Prewriting, Essay 2: Arguing a Position
(10 pts)
Overview
The prewriting for this essay is designed to lead you to beginning of
the draft of the ARP on some aspect of Fear and the Media for Essay 2,
The Arguing a Position Essay
Your end goal for this prewriting assignment is to have a complete
thesis statement to begin your draft with. Thus, please look ahead to
the Arguing a Position Essay specifications.
The writer should complete the prewriting through question 7 and
submit to me and to all group mates by the due date on the course
calendar. You are then to comment on each other’s complete thesis
statements (question 8). (See submission instructions at the bottom of
this document.)
Here’s a sample complete thesis statement feedback file from a past
class: Complete Thesis Statement Examples with Feedback.
[This completed prewriting will serve as your topic proposal for the
essay. Once your complete thesis is approved, the basic question at
issue may not be changed for the draft or revision of the ARP.
However, the thesis and premises are still open for revision. For
instance, if you decided to change your stance on the issue, you could
make that revision; however, you could not dump the issue
altogether.]
Read How to Write an Arguing a Position Essay: the Process before
you begin the prewriting, or at least during the prewriting.
The assignment starts here. Type your responses right into the spaces
between questions:
1. List at least ten aspects of “Language and Fear in the Media”
(see some examples from the “Fear” category generated by a
previous class):
2. Questions at Issue. Choose the above aspect from question one
that most interests you and compose at least ten Questions at
Issue for it. Remember that Questions at Issue should be written
as yes/no questions and should thus start with the world
“Should” or maybe “Is” – preferably “Should.” Click the green
links above for a refresher on the mechanics of questions at
issue.
3. Select/Compose a Questions at Issue: First, answer the
following four questions in thorough detail, and then scroll back
up and copy in your question at issue right here:
a. Is the issue within your question at issue on the list of
Forbidden Essay Topics. Is it a unique or overdone issue?
b. Which question at issue that you have listed in question #2
is most critical to answer for the sake of the
community/society?
c. Which issue interests you most, and why? Are you involved
emotionally or intellectually in the question?
d. Which has the narrowest focus, and why?
e. Is the question at issue valuable in the context of the
theme area(s)? Is your topic clearly an aspect of Language
and Fear in the Media, or would it require an elaborate
argument to make a connection?
f. Are there opposing views on the question at issue? This is
critical. Hunt for opposing views right now Research
Center. to find out whether there are contrary views. If
you find that most or all sources you find stand on one
side of the issue, it’s not an issue. Choose something else.
If you find no sources addressing the issue at all, also
choose another question at issue, since this is a research
essay.
4. Define the Issue. Respond the following questions. The
purpose here is to test your knowledge and give you and idea of
the level or research that may be required. You may hunt for
research right now [Research Center].
i. Who has taken a position on the issue, and what
positions have they taken?
ii. What groups of people or individuals are affected by
this issue? Name names. Discover them through
research. Do not be generic. What is at stake for
them?
iii. Explain the history of the issue. Don’t go on your
own here. I want you to write an answer based on
some preliminary research, and please cite the
sources you consult. (Remember, you’re still in the
“preliminary reading” stage here, but feel free to skip
all over the place as you prewrite; the key success in
prewriting is not following perfect order of steps, but
using them in a way that works for you, and jumping
all over the place.)
iv. How broad is the issue? Is it too broad? Narrow?
5. Your “working” thesis. Write your thesis statement/answer to
your question at issue. See Written Argument: Basic Principles
for converting the question at issue to a thesis statement.
6. Premises. List the three strongest reasons (premises) of
support for stance, and write a paragraph of support for each
reason. Do not use any source support yet. (Three is just a
starting point, not a rule).
7. Complete thesis statement. Be painstaking about creating a
solid complete thesis here. This is what I look at specifically to
either approve your issue or suggest changes. Again, your
complete thesis will combine #3 and #4, or, as a math equation:
thesis + main premises = complete thesis. See Complete Thesis
Statement Examples with Feedback from past classes.
Note: After you have completed this prewriting and have had
your question at issue approved, you may not change your
question at issue for draft or revision.
Submission Instructions
On-Campus Classes
Bring completed prewriting to class. You will workshop your complete
thesis with your peer group and the class.
On-Line Class
Copy and paste your complete thesis only (your response to question
8) to the D2L Discussion Board under the Forum Topic “Prewriting,
Essay 2: Arguing a Position.” Also, attach your completed prewriting,
the full MS Word (as a “.doc,” not “.Docx”) file, to the message.
Name the file “PreArg_Your last name.” See Posting Essays to the D2L
Discussion Board
I would like you all to comment by “reply” on your peer group mates’
complete thesis statements. I will comment as well.