Our OER text is entitled Bad Ideas about Writing, and it is filled with essays arguing against common misconceptions about composition. Now, imagine that editors are compiling a collection of essays about one of your favorite subjects: Bad Ideas about Video Games, or Bad Ideas about Sports, or Bad Ideas about Education, or Bad Ideas about Social Media. The possibilities are endless and guided by your own interests. Your task is to write an essay for an academic audience that argues against an idea concerning your selected topic.
In a 6-10 page essay, you will clearly state where you stand on this issue and persuade your readers to accept your position. In this thesis-driven essay, you will need to provide some background on this issue, support your claims with evidence drawn from your sources, and address opposing views.
As Discussed in Module 7, I generally do not allow the following topics: abortion, immigration, or gun control. However, in some cases, you may be able to narrow one of these broad topics down to a more manageable angle; if you would like to do this, please contact me directly.
You must use at least five sources to support your argument; at least three of these sources must come from the PGCC research databases (such as ProQuest, Opposing Viewpoints, or CQ Researcher). You may not use Wikipedia as a source.
Your final essay must be at least six full pages. (The Works Cited list does not count toward the page count.)
You must include internal citations and a Works Cited list.