Four  pages of body“but no more than five pages; only one heading“on the left margin; a creative title and an italicized opening

Four  pages of body–but no more than five pages; only one heading–on the left margin; a creative title and an italicized opening quote; and fifteen to  twenty sources cited correctly in the paper-body; and a Works Cited page (several citations could be from the same source).

Use only one counter-argument for your position ( the Student Example Essays have more than one counter-argument). Please spend the extra time and energy using more sources for your reasons that directly argue for your position, rather than on extra counter-arguments.

Please remember that this is a source-based paper; use sources for every section–one source, one paragraph; use the required signal phrases for all sources.

Avoid wordy sentences and avoid padding the essay with repetitive and vague statements; do not use first-person–this is not an opinion essay and this is not a responsive or reflective essay pattern.

Your submission must follow the required five-point pattern, with bolded subtitles for only the #3, #4, and #5 sections; use clear signal phrases for all sources (According to, Source claims that, Source argues that…); Times New Roman, size 12 font and true double-space (not that off-brand "double-space" that is really triple-space!); do not triple-space between paragraphs (indent for new paragraphs); use one inch margins and only justify the left margin; need one footnote or end-note; pay attention to paragraph unity (one claim statement or main sentence per paragraph, and then only supporting sentences that directly support that main sentence); edit your final paper for grammar, syntax (word order), spelling, punctuation;  and finally, use the MLA citation system (w/ Works Cited page).

Do your best to use active voice (versus passive voice); avoid the weak "To Be" verbs–is, are, was, be, etc. OK to use the To Be verbs, now and then.

Use a variety of sources/strategies (avoid overusing illustrations!).

Remember, this is a source-based paper, not a Reflection or a Response paper; avoid conversational or responsive type of writing.Most of your paragraphs with sources will typically require at least one connective or meaning statement after the boundary end-marker.

Avoid lecturing, preaching, moralizing, or evaluating. But OK to ask rhetorical questions in the last section–those questions that call for common ground or shared values, for example.

Use a signal phrase for each source and mark the end boundary with the parenthetical citation, modified (Seattle Channel) or (Library of Congress), instead of page numbers.

Review the excellent PDF posted on How to use sources and how to avoid plagiarism (college policy allows instructors to only fail students for each plagiarized assignment, not for the entire class).

Keep the paragraphs short–probably three to six sentences each; avoid the temptation to "pad" the source with wordy or circular responses (cluster connections)

Avoid first-person.

Use the bolded sub-titles to help you keep control, to organize effectively, and to save you time; and argue directly for each reason (bolded sub-title). Capitalize important words in all bolded sub-titles.

Pay attention to paragraph unity–one source, one paragraph.

Do not mix up reasons; for example, do not mix-up Choice with Simply An Option (for the position Legalize aid in dying) or do not mix Cruel with Unusual for the Abolish the Death Penalty topic–use in separate paragraphs: Cruel could be solitary confinement and Unusual could be that it is unusual for the State to kill its own citizens, for example. But you must find the actual sources to support all distinctions; that is your key job–to use sources!

Review the applicable Student Example Essays. Remember, those essays are not "perfect" but should help you better "see" the required paper pattern. For example, some of the Student Example Essays do not indent for new paragraphs and they use extra spacing between paragraphs; do not adopt those formatting devices–just indent for new paragraphs.

Just do what the most recent directions state–do not use the Student Example essays as the final word.

Do not indent the first line of each new section.
Do not use extra space between paragraphs.
Just indent for a new paragraph.
Do not bold your essay title.
Italicize the opening quote–do not italicize the source, and use a dash instead of a hyphen.
Use true double-space, not some off-brand "double-space" that is really triple-space.
Use one inch margins.

In other words, do not use too much "white-space." Since the essay body needs to only be four pages, I do not want extra spacing to cut short the body requirements.

Besides, formatting issues are not the real skill-sets needed: using sources correctly and using a variety of sources are primary. Remember, avoid wordy statements, avoid padding–just argue directly with sources used correctly. You are not expected to be an expert.

Use most of your sources from the posted lists in the modules, but perfectly fine to use other sources as long as they fit into the required pattern.