English 101 - Mrs. Bross
Fall 2009
Researched Argument Essay (200 points – 20% of Final Grade)
Assignment: Write a 4-6 page researched argument on one approved topic. You are to
convince a group of people with opposite beliefs that your opinion is correct. You will use
research to help support your argument, but you must also remember to use reason, evidence,
and emotion to make your argument. Your thesis should take the form of a fact, value, or policy
claim and go beyond listing your points. Aim for clarifying the significance/relevance of your
stance, too. You must also rebut the opposition in your essay. See attached rubric for additional
criteria.
Details: The paper must integrate and cite four credible sources. You should mainly use the
research databases, keeping in mind the quality of some scholarly sources over popular sources,
depending on your topic. Only one may be an internet source, such as .org or .gov, and only if
relevant to your topic and credible. Ultimately, aim for a variety of sources. All sources, even
ones you find after the annotated bibliography is reviewed, must be approved by your instructor
and turned in with your final draft. You may not need research to sufficiently explain each point;
remember that you can use logic and reasoning, too. You will be graded on how well you
integrate all four sources. Connect all ideas with transitions that go beyond simple transitional
words. Acknowledge and accommodate opposing viewpoints. Summarize and make a final
impression in the conclusion, perhaps one that looks to the future or reiterates the topic’s
relevance to readers. Complete a perfect header, in-text citations, and a Works Cited page in the
MLA style. The paper should be double-spaced and typed in Times New Roman 12-point font.
Topics: Make sure your topic was an approved one that came about through the brainstorming
exercises we did related to your personal interests/questions or from the state of marriage, reality
television, and parenting/parenting styles categories. Remember, these are very broad topics that
need lots of narrowing, and your final thesis must be set up as a claim of fact, value, or policy.
Also, keep in mind that the best topics are timely and relevant and allow for a fresh civic
discussion. You will also need to clarify the topic’s importance/relevance to an academic
audience (either in the introduction or the first body paragraph). Due Dates:
Thurs. Nov. 12 - Annotated Bibliography w/ 6 entries in MLA style format & w/ summaries
(along w/ printed articles) (hmwk. grades for bibliography and all articles)
Tues. Nov. 17 - Formal Outline w/ working thesis (see pages 123-124 of McW) (hmwk. grade)
Thurs. Nov. 19 - Draft progress check; come to class with three written questions about your
progress and beginnings of a draft (hmwk. grades for early draft and questions)
Wed. Dec. 2 (by midnight) – Email instructor full draft w/ works cited page as an attachment
for global feedback and for a hmwk. grade. (If you submit prior to Tues. Dec. 1 at midnight, I
will replace a poor or missed homework grade with a 3/3.)
Thurs. Dec. 3 - Bring complete draft with works cited page to peer review session (hmwk.
grade). Bring all prewriting, notes, and sources with your draft if your instructor or peers have
questions. (Classwork grades will be assigned, as usual, for your self and peer reviews.)
Tues. Dec. 8 - Submit the final version of your paper w/ prewriting, notes, sources, drafts,
reviews/checklists, etc. in a folder. The final paper should be stapled. As mentioned on your
syllabus, absolutely no late papers will be accepted since this paper is due at the end of the
semester and grades must be turned in immediately. (There will be a classwork grade for a letter
to go along with this paper, which will be written at the beginning of class. Also, a review of
just your paper’s use of MLA style, source quality, etc. will be given a quiz grade. A rubric will
follow on this.)
Content: Thesis
(claim of fact,
policy, value);
Three prong or
summative
Content: Support
Content: Refutation
Content:
Introduction &
Conclusion
Content: Length &
MLA
(heading/spacing/
margins)
Organization:
Smoothness
Organization:
Paragraph Order
Organization:
Sentences in
paragraphs
Style: Point of
view; clarity;
sentence variety
Grammar,
Punctuation,
Mechanics:
Correctness
Research: In-text
Research: Works
Cited
Exceeds
Expectations
Argumentative &
specific assertion;
effective
argument
Meets
Expectations
Argumentative
claim; argument is
basic
Approaches
Expectations
Vague claim;
argument is
weak/unproved
Does Not Meet
Expectations
No clear thesis; argument
is illogical/unsubstantiated
Support is
logical,
thoughtful,
original,
developed;
evidence when
needed; focused
topic sentences
Thorough & fair
refutation that
acknowledges
and
accommodates
the opposition
Lively intro.;
conclusion
summarizes &
universalizes
At least 4 full
pages; correct
MLA formatting
Support is logical
and adequate;
basic evidence for
support; clear
topic sentences
Support is generally
clear, but not always
logical, developed,
proven, or unified;
weak topic
sentences
Support is underdeveloped,
illogical, or not unified
around thesis; no topic
sentences
Basic refutation
that reasonably
acknowledges and
accommodates the
opposition
Weak, illogical, or
underdeveloped
acknowledgement
or accommodation
of the opposition
No acknowledgement or
accommodation for the
opposition
Developed
introduction &
conclusion
Underdeveloped
introduction &
conclusion
Underdeveloped and/or
missing introduction &
conclusion
4 pages; correct
MLA formatting
Fewer than 4 pages;
minor MLA
formatting errors
Fewer than 3 full pages;
major MLA formatting
errors
Combination of
transition words
& phrases
Thoughtful &
logical
development
Thoughtful &
logical sentence
order in
paragraphs
Sophisticated
word choice/
sentence structure
No patterns of
errors that
obscure meaning;
few minor errors
4 reliable sources
with signal
phrases & pages
No major errors;
few minor errors
Basic transition
words & few
phrases
Logical plan of
development;
slight drift in focus
Clear order of
sentences
Transition words
only
No transitions
Weak development;
focus drifts off
thesis/topic sent.
Unclear/confusing
sentence order
Little/no development; loss
of focus
Basic word
choice/sentence
structure
Minor errors exist;
not more than one
pattern that
distracts
4 reliable sources
integrated
correctly
Minor errors and 1
major error
Informal word
choice/lower
sentence structure
Multiple sentence
errors; two or more
patterns of
distracting errors
Sources in, but too
few, in incorrectly,
or are unreliable
2 or more major
errors
Inappropriate
language/simplistic
sentence structure
Multiple sentence level
errors that obscure
meaning
No clear order of sentences
Failure to integrate
sources; failure to cite an
integrated source
Multiple major errors
****In addition, a student who fails to cite or dishonestly uses sources, will fail the assignment.