E2–Causal Argument
Your topic for E2 will be drawn (narrowed) from one of the approved subjects listed below. Your topic must be focused
on the issue at a local, regional, or national level. You may not address a global concern. For all but one* of the subjects
listed below, you can find an article in The College Writer that offers a focused perspective. Not all of the articles on
these subjects are argumentative. These articles are helpful (if necessary) to stimulate your own idea development and to
see how a broad subject can be focused to something more specific. For example, for the Advertising and/or Marketing
subject or the Gender subject, the article “Consequences of Childhood Staples: Do Barbies…?” by Annie Spears might
get you thinking about the effect that gender specific toys may or may not have as people grow to adulthood. Another
example can be found in the article “Fatherless America” by David Blankenhorn which fits into the Parenting or Gender
Roles subject categories.
| Advertising and/or Marketing | Privacy |
| Gender (Roles, Identity) | Parenting |
| Social Media and/or Internet | Criminal Justice |
| Disabilities and Abilities | Ethnicity and Identity |
| Higher Education | Individualism – Community |
| Poverty Work/Employment | Environmental Issues *Food Insecurity |
Select a few topics above, conduct some preliminary research (read essays from textbook, do some web searches), and
narrow to a specific topic on which you will write your causal argument. I must approve your topic, so you will be
required to submit your topic for confirmation/approval before beginning any work on E2.
Identify a problem related to that topic and address the cause or condition that exists, the effect, and a potential viable
solution (or solutions).
Guiding questions:
| | What is a problem associated with your chosen topic? What evidence shows that this is a problem? How has the problem developed/occurred – conditions/causes? How will you support this? What evidence will you provide? What are the potential consequences/effects? What’s at stake? For whom? What evidence will you provide? Is there one cause with multiple effects? Are there multiple causes for one problem? What is the opposing view to parts or all of the issue? |
| |
For the questions that follow here, you don’t need to develop in detail for E2 because a solution argument will be an
option for E3, you should at least be considering these as you develop E2. You might also offer a “hint” at solutions as
part of your E2 conclusion.
| | What are some proposed solutions to the problem? Are the proposed solutions feasible? What evidence and examples are available to support the proposed solution? |
The Objectives:
| | Develop a critical understanding of the issue as it represents a condition or problem in America thoroughly examining the causes-effects. Your argument should reveal reasonable propositions, thoughtful analysis, and considered support. Construct a well-written, researched essay based on ideas which you develop through observation, analysis and |
| |
synthesis and support with facts, data, statistics, and expert testimony. The paper will successfully handle the
2 2
components of effective writing that we have been discussing this semester, including clear organization,
thorough idea development, MLA documentation, correct syntax, grammar, and mechanics. .
Conduct research using various electronic, print, and primary resources, assess the credibility and applicability of
the sources; correctly and effectively incorporate sources into your essay; and cite sources correctly using MLA 8
in-text citations and a Works Cited page.
The Requirements:
| | MLA essay format 5-6 pages of typed text (This does not include the Works Cited page.) 7-8 credible sources located through your independent research. At least 6 of the sources must be academic/scholarly sources (library catalog and academic databases). Once you have reached the requirement of 6 |
academic/scholarly sources, you will then be permitted to include up to 2 (or 3) credible websites or pages within
websites. Information Literacy is a major component of this E2/E3 essay unit. The lessons on Information
Literacy (Research and Documentation) prepares you to perform effective research.
| | You are expected to engage the opposition in this essay. (See “Opposing Viewpoints” lesson for a discussion about working with opposing views in arguments. You must actually cite and document at least one source for an opposing viewpoint.) MLA Style documentation. A significant part of this essay unit has included lessons on MLA Style documentation. , your MLA in-text citations and Works Cited entries must be accurate, and you must avoid plagiarism. Edited for use of Standard Edited English – correction of grammar, mechanics, and usage errors. Revision, if mandatory. Third person perspective. |
| | |
| |