11
English for
Academic and
Professional
Purposes (EAPP)
Quarter 2 – Module 3:
Position Paper
English for Academic and Professional Purposes– Grade 11
Self-Learning Module (SLM)
Quarter 2 – Module 3: Position Paper
First Edition, 2020
Republic Act 8293, section 176 states that: No copyright shall subsist in any work of
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wherein the work is created shall be necessary for exploitation of such work for profit. Such
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trademarks, etc.) included in this module are owned by their respective copyright holders.
Every effort has been exerted to locate and seek permission to use these materials from their
respective copyright owners. The publisher and authors do not represent nor claim ownership
over them.
Development Team of the Module
Writers: Irish T. Pantinople
Editors: Louie Mark Garvida, Imelda C. Martinez, Jerryl Jean L. Salunayan
Reviewers: Helen J. Ranan, Sally A. Palomo
Illustrator: Reggie D. Galindez
Layout Artist: John Arvin B. Genosa
Cover Art Designer: Ian Caesar E. Frondoza
Management Team: Allan G. Farnazo, CESO IV – Regional Director
Fiel Y. Almendra, CESO V – Assistant Regional Director
Romelito G. Flores, CESO V - Schools Division Superintendent
Mario M. Bermudez, CESO VI – Assist. Schools Division Superintendent
Gilbert B. Barrera – Chief, CLMD
Arturo D. Tingson Jr. – REPS, LRMS
Peter Van C. Ang-ug – REPS, ADM
Gerardo Magno – Subject Area Supervisor
Juliet F. Lastimosa - CID Chief
Sally A. Palomo - Division EPS In- Charge of LRMS
Gregorio O. Ruales - Division ADM Coordinator
Ronnie R. Sunggay / Helen J. Ranan – Subject Area Supervisor /
Coordinator
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Office Address:
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11
English for
Academic and
Professional
Purposes (EAPP)
Quarter 2 – Module 3:
Position Paper
Introductory Message
For the facilitator:
Welcome to the English for Academic and Professional Purposes-11 Self-Learning
Module (SLM) on Position Paper!
This module was collaboratively designed, developed and reviewed by educators both
from public and private institutions to assist you, the teacher or facilitator in helping
the learners meet the standards set by the K to 12 Curriculum while overcoming
their personal, social, and economic constraints in schooling.
This learning resource hopes to engage the learners into guided and independent
learning activities at their own pace and time. Furthermore, this also aims to help
learners acquire the needed 21st century skills while taking into consideration their
needs and circumstances.
In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the body of
the module:
Notes to the Teacher
This contains helpful tips or strategies that
will help you in guiding the learners.
As a facilitator you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this module.
You also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing them to manage
their own learning. Furthermore, you are expected to encourage and assist the
learners as they do the tasks included in the module.
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For the learner:
Welcome to the English for Academic and Professional Purposes-11 Self-Learning
Module (SLM) on Position Paper!
The hand is one of the most symbolized part of the human body. It is often used to
depict skill, action and purpose. Through our hands we may learn, create and
accomplish. Hence, the hand in this learning resource signifies that you as a learner
is capable and empowered to successfully achieve the relevant competencies and
skills at your own pace and time. Your academic success lies in your own hands!
This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful opportunities for
guided and independent learning at your own pace and time. You will be enabled to
process the contents of the learning resource while being an active learner.
This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:
What I Need to Know
This will give you an idea of the skills or
competencies you are expected to learn in the
module.
What I Know
This part includes an activity that aims to
check what you already know about the
lesson to take. If you get all the answers
correct (100%), you may decide to skip this
module.
What’s In
This is a brief drill or review to help you link
the current lesson with the previous one.
What’s New
In this portion, the new lesson will be
introduced to you in various ways such as a
story, a song, a poem, a problem opener, an
activity or a situation.
What is It
This section provides a brief discussion of the
lesson. This aims to help you discover and
understand new concepts and skills.
What’s More
This comprises activities for independent
practice to solidify your understanding and
skills of the topic. You may check the
answers to the exercises using the Answer
Key at the end of the module.
What I Have Learned
This
includes
questions
or
blank
sentence/paragraph to be filled in to process
what you learned from the lesson.
What I Can Do
This section provides an activity which will
help you transfer your new knowledge or skill
into real life situations or concerns.
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Assessment
This is a task which aims to evaluate your
level of mastery in achieving the learning
competency.
Additional Activities
In this portion, another activity will be given
to you to enrich your knowledge or skill of the
lesson learned. This also tends retention of
learned concepts.
Answer Key
This contains answers to all activities in the
module.
At the end of this module you will also find:
References
This is a list of all sources used in developing
this module.
The following are some reminders in using this module:
1. Use the module with care. Do not put unnecessary mark/s on any part of the
module. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the exercises.
2. Don’t forget to answer What I Know before moving on to the other activities
included in the module.
3. Read the instruction carefully before doing each task.
4. Observe honesty and integrity in doing the tasks and checking your answers.
5. Finish the task at hand before proceeding to the next.
6. Return this module to your teacher/facilitator once you are through with it.
If you encounter any difficulty in answering the tasks in this module, do not
hesitate to consult your teacher or facilitator. Always bear in mind that you are
not alone.
We hope that through this material, you will experience meaningful learning and
gain deep understanding of the relevant competencies. You can do it!
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What I Need to Know
This module was designed and written with you in mind. It is here to help you
master summarizing. The scope of this module permits it to be used in many different
learning situations. The language used recognizes the diverse vocabulary level of
students. The lessons are arranged to follow the standard sequence of the course.
But the order in which you read them can be changed to correspond with the
textbook you are now using.
After going through this module, you will be able to write various kinds of position
papers.
Specifically, you are expected to:
1. explain what a position paper is;
2. give the importance of position paper; and
3. write a position paper
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What I Know
Before we proceed to the proper lesson and activities provided in this module, let
us check first your prior learnings by doing the tasks that follow.
Multiple-Choice Test
Direction: Read and analyze the following statements very carefully. Choose
the correct answer from the given choices. Write your answer on the space
provided before the number.
1. What do you call an academic paper that aims to present the stand
of the author or a person on an issue?
a. concept paper
b. position paper
c. essay
d. journal
2. These are contents of a position paper, EXCEPT
a. thesis statement
b. arguments
c. counterclaims
d. opinion
3. Which of the following should NOT be included in the introduction
of a position paper?
a. claims
b. thesis statement
c. topic
d. background information
4. How many claims or arguments are necessary or ideal in defending
a stand on an issue?
a. two
b. three
c. four
d. one
5. This is the last part of a position paper that includes the restatement
of the thesis statement, arguments and plan of action.
a. body
b. introduction
c. conclusion
d. claims
6. Each claim or argument of the writer should be supported with clear
facts or evidence.
a. true
b. false
c. never
d. all of the above
7. These are the claims of the opposite side or those who disagrees with
the author’s/ person’s stand on the issue.
a. claims
b. opinions c. counterclaims
d. arguments
8. Before writing a position paper, is it necessary to check if the issue
is real?
a. true
b. false
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c. never
d. all of the above
9. What other term can be used to refer to a position paper?
a. manifesto b. essay
c. concept paper
d. research
10. Which among the choices can be a source of evidence to
strengthen one’s claims?
a.
b.
Lesson
3
statistics
journals
c. researches
d. all of the above
POSITION PAPER
This lesson on position paper will teach you how to prove your claims and
gather evidence to support them. Learning to write various kinds of position papers
is important in preparing for a more advanced writing activity.
What’s In
In the previous module, you learned how to defend your stand on an issue by
presenting reasonable arguments supported by properly cited factual evidence. So,
before we proceed, answer the activity below.
Activity 1: Q&A
Direction: Read and answer the questions comprehensively.
QUESTIONS
ANSWER
1. How should you
defend your
stand on an
issue?
2. What evidence
should you
provide? Cite
specific sources.
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Notes to the Teacher
As a facilitator you are expected to orient the learners on how
to use this module. You also need to keep track of the learners'
progress while allowing them to manage their own learning.
Furthermore, you are expected to encourage and assist the
learners as they do the tasks included in the module.
What’s New
This time, you will be engaged in an activity that will introduce you to our lesson.
Activity 2: Fill Me In!
Directions: Write on the circles words or phrases that you think can be associated
with the word “Position Paper”
_
POSITION
PAPER
_
_
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Using the words or phrases that you have written on the circles, write
your
definition of the word “Position Paper”. Maximize the box below for your answer.
What is It
Now, let us study the concepts related to your activity.
What is a position paper?
Position paper is a typical kind of scholarly or academic paper. It is composed
subsequent to finding out about and examining a specific issue. It is written by an
author in order to make an argument which must be based from proofs or evidences.
What is the purpose of a position paper?
Position paper aims to present the stand of the author or a person on an issue.
It also incorporates supportive evidence that are based on facts. The evidence is
needed to establish and strengthen the claims or arguments of the writer on the
issue.
What are the parts of a position paper?
Position paper consists of three parts such as the introduction, body, and
conclusion.
First part is the introduction. It consists the introduction of the issue,
explanation of the topic in order to provide the background information of the issue
and the assertion of the thesis statement.
Second part is the body. It includes the summary of the counterclaims, and
your arguments. Summary of the counterclaims refer to the counter arguments of
others who disagree with your claims or stand on an issue. In this part, you must
also provide supporting information and refute the counterclaims by providing
evidence. After it is the presentation of your arguments. It is the part where you must
assert your claims by giving educated and informed opinions. These should be
supported or proven by providing evidence from various sources, preferably three.
The last part is the conclusion. It includes the restatement of the thesis
statement, arguments and the implications. You may include plan of action but do
not introduce new information.
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Reminders:
1. Make sure that your position paper has a clear topic and issue that has
adequate findings and support.
2. Make sure that the issue you are writing about is real and has two distinctive
sides that you can take.
3. Make sure you can provide evidence and support to side and claims.
Examples:
Topic: ROTC
Issue: Inclusion of ROTC in SHS curriculum
Stand: In Favor
Claims: 1) It promotes culture of discipline and responsibility.
2) It provides opportunity to inculcate the values of patriotism,
nationalism, and character-building.
3) It provides training that will develop students’ leadership skills.
Thesis Statement:
ROTC should be part of the SHS curriculum because it promotes
culture of discipline and responsibility, provides opportunity to inculcate
the values of patriotism, nationalism, and character-building, and
provides training that will develop students’ leadership skills.
As you can see in the box, an issue is derived from a topic. Before you decide
on writing your position paper, make sure you check if the issue is real or timely.
Then you proceed on analyzing if the issue has two sides before you decide if you are
in favor or against it. After which, you need to provide at least three main reasons
why you are in favor or not. Make sure that you can supplement your reasons with
facts and evidence in order to strengthen your claims. Having a clear topic, issue,
your stand and your three claims is not enough unless you have your thesis
statement. Hence, you have to make sure that your thesis statement will include the
topic, issue, your stand and three claims.
How should a position paper be outlined?
I.
Introduction
A. Presentation of the topic
B. Presentation of the background information
C. Presentation of the thesis statement
II.
Body
A. Presentation of the Summary of the Counterclaims
B. Presentation of the Arguments
1. First Argument
a. Evidence/Support
2. Second Argument
b. Evidence/Support
3. Third Argument
c. Evidence/Support
III.
Conclusion
A. Restatement of the thesis statement, arguments, action plan
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Why is writing position paper relevant?
Writing a position paper will help you gain insight on the issue. It will also
improve your critical thinking ability since it requires research skills in gathering,
evaluating and analyzing information.
What are the examples of position paper?
Example No. 1
The Other Side of E-Mail
Robert Kuttner
(1) A few years ago, when my daughter was a college freshman, I wrote a column
singing the praises of e-mail. We were, suddenly, corresponding. It was, I decided,
the revenge of print on electronics - whole generation raised on the tube and the
phone, rediscovering the lost art of writing letters. How utterly charming.
(2) Now I’m not so sure. Like all new media, e-mail has a dark side. To be sure, it
saves a great deal of time and paperwork and has facilitated new, unimagined
forms of affinity. However, e-mail is also a thief. It steals our time and our privacy.
It deceives us into thinking we have endless additional hours in the day to engage
in far-flung communications that we may or may not need or want.
(3) All of a sudden, on top of everything else we have to do, e-mail is one more
garden demanding tending.
(4) E-mail brings a kind of pseudo-urgency that demands an instant response. It
creates false intimacies. Recently, I got an e-mail message from a perfect stranger,
a student who had read one of my articles and wanted help on a term paper. I was
touched, but alas, there aren’t enough hours in the day. Yet something about the
message made me feel I needed to apologize for not being able to do her homework.
With e-mail, it’s too easy to hit the reply key, with results you may regret. One
acquaintance, thinking she was just responding to a note from a close friend,
accidentally sent a highly personal message to the friend’s entire mailing list.
(5) I recently had a painful quarrel triggered by e-mail messages. A dear friend and
I were both having a busy week and imposing on each other’s time. Without quite
intending to, we ended up firing salvos of e-mail back and forth of escalating
testiness until we had quite insulted each other. We apologized, in person.
(6) This mishap could not have occurred either by phone or by ordinary mail.
When talking to someone, you pay attention to tonality. And when you write a
letter, you read it over a few times before sending it. But e-mail is tone-deaf and
all too instant. It is ephemeral, yet irrevocable. Once you’ve banged out your
message and sent it in to the ether, you can’t take it back.
(7) E-mail is a great convenience-for the sender. The recipient ispresumed to
have infinite time and interest. It is the equivalent of endless Christmas letters
from boring distant relatives all year long
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8) Bosses get in the habit of sending down incessant e-mail messages from on high,
as if anyone cared. (Now hear this…) A large corporation with which I am vaguely
affiliated sends me more messages than I could possibly want to have, let alone
answer.
(9) E-mail is also not secure. The magazine that I edit regularly gets highly
personal missives, sent by mistake to the wrong e-mail address thanks toa typo.
With the phone, you know as soon as you have a wrong number. And misaddressed letters either get returned or end up in the dead letter office.
(10) At one company, two people carrying on an affair were in cautiously sending
each other intimate e-mail, which a supervisor discovered. To make matters worse,
they were making snide comments about the supervisor. Security escorted from
the premises.
(11) E-mail is also easily forwarded and deliberately or mistakenly put into mass
circulation. Don’t e-mail anything private unless you are prepared to see it crop up
all over the World Wide Web. E-mail, like talk radio, reduces inhibitions; it is
democratic to the point of moronic. And I’ve not even gotten to mass junk e-mail,
known in the trade as spam.
(12) I know, I know, the Internet is a marvel. And it is. And sure, e-mail is great for
scheduling meetings, for sending and receiving research materials, for allowing
people in remote locations to collaborate on projects. But novelty and low cost tend
to breed excess.
(13) Like every new tool, from the wheel to nuclear energy, electronic
communication will take a while to find its proper etiquette and niche. In the
meantime, it is an awkward adolescent that has borrowed the family car, hormones
raging and radio blaring, with little regard for the rules of the road.
(14) “Of course, some fans of e-mail may find these words controversial or offensive.
So if you have any comments on this column, my e-mail address is… no, actually,
send me a letter talk,” Wardhaugh explains that trust, shared experience, and
expectations of universal truths play a vital role in the success of social
conversation. Margaret Wheatly discusses how conversation has the power to effect
social change in “Some Friends and I Started Talking.” David Grambs explains why
he feels defeated by “uptalk” and misuse of the word like, which seems to have
permeated the speech of the younger generation. After years of trying to fight this
insidious invader, Grambs reveals his fear that “like” is here to stay in “The Like
Virus.” And Robert Kuttnerr discusses what he feels are the detrimental effects of
the instant nature of e-mail in “The Other Side of E-Mail.” The section closes with
a review of some common IM and text messaging terms and slang in “r u online?”
by Kris Axtman.
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Example No. 3
The Hazards of Industrial Agriculture
(1) The growing international trend / in organic farming / is driven by consumer
demand, / which is currently rising / at the rate of 20 percent per year. / Countries
with the highest growth rate / include Argentina, the US, and China, / in that
order. / People the world over / are becoming increasingly conscious / of the
adverse effects / of industrial agriculture and view organically grown food, / they
take exception to factory farms / controlled by multinational corporations. / In
particular, / they object to / the corporate focus on maximizing profits / at the
expense of health / and environmental concerns.
(2) Health risks include pesticide residues, antibiotic, and hormones as well as the
unknown impact of biological engineering. First, recent studies indicate that many
produce items are heavily coated with pesticides even after washing and peeling.
What’s more, these pesticides have been linked with cancer. Second, the antibiotics
we ingest from both plant and animal sources lead to the development of super
buds, which are increasingly difficult to combat. Third, plant and animal growth
hormones are known to disrupt the endocrine system* and have the potential to
bring on premature puberty in children. Fourth, the unregulated use of genetically
modified organisms makes these items virtually invisible in today’s grocery stores.
People have no way of knowing whether a product has had its genetic code
tampered with by artificial means. Furthermore, they have no idea how this genetic
manipulation could impact their health.
(3) The environmental hazards of industrial agriculture comprise air pollution,
global warming, water contamination, oceanic dead zones, animal cruelty,
decreased biodiversity, **, and unsustainable farmlands. Moreover, there is the
vicious cycle of producers having to use more pesticides and fertilizers, which
exacerbates this core problem. Synthetic fertilizers are the largest global source of
nitrous oxide emissions, which are 300 times more toxic than carbon dioxide
gases. If these are allowed to continue unchecked, they will not only affect airpollution levels but also dangerously intensify our current global warming crisis.
(4) According to authorities, water pollution is one of the most serious problems
arising from conventional farming methods. Animal waste, artificial fertilizers, and
pesticides leach into the soil. Then they run off through natural irrigation to
contaminate groundwater, which accounts for a large portion of our water supply.
Studies consistently show that nitrates from waste and fertilizers, and chemicals
from pesticides, are creating permanent damage to groundwater around the world.
Furthermore, the preponderance of nitrogen in fertilizers, which helps crops grow,
ends up harming oceans. It generates algal overgrowth that depletes so much
oxygen in the water that no plant or animal can survive. This is how the dead zones
in the Gulf of Mexico and the Black Sea were created.
(5) Industrial mono-cropping in which one crop is repeatedly planted on a single
field with synthetic fertilizers kill the microorganisms needed to produce
soil
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nutrients. Accordingly, the soil becomes less fertile over time, which leads to
erosion, unsustainable, farmlands, and reduce biodiversity. Because of the
infertility of the soil, farmers then have to use even more fertilizers to maintain
productivity. This leads to a vicious cycle whereby greater environmental hazards
are created, and the soil degrades even further. Likewise, with pesticides, whereby
only the fittest pets survive, farmers are forced to use greater amounts or more
toxic forms to eradicate them.
(6) Organic farming, on the other hand, prohibits or strictly limits the use of
synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, and genetically modified
organisms, thus avoiding or greatly reducing all of the issues involved in industrial
agriculture. It infuses the soil with more essential nutrients as a result of holistic
farming techniques such a crop rotation, whereby different crops are planted on a
field every year. This varies the nutrient demands placed on a soil and ensures it
sustainability and overall quality. Organic agricultures also take the welfare of
farm animals into greater consideration. Confining livestock in a small indoors
spaces is far less common, especially on a small-organic farm, and pumping them
with antibiotics is never done. On free-range farms, animals are allowed to roam
freely, thereby reducing stress and their susceptibility to disease.
(7) THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM: this bodily system includes glands, such as the
thyroid gland, that produce hormones. The system plays an important role in
regulating metabolism, growth, puberty, and overall mood.
(8) BIODIVERSITY: a wide variety of plants and animals within an ecosystem.
What’s More
Now that you have learned what position paper is and other related concepts
such as the parts of the position paper, as well as some of its examples, it is time to
do more and answer the following activities:
Activity 4: Reading Time!
Directions: Read thoroughly and understand very carefully the position paper in
the next page, then on a separate sheet, copy and fill-out the given template that
follows with the needed information from the position paper.
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The Great Global Warming Swindle
S. Fred Singer
(1) Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth has met its match: a devastating documentary
recently shown on British television, which has now been viewed by millions of
people on the Internet. Despite its flamboyant title, The Great Global Warming
Swindle is based on sound science and interviews with real climate scientists,
including me. An Inconvenient Truth, on the other hand, is mostly an emotion
presentation from a single politician.
(2) The scientific arguments presented in The Great Global Warming Swindle can
be stated quite briefly:
(3) There is no proof that the current warming is caused by the rise of greenhouse
gases from human activity. Ice core records from the past 650,000 years show that
temperature increases have preceded-not resulted from-increases in CO2 by
hundreds of years, suggesting that the warming of the oceans is an important
source of the rise in atmospheric CO2. As the dominant greenhouse gas, water
vapor is far, far more important than CO2. Dire predictions of future warming are
based almost entirely on computer climate models, yet these models do not
accurately understand the role of water vapor – and, in any case, water vapor is
not within our control. Plus, computer models cannot account for the observed
cooling of much of the past century (1940-75), nor for the observed patterns of
warming – what we call the “fingerprints.” For example, the Antarctic is cooling
while models predict warming. And where the models call for the middle
atmosphere to warm faster than the surface, the observations show the exact
opposite.
(4) The best evidence supporting natural causes of temperature fluctuations are
the changes in cloudiness, which correspond strongly with regular variations in
solar activity. The current warming is likely part of a natural cycle of climate
warming and cooling that’s been traced back almost a million years. It accounts
for the Medieval Warm Period around 1100 A.D., when the Vikings settled
Greenland and grew crops, and the Little Ice Age, from about 1400 to 1840 A.D.,
which brought severe winters and cold summers to Europe, with failed harvests,
starvation, disease, and general misery. Attempts have been made to claim the
current warming is “unusual” using spurious analysis of tree rings and other proxy
data. Advocates have tried to deny the existence of these historic climate swings
and claim that the current warming is “unusual” using spurious analysis of tree
rings and other proxy data, resulting in the famous “hockey-stick” temperature
graph. The hockey-stick graph has now been thoroughly discredited.
(5) 2. If the cause of warming is mostly natural, then there is little we can do about
it. We cannot control the inconstant sun, the likely origin of most climate
variability. None of the schemes for greenhouse gas reduction currently bandied
about will do any good; they are all irrelevant, useless, and wildly expensive:
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 Control of CO₂ emissions, whether by rationing or elaborate cap and-trade
schemes
 Uneconomic “alternative” energy, such as ethanol and the impractical “hydrogen
economy”
 Massive installations of wind turbines and solar collectors
 Proposed projects for the sequestration of CO₂ from smokestacks or even from
the atmosphere
(6) Ironically, even if CO2 were responsible for the observed warming trend, all
these schemes would be ineffective-unless we could persuade every nation,
including China, to cut fuel use by 80 percent!
(7) Finally, no one can show that a warmer climate would produce negative
impacts overall. The much-feared rise in sea levels does not seem to depend on
short-term temperature changes, as the rate of sea-level increases has been steady
since the last ice age, 10,000 years ago. In fact, many economists argue that the
opposite is more likely-that warming produces a net benefit, that it increases
incomes and standards of living. Why do we assume that the present climate is the
optimum? Surely, the chance of this must be vanishingly small, and the economic
history of past climate warnings bear this out.
(8) But the main message of The Great Global Warming Swindle is much broader.
Why should we devote our scarce resources to what is essentially a non-problem,
and ignore the real problems the world faces: hunger, disease, denial of human
rights-not to mention the threats of terrorism and nuclear wars? And are we really
prepared to deal with natural disasters; pandemics that can wipe out most of the
human race, or even the impact of an asteroid, such as the one that wiped out the
dinosaurs? Yet politicians and the elites throughout much of the world prefer to
squander our limited resources to fashionable issues, rather than concentrate on
real problems. Just consider the scary predictions emanating from supposedly
responsible world figures: the chief scientist of Great Britain tells us that unless
we insulate our houses and use more efficient light bulbs, the Antarctic will be the
only habitable continent by 2100, with a few surviving breeding couples
propagating the human race. Seriously!
(9) I imagine that in the not-too-distant future all the hype will have died down,
particularly if the climate should decide to cool-as it did during much of the past
century; we should take note here that it has not warmed since 1998. Future
generations will look back on the current madness and wonder what it was all
about. They will have movies like An Inconvenient Truth and documentaries like
The Great Global Warming Swindle to remind them.
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INTRODUCTION
What is the topic?
Did the writer provide
background information
of the topic and the
issue? If YES, cite one
line from the text; if NO,
give your suggestion on
what information
should be given as the
background information
What is the thesis
statement?
BODY
What counterclaims
were provided by the
author? Cite at least
two. If there’s none, give
your suggestion on what
counterclaims should be
given to improve the
text.
What are the arguments
of the author?
What evidence is
provided?
Argument 1:
Evidence:
Argument 2:
Evidence:
Argument 3:
Evidence:
CONCLUSIONS
How did the author
conclude his/her paper?
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What I Have Learned
You have come this far! You are truly doing a great job. You have answered and
completed the activities provided in this module. It is the time to share what you
have learned.
Activity 6: Outline What You Learned☺
Directions: Using the sentence outline format, supply the template with correct
information that will prove what you have learned so far from this module.
I.
Position Paper
A. Definition
1. Position paper is
B. Purpose
1. Position paper aims to
II.
Parts of a Position Paper
A.
1. It consists/includes
B.
1. It consists/includes
C.
1. It consists/includes
III.
_
_
_
Others
A. Reminders
1.
2.
3.
_
_
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What I Can Do
Now that you are done sharing what you have learned from the discussion on the
position paper, you are now ready to answer another activity.
Activity 7: Let’s Scribble!
Directions: Think of a latest topic and its issue now in the society. Using the
template below, decide on your stand to the issue and write a comprehensive position
paper. Write your position paper on a separate paper Be guided by the rubric below.
(50 points)
Topic:
Issue:
Thesis Statement:
Title of your position paper:
(1 point)
(1 point)
(2 points)
_ (1 point)
Rubrics
Criterion/
Content
Nearing Proficiency
(1 point)
Proficient
(3 points)
Advanced
(5 points)
Introduction
(2x)
There is presentation
and discussion of the
topic, issue, but lack
the background
information, and the
thesis statement.
There is presentation
and discussion of the
topic, issue,
background
information but lack
the thesis statement.
There is clear and
accurate presentation
and discussion of the
topic, issue,
background information
and the thesis
statement.
Body
(4x)
There is clear and
accurate presentation
and discussion of the
summary of the
counterclaims and
provision of only one
argument with support
and evidence.
There is clear and
accurate presentation
and discussion of the
summary of the
counterclaims and
provision of only two
arguments with
support and evidence.
Conclusion
(1x)
There is restatement of
the arguments, but no
thesis statement, and
plan of action.
There is restatement
of the arguments,
thesis statement but
no plan of action.
There is clear and
accurate presentation
and discussion of the
summary of the
counterclaims and
provision of three or
more arguments with
adequate support and
evidence.
Organization Some of the ideas are
not organized. The flow
(1x)
of ideas is hard to
follow and understand.
Mechanics
(1x)
Many sentences are
ungrammatically
structured. There are
also errors in spelling
and punctuations.
Most of the ideas are
organized. The flow of
thoughts is mostly
easy to follow and
understand.
Only few sentences
are ungrammatically
structured. There are
only few errors in
spelling and
punctuations.
19
There is restatement of
the arguments, thesis
statement and the plan
of action.
All ideas are wellorganized. The flow of
thoughts is easy to
follow and understand.
All sentences are
grammatically
structured with no
errors in spelling and
punctuations.
Assessment
In this part, you will be given two types of test that will require the application of
your learnings from this whole module. Please read the directions that follow.
Test 1
Directions: Answer the following questions comprehensively.
Criteria: Accuracy of Information- 5 points
Organization of Ideas-5 points
Total: 10 points
1.What is position paper?
2. What are the parts of a position paper? Explain each.
3.What is the importance of position paper?
Test 2: Make a Stand!
Directions: Make a stand on the given issue, provide three claims, craft your thesis
statement and write your own position paper. Use a separate sheet. Be guided by the
rubrics given in this module.
Topic: Same-Sex Marriage
Issue: Legalization of Same-Sex Marriage in the Philippines
Your stand:
(decide if you are in favor or not)
Claims:1)
2)
3)
Thesis statement:
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Additional Activities
You are almost in the finish line! For your final activity, read the directions below.
Directions: Research any position paper, if possible, one that is related to your track
or strand. Read the article and give your reaction on it.
Write here the main arguments of the writer. Cite at least three.
First claim:
Your comment (Do you agree or disagree?; Write your rebuttal or counterclaim)
Write here the main arguments of the writer. Cite at least three.
Second claim:_
Your comment (Do you agree or disagree?; Write your rebuttal or counterclaim)
Third claim:
Your comment (Do you agree or disagree?; Write your rebuttal or counterclaim)
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Answer Key
22
References
Department of Education (December 2013). K to 12 Senior High School Applied
Track Subject-English for Academic and Professional Purposes. Curriculum
Guide
Laurel, M.C., Luceno, A.F., & Bumantay-Cruz, R.T. (2016). English for Academic
and Professional Purposes, Reader. Department of Education
Laurel, M.C., Luceno, A.F., &Bumantay-Cruz, R.T. (2016). English for Academic
and Professional Purposes, Teacher’s Guide. Department of Education
Valdez, P.N. M. (2016). English for the Globalized Classroom Series. English for
Academic and Professional Purposes. Quezon City: The Phoenix Publishing
House Inc.
DISCLAIMER
This Self-learning Module (SLM) was developed by DepEd SOCCSKSARGEN
with the primary objective of preparing for and addressing the new normal.
Contents of this module were based on DepEd’s Most Essential Learning
Competencies (MELC). This is a supplementary material to be used by all
learners of Region XII in all public schools beginning SY 2020-2021. The
process of LR development was observed in the production of this module.
This is version 1.0. We highly encourage feedback, comments, and
recommendations.
For inquiries or feedback, please write or call:
Department of Education – SOCCSKSARGEN
Learning Resource Management System (LRMS)
Regional Center, Brgy. Carpenter Hill, City of Koronadal
Telefax No.: (083) 2288825/ (083) 2281893
Email Address: region12@deped.gov.ph