Project description
SUPPORTING AN OPINION ESSAY ASSIGNMENT GUIDELINES
AEIS Writing 111
Write an essay (at least 6 paragraphs/about 3 “ 4 pages, but no more!) in which you discuss some aspect of the question of whether competition is beneficial or harmful. You will state and support your opinion, and also present and respond to a counterargument.
You must include some information from three or four of the assigned readings on competition in your paper:
DO NOT even LOOK at ANY other sources, including online sources, for this essay!
GENERAL GUIDELINES:
1. Choose an idea related to the issue of whether competition is advantageous/necessary. For example, you could focus on competition and education, competition and culture, competition and personality, competition and business technology, competition and sports or some other idea on this theme that you clear with me first.
2. Support your opinion. You must present a logical argument to convince the reader to agree with your opinion.
NOTE: In this essay, you can also include brief examples and ideas from your own experience or background knowledge. Personal experience or knowledge can help persuade the reader to agree with your opinion (one goal of your paper) as well as to make your paper more interesting. HOWEVER, you cannot do this in more than one or two paragraphs and it cannot be the primary support for your argument.
3. Present a counter-opinion. In order to avoid writing a subjective or biased essay, you must explain what someone who disagrees with you would say about your ideas. You may not find an opposing opinion in the readings; in that case you have to imagine what the counter-opinion might be. Then, explain WHY someone else might have that idea. This counter-opinion may be related to an idea in one of the articles, but it does not have to be related to any of the articles.
4. Respond to the counter-opinion.
5. Use paraphrases and quotes from the articles. You can use these references to give background information, to support your opinion, to support the counterargument and/or to respond to the counter-opinion. You must use BOTH paraphrases and quotes. All paraphrases and quotes must be cited according to the APA in-text citation.
NOTE: The minimum number for quotes and paraphrase COMBINED is three (e.g., 2 paraphrases and 1 quote), and the maximum number is 6 (e.g., 3 quotes and 3 paraphrases).
6. Create a list of the articles you write about. It will be called References. It will be the last page of the essay. This page DOES NOT count as part of your page limit. The first page of your essay will be a title page, using APA format. This page DOES NOT count as part of your page limit.
NOTE: I will give you an example cover page and the correct, APA formatted reference list for our articles.
7. You MUST use some of the vocabulary that we have studied this term.
Choose TEN vocabulary words, or related word forms, from the beginning of any of the assigned units in the textbook (Units 5, 6, 7, and 9) and incorporate them into your essay.
You must highlight each of the TEN vocabulary words you use in the essay. Please use the œBright Green highlight color only. Related forms of a word count as ONE vocabulary item (i.e., If you use ˜contemporary’ and ˜contemporarily’, it does NOT count as two different vocabulary words.
ESSAY FORMAT
A. INTRODUCTION:
? You must have an introduction. NOTE: Do not mention any of the articles in the introduction. Do not quote or paraphrase specific information form any of the articles in the introduction.
? The introduction must have a hook, background information (which can sometimes be the hook, if it is interesting), and a thesis statement. The thesis statement must focus on the topic you have decided to write about, and tell the reader your argument. Your opinion in the thesis must be clear.
NOTE: Do not write an explanatory thesis (e.g., I will explain why
competition is important.)
B. BODY PARAGRAPHS:
? The first body paragraph will be an academic summary paragraph. All 3-5 articles that you use in your essay have to be summarized in this paragraph. This paragraph MUST have a specific topic sentence. Each summary should be only 2-3 sentences. Remember to include the title and author’s full name for each article. Use simple past tense when summarizing the author’s ideas/opinions.
NOTE: Do not quote from any of the articles in the summary paragraph. Do
not use a topic sentences like this, œI read three articles about competition.
? You will need AT LEAST THREE body paragraphs (in addition to the summary paragraph). You will explain and support your opinion, discuss a counter-opinion and refute a counter-opinion in these paragraphs. Each paragraph must develop one point, which is clearly related to your thesis. Each paragraph of these paragraphs MUST contain at least 7 sentences. This would be if you do Point-by-Point organization.
o If you do a Block organization, you will have 7 total paragraphs because you will have a separate paragraph with all three of your counter opinions and a response for each of the counter opinions.
C. CONCLUSION:
? The conclusion must summarize your thesis and main points and explain why the topic is important/valid and make any final comments. End it on a strong note.
1.
Dr. Spock Says Today’s Parents Should Teach Less Competition
Toronto (AP) “ Dr. Benjamin Spock, whose advice has guided the upbringing of millions of children, says parents should teach less competition and force violence off television to help cure œa sick society.
And adults should become more politically active to achieve the same goal, he said Friday. Speaking to a packed house at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association, Spock recited a list of current social problems, including rising divorce rates, teen-age suicide, violence and an œincredibly tense society in which parents find release by swatting their children.
œ¦We have a sick society and our society is getting sicker all the time, said Spock 81.
His prescription includes rearing children with less emphasis on competition. Parents shouldn’t pressure a child into catching up with a sibling, he said. Athletics ought to be relaxing, but they’ve become so commercial that college sports should be limited to touch football and throwing Frisbees.
Parents should urge advertisers and local television stations to take violence off the air because brutality nudges viewers toward accepting, he said.
And children should not be given toy pistols and war toys, although there’s no real cause for alarm when a 3- to 5-year-old picks up a twig an pretends it’s a gun, he said.
Spock whose book, œBaby and Child Care, has sold 28 million copies in 26 languages, also advised against spanking and encouraged teaching children œthe joy of serving others.
As for grown-ups, he urged them to vote so they can keep control of the political process away from special interests*. And he said they should demonstrate, picket, write letters and lobby to make a difference in politics.
Spock, who was arrested last October after climbing a chin-link fence at an Army depot* to protest deployment* of American-made missiles in Europe, cautioned Friday that civil disobedience* œis not for everyone.
In becoming politically active, he said, œfind what’s comfortable for you. And then keep on doing it.
By Clayton Fritchley
Ocala Star-Banner “ Aug 27, 1984
Page 8C
*Vocabulary;
special interests “ groups that form political and/or financial networks huge to improve their power and influence
depot “ military stations to weapons
deployment “ placement
civil disobedience “ non-violent protests against the government
