* the issue i chose was that people dont exercise enough and that there is no reason someone should not be in shape unless there are medical inhibitions*
Choose an issue that is meaningful to you and articulate a stance on the issue. Use research to connect the issue to the larger conversation surrounding the topic, target a specific audience, and establish common ground with your audience. Support your claims with strong evidence and use the available means of persuasion to appeal to an audience’s values and emotions.
Your role is that of an advocate, presenting a convincing argument in favor of your position to an audience that does not already agree with you. In order to accomplish this goal, you must demonstrate that you understand the reasons why people believe differently than you and practice respectful engagement with the various perspectives on your topic.
Formatting Details
Your final draft should be 3 to 4 double-spaced pages, using 11 or 12 pt. font and 1” margins. When citing your outside sources, follow MLA format (see Chapter 22 in New Harbrace Guide and/or the PSU Libraries’ Citation Research Guide: http://guides.libraries.psu.edu/mlacitation).
Recommended Process
Following these steps will help you draft your assignment.
Selecting A Topic
First, identify an interesting issue that merits your taking a stand. Perhaps you want to correct a misconception, argue for a change in policy or behavior, or support a cause. Whether the issue you choose is serious, light-hearted, or something in between, it must be debatable, in that it lends itself to genuine disagreement. There are some issues for which the possibility of potential resolution or productive argument is small. Often these issues are either extremely narrow or extremely broad and complex with numerous stakeholders. While you are not barred from arguing about these issues, they can be extremely challenging to write about in an effective way.
If you are interested in a major issue, such as environmental sustainability, instead of trying to address this entire topic, consider writing about one clearly defined aspect of that issue. You might, for example, address the value of completing a “zero waste” challenge. Generally speaking, the more local and specific your topic, the easier it will be to identify and speak to the audiences that care about your issue. In fact, it may be helpful to identify a close friend, family member, teacher, or classmate who disagrees with you about your position on a given topic and write your position argument with this person in mind.
Conducting Background Research
Next, do some preliminary background research about your chosen topic to gather information about the issue’s stakeholders and the key debates around your issue. Stakeholders are individuals or groups who have a vested interest in the success or failure of an issue and have the power to create desired change. Some of the disagreements among stakeholders may be subtle; for example, two groups may agree about a common goal but disagree about how to achieve that goal.
Formulating Your Stance
After evaluating different opinions about a topic, formulate your own opinion and write it down as a defensible thesis. In your body paragraphs state your position; present the reasons that support your position; reinforce your reasons with details, examples, scenarios, and experience; and represent other positions and counterarguments fairly.
Finishing Strong
Finally, end with a call to action or an invitation to think or act differently in response to this issue. Your conclusion should consider the broader implications of your opinion and leave the audience with a sense of urgency about your persuasive purpose.
Grading Criteria
Your position argument essay will be evaluated according to the PWR Grading Standards provided in Penn Statements Online (http://www.pwr.psu.edu/grading-standards/ (Links to an external site.)) and according to the following criteria.
Your position argument should:
define or describe a contested problem or issue;
include a thesis statement that articulates your position about this issue clearly;
address an audience that has a clear connection to, or investment in the chosen problem/issue;
support your position with good reasons and specific, convincing evidence—details, examples, quotations, statistics, anecdotes, research findings, and testimonies; and
discuss/analyze how and why this evidence supports your reasons and, therefore, your position.
