph, and by transitioning into your next body paragraph.
When you refute the other side’s arguments, begin by summarizing what they believe, then present why you believe they are wrong. You are expected to refute opposing claims. Your refutations may occur in the same paragraphs as your own points, or you may choose to include a separate paragraph where you address and refute opposing arguments.
- Conclusion
Your conclusion should be roughly the same length of your introduction. Your conclusion should restate your thesis statement and briefly summarize the points you have argued. The very last sentences of your conclusion should state a “call to action” of sorts – in other words, what you want he reader to take away from your essay. (What should they do? What should they believe?
Example Outline
- Intro.
A. Background, etc.
B. Thesis: Student uniforms should be mandatory in schools across America because they promote student focus on their studies rather than on fashion and they relieve the pressure and stress that lower-income students feel when they are unable to afford the fashions they see their classmates wearing.
- Body Paragraph #1
A. Uniforms promote focus on studies
1. Proof
2. Proof
3. Proof (etc.)
III. Body Paragraph #2
B. Uniforms relieve pressure on lower-income students to dress fashionably
1. Proof
2. Proof
3. Proof (etc.)
- Body Paragraph #3 (Refutations)
C. Some argue that uniforms encroach on students’ rights to express themselves,
however …
1. Refutation
2. Refutation
3. Refutation (etc.)
- Conclusion
A. Restate thesis
B. Call to action (what should be done, and why it’s so important)
Based on the information and examples above, write your own introduction and outline for your essay!
Submit the two items together as one file.
