SENIOR ESSAY
Mrs. Emmerling
Physical Education
Your assignment is to write an argumentative essay. Read on…..
Selecting an Issue to Argue About
Probably the best way to get started on an argumentative essay is to list several possible
topics. Lucky for you, I made a list of ideas! If you don’t like any of these, you can
brainstorm some current topics on your own, even if you haven't yet formed strong
opinions about them. Just make sure that they are issues -- matters open to discussion and
debate. For example, "Sportsmanship" is hardly an issue: few would dispute that
displaying unsportsmanlike conduct is wrong. More controversial, however, would be a
proposal that students displaying unsportsmanlike conduct should automatically be
dismissed from the team. For this assignment, the topic needs to be related to Physical
Education, Athletics, Health/Nutrition - you get the drift. As you list possible topics (or
select one I have suggested), keep in mind that your eventual goal is not simply to vent
your feelings on an issue but to support your views with valid information. For this
reason, you might want to steer clear of topics that are highly charged with emotion or
just too complicated to be dealt with in a short essay. Of course, this doesn't mean that
you have to restrict yourself to trivial issues or to ones that you care nothing about.
Rather, it means that you should consider topics you know something about and are
prepared to deal with thoughtfully in a short essay of 500 or 600 words. A well-supported
argument on the need for smaller class sizes for instance, would probably be more
effective than a collection of unsupported opinions on the need for a lot of new facilities
at HCS.
Exploring an Issue
Once you have listed several possible topics, select one that appeals to you, and free write
on this issue for ten or fifteen minutes. Put down some background information, your
own views on the subject, and any opinions you have heard from others. You might then
want to join a few other students in a brainstorming session: invite ideas on both sides of
each issue you consider, and list them in separate columns.
As an example, the following table contains sample notes taken during a brainstorming
session on a proposal that students should not be required to take physical-education
courses. As you can see, some of the points are repetitious, and some may appear more
convincing than others. As in any good brainstorming session, ideas have been proposed,
not judged (that comes later). By first exploring your topic in this way, considering both
sides of the issue, you should find it easier to focus and plan your argument in succeeding
stages of the writing process.
Proposal: Physical Education Courses Should Not Be Required
PRO (Support Proposal)
CON (Oppose Proposal)
1. Physical fitness is a critical part of
1. PE grades unfairly lower the GPAs of
education: "A sound mind in a sound
some good students
body."
2. Students should exercise on their own 2. Students need an occasional break from
time, not for credit.
lectures, textbook, and exams.
3. A few hours of PE courses never hurt
3. School is for study, not play.
anybody.
4. One PE course can't turn a poor athlete into 4. What good is improving your mind if
a good one.
your body is going to pieces?
5. Do taxpayers realize that they are paying 5. PE courses teach some valuable social
for students to bowl and play badminton?
skills.
6. PE courses can be dangerous.
6. Most students enjoy taking PE courses.
Topic ideas:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Dieting makes people fat.
Participating in team sports helps to develop good character.
High School athletes should be excused from Physical education classes.
To encourage healthy eating, higher taxes should be imposed on soft drinks and
junk food.
5. Physical Education should be included in a student’s GPA.
Remember:
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This is an argumentative essay of 500-600 words.
Topic must relate to Physical Education, Health, Athletics,
Nutrition
Essay MUST be typed in 12-14 point traditional font.
No spelling or grammatical errors.
THIS ASSIGNMENT IS DUE ______________.