Prompt
You get to choose the subject matter for this essay!however, bear in mind that it’s in the argumentative style, so you need to have a stance on an issue, rather than simply providing the reader information.
Issues can be derived from socio-political, philosophical, or science-based conversations (i.e., nearly anything). The paper is designed so you can apply it to your major and/or a subject of interest; that said, over the next three weeks, we’ll look at three example conversationsand you’re invited to lean into one of those examples for structuring your essayso if you do best when you’re provided with options, (or if you just need some inspiration,) I’ll provide those grounding points for you.
For our three example conversations, we’ll explore an example philosophical debate, followed by a socio-political issue, and then wrap things up where we started the course by evaluating technology.
Regardless of if you use one of the examples provided this unit, or you embark on an adventure all your own, you’ll need seven sources, including a minimum of three from EBSCOhost. You can access EBSCOhost through FCC’s library by visiting the campus website, clicking the Library option in the menu, and scrolling down to the databases section. You’re welcome to stop by my office hour if you need additional demos, or you can check our Week 12/13 module for a video. You can also schedule a RAP session with a librarian through FCC’s website, so you can get one-on-one Zoom support with a pro who dedicated their master’s studies to navigating information. RAP sessions are really an incredible resource for longer essays.
You’ll be evaluated based on (a) the depth of your research, (b) the logic behind your arguments, and (c) the rhetorical choices made to provide the reader with structure and flow. Don’t feel intimidated by this; it’s the same grading rigor applied to your first and second essays, only I’ve increased the scale and opened up the floodgates to more options.
Questions to Ask During Prewriting and Drafting
As you draft, ask yourself:
Are you emotionally invested in this topic? Since the prompt gives you total freedom, now’s the time to really focus in on something important to you. It can be related to activism or curiosity; for instance, you might feel inspired to address a systemic issue within our society, or you could be curious about a technology used by children in your household. Do your best to make sure you have a stake in your writing, rather than choosing something you think will be easy to draft.
Can you build upon a previous assignment? I’m good with you researching something you’ve looked into before, but I also think this assignment’s a good opportunity for diving into something new, so it depends on where you’re at.
How focused is your thesis statement? Specifics create interest. Quirky stances create intrigue. Try to get as focused as you can in your thesis statement, and then push yourself to zoom in even more with topic sentences. Avoid turning in generalized essays. For instance, if you wrote an essay about police reform, you might want to look at a specific aspect of itexample A, funding other emergency response programs; example B, reforming training programsrather than drafting an essay that looks at a broad picture. You want to give your audience something new, and most of us are already aware of the broad pictures. Zooming in forces the reader to rethink assumptions and, if lucky, change for the better.
How are you integrating your sources? Sources can be used to support claims (or arguments). For instance, if you make the case that Instagram has a negative impact on self-esteem, your sources could provide evidence of this in action. Alternatively, sources can be used to complicate or further a conversation. For example, if you make the case that automated interviews are harmful as long as AI is built on bias, your sources could illustrate which companies currently rely on this tech, illustrating inaccessibility to important Fortune 500 businesses. As long as you can reason with yourself a purpose or meaningfulness for your source use, you’re headed the right way.
When you make an argument, do you avoid the fallacious reasoning we’ve explored in class? Ask yourself if your arguments are presented with mindfulness about the fallacies we’ve explored so far. You don’t want to invite conspiracy theory or causal reductionism into the essay for the sake of intrigue. Instead of relying on quick-fix approaches to arguments, consider logical and thorough investigations into your claims.
Purpose of Assignment
The third essay is your final. Since I don’t administer exams, I use the third essay to evaluate your knowledge of the fallacies we’ve explored this semester, as well as the logic discussed in our first unit’s textbook readings.
Where’s the “Submit Assignment” Button?
This is a page to introduce you to the prompt. You won’t have the chance to turn the essay in until finals week. We’ll start workshopping in Week 16, so you want to get your ideas ready during Week 15.
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