PLEASE NOTE THAT DUE TO TIME CONSTRAINTS YOU NEED TO SELECT A TOPIC AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

Paper Length: 3 double spaced pages + Works Cited
(NOTE: Your Works Cited page must include at least three academically rigorous sources relevant to your selected topic.  If you neglect to include a Works Cited page or if you select unqualified sources, (someone's blog, Wikipedia, About.com, Ask.com or other general sources) then you will automatically lose 20 points off of your final paper grade. 

For this paper you are going to craft you own opinion and editorial assignment.  You must select a topic that is current, controversial and relevant.  Since this is an opinion/editorial piece you’re encouraged to not only state your opinion but you’re also allowed to use first person pronouns such as I, me and my. 

In some respects this will be the most challenging paper you write all year.  In order to be eligible for full credit you MUST develop and present an argument in order to providing background information on your topic.  If you only write an expository paper but neglect to include a well-developed and well-crafted argument then you will score poorly for this paper. 

Make sure your introductory paragraph is catchy.  Use the last paragraph to bring your argument to a close. 

Identify 3 or 4 points that support and defend your argument and formulate paragraphs around each point. 

Avoid logical fallacies, or incorrect judgments based upon faulty data and arguments. 

You are expected to incorporate commentary and specific details.

I expect your paper to be well-organized and free of any grammatical errors.

Between now and the due date of this assignment we will do the following:

1)  Class time to discuss various parts of the paper

2)  Review of fallacies to avoid

3)  Assigned readings from your textbook which focus on opinion/editorial writing

4)  Additional handouts to supplement how to write an argumentation paper.

5)  Structures of arguments

6)  Crucial components of a well-developed argument