Grade 12 Law- Culminating Activity
Argumentative Essay
CLU4UI Culminating Research/Argumentative Essay
This course culminating activity will involve the use of the legal quest research model, creating case
briefs, preparing an argumentative essay, validating sources and utilizing MLA formatting.
An argumentative essay is built around a specific statement, a thesis, that is debatable within the
field in which you are studying. In other words, at the centre of an argumentative essay is a
statement which your readers may disagree with. Your essay will need to support that statement in
a manner that convinces your readers of its truth.
Your essay should be well-organized and properly formatted. The essay must contain an introduction
(in which you use your thesis to establish your position), a body, and a conclusion. The essay must be
typewritten.
A minimum of eight sources, three of which must be primary sources, is required for your
bibliography.
Facts, quotations, or illustrations from reference materials should be used to support your
viewpoint. Use footnotes to document these sources in the body of the essay and the works cited
page (also called the bibliography to document the resource at the end of the essay. You may wish
to use a citation maker to help you with this, such as the one located at
http://secondary.oslis.org/resources/cm/mlacitationss.
All books, magazines, internet citations, and other resources used while researching your essay
should appear in a bibliography at the end of your essay.
The bibliography and footnotes must adhere to the style requirements outlined in accordance with
MLA style.
Please review your Student Handbook regarding, plagiarism, late and/or incomplete work policy.
General Information
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Worth ___% of your FINAL MARK
50% of the mark is for the PROCESS,
50% of the mark is for the FINAL PRODUCT
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Your essay (TWO copies, please!) is due
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NOTE: The required length is 1500-2000 words (~ 6-8 pages)
What Will My Essay Focus On?
An argumentative essay is built around a specific statement, a thesis, that is debatable within the
field in which you are studying. In other words, at the centre of an argumentative essay is a
statement which your readers may disagree with. Your essay will need to support that statement in
a manner that convinces your readers of its truth.
Grade 12 Law- Culminating Activity
Argumentative Essay Outline
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Introduction
Explanation of Controversy
Brief Outline of All Arguments
Thesis Statement
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First Supporting Argument
Restate Argument #1
First Piece of Supporting Evidence
Second Piece of Supporting Evidence
Third Piece of Supporting Evidence
Summary Statement / Transition to Next Paragraph
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Second Supporting Argument
Restate Argument #2
First Piece of Supporting Evidence
Second Piece of Supporting Evidence
Third Piece of Supporting Evidence
Summary Statement / Transition to Next Paragraph
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Third Supporting Argument
Restate Argument #3
First Piece of Supporting Evidence
Second Piece of Supporting Evidence
Third Piece of Supporting Evidence
Summary Statement / Transition to Next Paragraph
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Opposing Argument
Outline Opposing Argument
First Piece of Opposing Evidence
Second Piece of Opposing Evidence
Third Piece of Opposing Evidence
Summary Statement / Transition to Next Paragraph
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Counter Argument
Outline Counter Argument
First Piece of Supporting Evidence
Second Piece of Supporting Evidence
Third Piece of Supporting Evidence
Summary Statement / Transition to Next Paragraph
Conclusion
Summary of Thesis Statement
Summary of All Arguments
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Argumentative Essay
Grade 12 Law- Culminating Activity
Argumentative Essay
Phase #1 (Topic Selection)- Must be finalized by Wednesday April 14
Topic Selection: Choose a topic from the list provided. Please rank your top three choices and send
them to me by email or sign up in class.
Phase #2 (Thesis Proposal)- Due Wednesday April 21
Objective: Through this assignment, the student will learn how to: i) develop a thesis, and ii) write
an introduction to an essay.
Method of Instruction and Evaluation: Students will write an introduction to their proposed essay
and then read their introduction to the class. (Naturally, the introduction will include the thesis.)
Students must submit one printed copy of their introduction before reading their introduction to
the class. This will allow me to provide written feedback to the student by the end of the
presentation.
The introduction must accomplish the following four tasks:
i) get the reader's attention,
ii) outline the issue,
iii) present the thesis statement (i.e. a position on the issue), and
iv) outline the supporting arguments.
Length: The introductory paragraph should be no longer than one half a page at font size 12,
double-spaced. Reading the paragraph to class should take no longer than two or three minutes.
Please Note: Students are not expected to memorize all of the details related to their thesis. It is
expected that students will bring notes, articles, books, etc. which they can refer to while
defending their thesis. (Naturally, all materials should be tabbed, etc. for quick reference.)
Presenting one's thesis using overheads or within a Prezi or PowerPoint presentation is acceptable,
but is certainly not required.
Advice: The best pointer I can give you is to make your overall argument a simple one, but be sure
that you are able to prove every point upon which your argument is based. (A personal opinion is not
considered to be support for an argument.) Assume that you will be speaking to a hostile audience
that is motivated to find a weakness in your thesis. A good thesis should be like an iceberg (only
1/8th of an iceberg sticks out of the water), with a very small argument positioned at the top of a
great deal of supporting evidence.
Grade 12 Law- Culminating Activity
Argumentative Essay
Contrary to popular belief, the objective of a thesis is not to share your perspective regarding a
certain topic with an audience. Rather, your objective is to convince the audience to share your
perspective. In the end, you cannot simply ask the audience to accept your argument. You must
prove your argument!
Thesis, Topic Points, Outline and Working Bibliography
Ex. of weak thesis - Handguns are the cause of violence in schools. This does not indicate your
position, reasons, or the organization of the essay. It doesn’t deal with Canadian law.
Example of better thesis thesis - While Canadian laws limit access to handguns, violence among
youths continues to be a problem because of the activities of gun lobbyists, the limitations of the
Young Offenders’ Act, and attitudes towards youth sentencing.
Format of an Argumentative Essay
Introductory Paragraph
General background information on the topic should be the focus of this paragraph. The thesis
statement should be the last statement of your first paragraph.
Body Paragraphs
Each body paragraph will follow the same format. Begin with one of the arguments which was
proposed in your thesis statement. Back it up with proof from research to make it stronger.
Suggest an argument for the other side of the issue (counter-argument). Then prove why that
argument is weak and yours is strong.
Concluding Paragraph
Restate and reword your thesis statement. Summarize your strongest points in the essay.
Grade 12 Law- Culminating Activity
Argumentative Essay
The following is a checklist which will help you organize and manage your research process:
Phase 1.
Do some background work to find a topic that interests you. Select a topic.
Phase 2.
Develop a thesis statement. The thesis statement will be presented to the class and
feedback will be given.
Phase 3.
Make a list of resources for the works cited page. This should include a variety of
sources and none of them should be Wikipedia. I suggest using research cards.
Validate at least two of your internet sources using the checklist for validating an
website form provided.
Compile research from a variety of sources in your own words so that plagiarism is
avoided.
Phase 4.
Analyze three articles relevant to your topic . One must be from a journal, the
other two may be from either a newspaper, magazine, or book. You must use the
following headings on your page to summarize your information. Please indicate
which one of the three articles you would like marked.
Resource Selection and Documentation
Summary of the Legal Issues(s)
Identification of Questions and Legal Concepts
Decision/Legal Conclusion
Opinion
Phase 5.
At least ONE case study must be used in your essay and research. You will create a
case brief. You may not use the same case that you used for the Supreme Court
assignment. You must use the following headings on your page to create your case
brief.
Citation (title of the case including the year)
Facts
Legal Issue(s)
Decision
Ratio Decendi
Dissent (if there is one)
Phase 6.
Create a rough outline for your essay with a workable thesis statement and ideas
for arguments to be used in your body paragraph.
Phase 7.
Create a rough draft for your essay (See teacher for feedback-optional)
Phase 8.
Create a final copy of your argumentative essay. See MLA format information
included in this package. Have the essay peer edited by at least two (2) of your
classmates.
Phase 9
Make any final changes. Hand in two copies to Mrs. MacDonald.
Grade 12 Law- Culminating Activity
Argumentative Essay
Tips To Develop a Solid Thesis Structure
Simplify, Simplify, Simplify. Make your overall statement clear and concise. It makes the rest of
your argument easier to construct. A simple precise argument positioned on top of a great deal of
supporting evidence is an excellent framework for an argumentative essay.
Avoid emotional hyperbole or opinion statements. Your objective is to convince your reader that
your position is the only choice. You do this by proving your argument and not by simply asking the
reader to believe your opinion. An example of hyperbole and opinion: “A caring society is one that
shows empathy to all its citizens including the most vulnerable and suffering. Only this society can
claim to be a caring society.”
Avoid presenting statements that are vague or general in nature. The evidence you present should
be precise and specific.
In your thesis structure, your supporting arguments should point to the weaknesses of the opposing
view, and reinforce your position. Use the chart you developed in activity 1 to assist you in
organizing your arguments, framing your position, and identifying the weaknesses in the opposing
perspective.
Grade 12 Law- Culminating Activity
Argumentative Essay
Checklist for Evaluating a Website
URL: (web address) _______________________________
Date accessed: __________________
Step #1: Go to www.who.is
Step#2: Type in the web address of the site you are attempting to get information from and find
out the following information:
Creation date:__________________
Last updated:__________________
Registrant Contact Information:
Name: ___________________ Organization_____________________.
Is this organization a valid one? If not sure, do another search to find out the source.
NO. (circle one)
YES OR
If no, explain;____________________
Country of origin: _________________
Step #3: Answer the following questions regarding the website:
Is the content CURRENT and CANADIAN?__________________________________
Is the information presented in a clear and objective manner? Consider the following things in
answering your question:
What is the purpose of the site?
Is there an underlying motive to creating the site?
Any advertising on the site itself?
Is only one side of the argument (story) presented?
Relevance to the project. Is the information relevant to your project?
___________________________________________________________
Presentation of information. Is the information presented in a clear fashion without grammatical /
sentence structure or spelling mistakes?
_______________________________________________________________
Now you decide. Is this a valid source of information detective or not? Reasons.
__________________________________________________________________________
Trustworthy, Reliable Legal Websites, Search Engines and Databases
Grade 12 Law- Culminating Activity
Argumentative Essay
Access to Justice Network – www.acjnet.org
Canlii – the only free online legal database for all legal cases heard in any Canadian court. (
www.canlii.org)
CBC News – An online reference of Canadian material from a historical perspective and a modern
day perspective. (www.cbcnews.ca)
Historica – Historica is the Canadian Encyclopedia online, and claims to be “the most comprehensive
and authoritative source of information on all Canadian. It is provided in both English and French.
(www.histori.ca)
Human Rights Research and Education Centre (University of Ottawa)
http://www.uottawa.ca/hrrec/lawroom/lawroom.html
Judgments from the Supreme Court – http://www.lexum.umontreal.ca/csc-scc/
Laws of Canada http://canada.justice.gc.ca/Loireg/index_en.html
Ontario statutes and regulations –http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca
Jurist Canada – Legal Education Network –http://jurist.law.utoronto.ca
MacLean’s magazine – http://www.macleans.ca. Check with your learning commons specialist for
username and password information.
Thomson-Gale: Cross-Database Search All – Home Access Login – trillium
Over 30 of the leading educational databases from GALE for the K-12 market are available behind
this powerful search portal; individually or in infinite combinations. Check boxes enable the
selection of the databases desired. Canadian newspapers, virtual reference libraries, specialized
journal collections and much more are available.
E-Stat Canada - E-Stat is an interactive tool about society and the economy in Canada, free online
and available only to educational institutions.