Assignment Ideas
We know how busy professors can be these days, so we’ve compiled some assignment ideas from
instructors across the country. These assignments can be used with either Current Issues and Enduring
Questions or Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing. They are organized by the name of the assignment.
Essay: “A First Amendment Junkie” and Pornography
Group Discussion: Debate the Article “Who Lives? Who Dies? Who Decides?” (for users of Current Issues
only)
Essay: Argue an Issue Using the Toulmin Method or the Logician’s Method
In-Class Essay: The Argument
Do you have a unique idea for teaching argument? We invite you to share it with your colleagues. We will
periodically post some of the most useful and interesting new assignments on this site. Please see the
submission instructions for further detail.
Essay: “A First Amendment Junkie” and Pornography
R. Scott Evans of the University of the Pacific asks his students to write the following essay:
“A First Amendment Junkie” and Pornography
In her essay, “A First Amendment Junkie,” Susan Jacoby states, “Feminists who want to censor what they
regard as harmful pornography have essentially the same motivation as other would-be censors: They want
to use the power of the state to accomplish what they have been unable to achieve in the marketplace of
ideas and images.” Do you agree or disagree with Jacoby’s claim? Is pornography protected by the First
Amendment? Or should it be more strictly regulated on the grounds that it is demeaning to women?
Group Discussion: Debate the Article, “Who Lives? Who Dies? Who Decides?”
Robin Morris of Cape Fear Community College has her students debate Ellen Goodman’s essay,
providing them with the following guidelines:
Group Discussion: Debate the Article “Who Lives? Who Dies? Who Decides?”
Discuss “Who Lives? Who Dies? Who Decides?” using the following questions as a framework for your
discussion. Remember to nominate someone to take notes on the group discussion.
After you have finished your group discussion, you will lead a five-minute class discussion of the essay. It
is your responsibility to teach the class this essay, so use your group discussion to prepare for your lesson.
When leading class discussion, don’t simply tell the others what they should learn; instead, pose questions
to your classmates and challenge short answers. Help your classmates discuss your essay by encouraging
debate (playing devil’s advocate is always a good way to begin a debate).
Group Discussion Questions/Guidelines:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Briefly summarize Goodman’s argument.
How does Goodman support her argument? How sufficient is her support?
Goodman poses a series of questions in paragraph 11. Discuss the validity of these questions and try to
answer some of them based on your own experience and knowledge. Does Goodman present answers
to these questions in the rest of her argument?
In paragraph 13, Goodman asserts, “We have to take into account many social as well as medical
factors [when discussing euthanasia]. How much of the resources of a society or a family should be
allotted to a member who no longer recognizes it?” (559). What does she mean by this claim? Do you
agree or disagree? Why?
What questions do you want to pose to your classmates to help them learn this essay?
Essay: Argue an Issue Using the Toulmin Method or the Logician’s Method
Joann Ludeman Yost of Bethel College asks her students to write about two articles addressing the
same issue using either the Toulmin method or the Logician’s method.
Essay: Argue an Issue Using the Toulmin Method or the Logician’s Method
Choose two articles that address the same issue. You can find both of them in Barnet/Bedau, find
one of them in Barnet/Bedau and one from your own search in the library, or find both articles in the
library. Helpful library resources for articles are Opposing Viewpoints or Social Issues Resource Series
(SIRS). Use the handout “How to Write a Synthesis Essay” as a guide for writing and revising.
After evaluating the arguments in the two articles, determine your perspective on one aspect of the
issue. Then create your thesis and develop your argument. Model your argument after the Toulmin method
or the Logician’s method. In your paper, refer to ideas from both articles and be sure to document when
you use ideas from the articles. Consider the block or alternating rhetorical structure for your essay. (See
the handout). I will look for the same qualities in this paper as in Paper #1. In addition, I will look for
coherence
sentence variety
sophisticated vocabulary
In-Class Essay: The Argument
Barbara Roshak of Monmouth University assigns her students an in-class essay about John Silber’s
essay “Students Should Not Be above the Law.”
In-Class Essay: The Argument
The introduction states the problem or debate.
The thesis makes a point that the essay supports.
The body paragraph must develop a reasonable argument.
The conclusion does not merely repeat the same information as the body paragraphs but offers a strong
closing thought that smoothly ends the essay without introducing a new idea.
Assignment #1: in-class essay
10% of your final grade
Bring a blank disk to class.
Write a 500-word essay responding to John Silber’s essay “Students Should Not Be above the Law.”
We will discuss the following ideas in class on January 27, 2000, and during the next class you will answer
a question that focuses on the same topic.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Should faculty call the police when a student is found cheating on an examination?
When a student accuses another student of stealing from his or her room, should the police be notified?
When a student announces in class that he or she uses drugs, what is the responsibility of the teacher,
the other classmates, and the individual?
As adults, college students are responsible for their actions. Does this responsibility include acts of
violence on campus? If one student is being picked on by another student and finally has had enough
and punches the harasser, should the police be called?