Identify a problem experienced by people in your age group

Persuasive Problem/Solution

In this essay, you are identifying a problem experienced by people in your age group. You will explain the causes of the problem and the effects — or how it affects the person with the problem. Then you will recommend a viable solution.

Since your audience will think that we already have a solution for this problem, before recommending your solution you will bring up this current solution and explain why it’s inadequate. This explanation will make your reader ready to listen to your recommended solution. We will use this “ineffective solution” as a counter-point to strengthen your argument.

Essay Requirements

Follow these requirements for this assignment. Use this list as a checklist to assess your work before you hand it in.

1. This is an opinion essay in which you are examining a problem and suggesting a viable solution.
2. Absolutely no research allowed. This includes looking up information on the internet. You may not use any sources of any type for this assignment. If you put any information in your essay that you looked up or found in another source, you will be plagiarizing.
3. Identify the age group you’re writing about. The causes, effects and solutions for depression or texting and driving are very different for teens and young adults than they are for adults.
4. Follow format for thesis statement.
5. Introduction is a scene illustrating a person suffering the effects of the problem followed by the thesis statement. This should be no longer than 6 or 7 sentences. Make up a fictional character who is suffering from the effects of the problem. Give the character a first name. Don’t kill off your character in the intro! You may need this character for your conclusion!
6. Follow the outline. One paragraph per heading.
7. Include as a counterpoint the current solution or way of handling this problem that doesn’t work (ineffective solution).
8. Two paragraphs on the solutions. You may either identify one “group” responsible for carrying out two different actions or two separate groups, each responsible for a different action.
9. Conclusion is a scene illustrating your character from the intro getting the help you recommend in your solutions. Restate your thesis in your conclusion in slightly different words (try two sentences).
10. No “I” statements or personal experiences. Eliminate the use ofI, my, we, you and all other personal pronouns. These pronouns are either too personal and will make your essay biased and subjective or they are too vague.
11. Proofread your essay aloudfor sentence structure, grammar, missing words, and other problems before handing it in.

Why Can’t I Look Up Any Information?

If you “borrow” an idea from another author or source and put it in your essay without giving credit to that author or source, you are plagiarizing.

This is true even if you put the idea in your own words. You are still stealing the idea from someone else.

The way around this is to add a citation at the end of the sentence and include a Works Cited page at the end of your essay. However, we are not learning citations, Works Cited pages, or MLA documentation in this class. You will learn all of that in ENGL 122, Writing and Research.

Since you are not permitted to use any outside sources for this essay, there is no need to include citations.

If you plagiarize, you will fail for the semester, and I’m required to report you.

Guidelines for Topic Selection

Follow these guidelines when selecting your topic:

• Select a problem that affects people in the United States.
• Your topic must be viewed as a problem. For example, if you want to argue that marijuana should be legalized in more states, what is the problem? Maybe the problem is Lack of Progress in Legalizing Marijuana. Maybe it’s  Federal Government’s Refusal to Legalize Marijuana.
• Select a topic you really care about, not one that you think will be easy.
• You must know enough about the topic to write about it without doing any research. You may not look up any information online. You may use any ideas generated by our class discussion
• Once you select your topic, identify the age group you will be writing about. If it’s ADHD, are you writing about children? Teens? If it’s depression, are you writing about children? teens and young adults? adults? the elderly? The causes, effects and solutions will be very different for each age group. Narrow it down to a specific age group.

Freewrite About the Causes and Effects

Causes come before the problem and effects happen after the problem has developed.

Causes

What are the most common causes of this problem?

• Why does a person develop it?
• Why does a person do this behavior (text and drive, take heroin, start cutting)
• What conditions in society led to this problem?
• What allows or encourages the problem to develop?
• If there is only one known cause (for example with ADHD), what makes it worse?

Effects

What are the effects of the problem?

• Once a person, society or the world develops the problem, why is it bad?
• How does it negatively affect the person? Consider:
  • impact on behavior
  • physical effects
  • emotional effects
  • psychological or mental effects
• If your problem is a societal or world issue, how does the problem negatively affect society or the world or the earth (depending on topic)?

Narrow Down the Causes and Effects

Now out of all the causes and effects you have identified, narrow it down to:

• two most important causes
• three most significant effects

Essay 2 Outline

1. Introduction (scene illustrating effects + thesis)
2. Background
3. Cause:
4. Cause:
5. Effect:
6. Effect:
7. Worst Effect:
8. Ineffective Solution:
9. Solution:
10. Solution:
11. Conclusion (scene illustrating solution + restated thesis/should statement)