Assignment
3: "Critical Thinking Paper — Draft and Self-evaluation 1"
Background and Preparation:
• In
Week 4, Discussion 2, you picked a topic, did some brainstorming and
“starbursting” on the topic, and used the CAP process to organize the generated
material into a rough outline.
• In
the Week 7 “Explore It” activity, you created and conducted a survey on the
topic you selected.
• This
week, in Discussion 3, you shared the results of your survey with your
classmates.
• Now
it is time to write a first draft of your position paper and to self-evaluate
the draft.
• Please
note: For this assignment you will write both a draft and your self-evaluation
of the draft. However, you will submit only the self-evaluation of your draft.
Even though you are not submitting the draft itself, it is important to follow
the guidelines below, because these are the identical guidelines for the final
paper that is due in Week 10.
Draft:
Write a four to six (4–6) page (1000–1200 word)
paper that presents a reasoned, convincing argument for a position on a
selected topic. Your paper should cover the following:
1. Follow
the five steps of persuasion: establishing credibility, acknowledging the
audience’s position, constructing a rationale, transplanting root elements, and
asking for a response.
2. Clearly
define your position and supporting evidence, including the results of your
survey.
3. Include
all the necessary “evidence” for the reader to reach the expected conclusion in
each argument in the paper (whether the over-riding argument or one contained
in an individual paragraph)
4. Ensure
that each argument in the paper (whether the overriding argument or one
contained in an individual paragraph) is valid and free from both formal and
informal fallacies.
5. Include
at least four (4) references (sources). At least one (1) of your sources must
be obtained from the collection of databases accessible from the Learning
Resources Center Web page.
The paper should follow guidelines for clear and
effectively organized writing:
• The
paper is well-organized, and every explanation is both complete and easy to
understand.
• Include
an introductory paragraph and concluding paragraph for the paper.
• Main
ideas should be addressed in body paragraphs with a topic sentence and
supporting sentences.
• Adhere
to standard rules of English grammar, punctuation, and mechanics.
• The
paper should be checked for spelling and grammatical errors.
The format of the paper is to be as follows:
• Typed,
double-spaced, Times New Roman font (size 12), one-inch margins on all sides,
APA format.
• In
addition to the four to six (4–6) pages assigned, a title page with the title
of the assignment, your name, the instructor’s name, the course title, and the
date is to be included, as well as a Reference Page.
• Sources
documented using APA style for in-text citations and listed on the References
Page using APA style format.
Self-evaluation:
Note: This is the part you will submit for this
assignment. After you have written the draft of your position paper, review it
to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your argument. Respond to the
following questions, as specifically as you can:
1. What
is your topic?
2. What
are the possibly different main claims/positions related to this topic? (There
will be at least two (2) possibly different claims/positions, but there could
be more; however, one of them will be YOUR claim/position.)
3. What
is your position regarding the topic?
4. What
“evidence” have you offered to support your claim/position? Have you included
your survey results?
5. Put
your claim/position and “evidence” through the “Scientific Method” and “Proving
a theory” steps. Are there any steps on which your claim/position and evidence
do not measure up to the examination? If so, what can you do to make them more
acceptable?
6. Who
is your intended audience? (This does not have to be specifically your
instructor.)
7. What
is your purpose? What do you want the audience to do, to feel, or to think?
Remember that a persuasive paper is always asking for some sort of response
from the audience.
8. What
words or phrases have you included to cause your audience to do, feel, or think
the way that you want them to do, feel, or think? Include all of your
motivational or empathetic “cues” for your audience.
9. How
can your position actually better meet the needs of your audience than other
possible positions?
10. What
more might your audience need to know before they believe that they need to do,
to feel, or to think that what you are suggesting should in fact cause them to
be doing, feeling, or thinking something?
11. What
position that is different from yours might cause your audience not to accept
your position? (Note: There may be more than one.) Now that you have identified
it, what do you need to add to your own argument to convince your audience that
this alternate position should be rejected in favor of your own position?
12. Can
you think of anything else that your audience might need in order to be
persuaded by your argument?
13. Once
you have completed these tasks, start editing and revising your paper.
The self-evaluation should be at least one (1) page,
250 words minimum. The evaluation should be typed. APA format is not required
for the assignment. Include your name and date.
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