Purpose: To effectively present an argument of one of the following types: evaluative, proposal or causal. Mission: Pick an issue youre passionate about. It can be abstract and philosophical (Martin Heideggers influence on Sartres existentialism) or ordinary and everyday (Why shopping at Wal-Mart is good-times). Then, argue the issue. So, whats evaluative? Simple: evaluation. Judging. Sizing-up. This type of argument evaluates some particular issue, according to some standard of good or bad, strong or weak. You can evaluate the strength of Hillary Clintons platform. You can evaluate the effect the athletic expansion is going to have for OSU athletics and OSU as a whole. You can evaluate the extent to which Sartre mis/understands Heideggerian phenomenology. You can evaluate the impact of Indian casinos on Oklahoma. Whats a proposal? Simple: should do X. Hillary Clinton should take a tougher stance on immigration. The OSU athletic director should funnel more money into practice fields than housing. Disciples of Sartre should recognize the extent to which his philosophy is closer to nihilism than true existentialism. Lawmakers should pass a bill so that casinos cant condemn private property adjacent to their resorts. Whats a causal argument? Simple: X caused Y. Y is a result of X. Hillarys husband is the cause of her current standing in the polls. Bevin is the cause of current budget cuts in higher education. Sartres philosophy is the result of Heideggers popularity in French intellectual circles in the 1930s. Casino revenues have increased state funding for education by 30 percent. Pick a topic, focus on a current debate surrounding that topic, and take a position. THEN, I want you to find at least three to four other sources/viewpoints. Important here is that you choose an issue thats not too broad, not too narrow. Note: I want a variety of perspectives; I do not want you to find three that all conveniently agree with each other (and you). Formal Grading Criteria: You should be able to demonstrate the ability to do the following: Summarize and define the stakes of a particular argumentative issue Write a dynamic thesis which proposes a position on that argument Use effective and well-paragraphed evidence to support that position and to address and respond to the concerns of the opposition. Artfully integrate and embed quoted material into your essay Avoid common argumentative pitfallsi.e. fallacies Make use of ethos, pathos and logos when forming your argument. You are, after all, trying to convince me (the reader, in this case) that your position is the right one. Length: Length is non-negotiable. The final draft should be 4-6 pages long not including the works cited page. Format: MLA

Purpose: To effectively present an argument of one of the following types: evaluative, proposal or causal. Mission: Pick an issue youre passionate about. It can be abstract and philosophical (Martin Heideggers influence on Sartres existentialism) or ordinary and everyday (Why shopping at Wal-Mart is good-times). Then, argue the issue. So, whats evaluative? Simple: evaluation. Judging. Sizing-up. This type of argument evaluates some particular issue, according to some standard of good or bad, strong or weak. You can evaluate the strength of Hillary Clintons platform. You can evaluate the effect the athletic expansion is going to have for OSU athletics and OSU as a whole. You can evaluate the extent to which Sartre mis/understands Heideggerian phenomenology. You can evaluate the impact of Indian casinos on Oklahoma. Whats a proposal? Simple: should do X. Hillary Clinton should take a tougher stance on immigration. The OSU athletic director should funnel more money into practice fields than housing. Disciples of Sartre should recognize the extent to which his philosophy is closer to nihilism than true existentialism. Lawmakers should pass a bill so that casinos cant condemn private property adjacent to their resorts. Whats a causal argument? Simple: X caused Y. Y is a result of X. Hillarys husband is the cause of her current standing in the polls. Bevin is the cause of current budget cuts in higher education. Sartres philosophy is the result of Heideggers popularity in French intellectual circles in the 1930s. Casino revenues have increased state funding for education by 30 percent. Pick a topic, focus on a current debate surrounding that topic, and take a position. THEN, I want you to find at least three to four other sources/viewpoints. Important here is that you choose an issue thats not too broad, not too narrow. Note: I want a variety of perspectives; I do not want you to find three that all conveniently agree with each other (and you). Formal Grading Criteria: You should be able to demonstrate the ability to do the following: Summarize and define the stakes of a particular argumentative issue Write a dynamic thesis which proposes a position on that argument Use effective and well-paragraphed evidence to support that position and to address and respond to the concerns of the opposition. Artfully integrate and embed quoted material into your essay Avoid common argumentative pitfallsi.e. fallacies Make use of ethos, pathos and logos when forming your argument. You are, after all, trying to convince me (the reader, in this case) that your position is the right one. Length: Length is non-negotiable. The final draft should be 4-6 pages long not including the works cited page. Format: MLA