ENGL 111 – Winter 2019

Paper 3
Argument: Questions about Food

Due date: Tuesday, March 19 on Canvas by 11:59 p.m.

Drafts due for Online Peer-Review: Tuesday, March 12 on Canvas by 11:59 p.m. (must have at least
1,200 words)
Online Peer-Review due: Thursday, March 14 on Canvas by 11:59 p.m.
Length: 1,700-2,000 words
Percentage of final grade: 12%
Number of sources: Four sources (see “Research” section below)
Citation style: APA
Document design: 12 point font, 1” margins, Times New Roman or Calibri font
Acceptable file types: .doc, .docx, .rtf, .pdf (do not submit Google Docs or you will not receive credit)
Corresponding chapters of Writing Today: WT3rd: Chapters 11, 22, and 26; WT4th: 12, 23, and 27
Corresponding readings: Hank Shaw, “On Killing”; Jon Entine and JoAnna Wendel, “2000+ Reasons Why
GMOs are Safe to Eat and Environmentally Sustainable”; Robin Mather, “The Threats from Genetically
Modified Foods”; Marion Nestle, “School Food, Public Policy, and Strategies for Change”; Bill Turque,
“Montgomery Officials Try Eating for $5 a Day”; Jim Geraghty, “Lawmakers’ Headline-Grabbing Food
Stamp Diet”

Assignment Description
A lot of our daily lives deals with persuasion. These range from smaller arguments, like trying to
convince our friends to eat lunch at a certain time, to larger decisions about our majors and
relationships. Regardless of the weight of these decisions, we often employ similar tactics. For this
assignment, you will be inspired by one of the “corresponding readings” and craft an argument based on
your reaction to the theme. If I were writing this paper, I might, for example, be curious about GMOs. I
know I’ve heard of them, but I don’t know much about what they are. This confusion is a good place to
begin. I’d transform that confusion into research—what are GMOs? Are they healthy or harmful? Where
do I stand on this topic? Such questions are where I would begin to formulate my thesis about this topic.
Please note that you must select a topic directly related to our readings, otherwise you will not have
success on this paper.

For an effective argument, you should include research about the opposing side. This helps you
understand what everyone has to say about the topic and helps you craft a well-informed argument.
(Think, for instance, about someone who only argues from a very narrow perspective—it’s tough to
believe them because they only present one side.) We will be discussing in-class how to understand and
incorporate the different sides of a topic into our writing.

Getting Started
Your first goal with this assignment is to select a topic based on our reading. Therefore, you should
carefully read the “corresponding readings” and find one that interests you the most. From there, we’ll
figure out how to form research questions and begin finding sources to support your specific
perspective. Consider asking yourself these questions as you’re reading:
 What is one new idea I hadn’t thought of before?
 What is one new perspective I hadn’t thought of before?
 How does this reading challenge a belief I’ve previously held?
 Is there a perspective with which you particularly disagree?
Research Requirements and Where to Look
You are required to use four sources for this paper: one of the “corresponding readings,” one academic
journal article, one reputable website, and one magazine or newspaper article. We will be using the
library’s databases to locate these sources, although there are alternative ways to find them, too. You
are required to include in-text citations anytime you refer to your sources as well as place them in a
works cited page at the end of your essay. We’ll continue using APA citation.

Reading Recommendations
Because your topic will be derived from our readings, it is critical that you carefully read through the
assigned essays. Use the annotation skills you’ve been developing to help you understand what you’re
reading as well as help you focus in on what you’d like to research.

Framework
From Writing Today, pg. 184:
“Arguing can be fun, but you need to argue fairly and reasonably if you want to win over your readers.
The strongest arguments address differing viewpoints as objectively and fairly as possible and then
persuade readers that one side is superior to the others. They tend to have the following features:
 An introduction that states the issue being debated, identifies the issue’s two or more sides, and
usually offers an explicit thesis that the argument will support.
 Ab objective summary of opposing views, including their strengths.
 A point-by-point discussion of the limitations of opposing views.
 A summary of your viewpoint and your understanding of the issue.
 A point-by-point discussion of both strengths and limitations of your position, arguing overall that
yours is superior.
 A conclusion that drives home your thesis and looks to the future.

Peer-Review
Each student will be randomly assigned a peer-review to complete outside of class. This assignment will
be completed on Canvas. I will explain how to access and complete this assignment in class. Once you
receive your feedback from peer-review, you should carefully consider incorporating the suggestions
into your own essay. You do not have to incorporate every suggestion, but make sure you weigh the
pros and cons. If you do not submit a draft, you will not receive credit for this assignment. If you do not
complete the peer-review on time, you will not receive credit for this assignment. Merely completing
the peer-review does not guarantee credit for the assignment. I will read your feedback carefully to
determine the effort put into the assignment.

Grading
I will be looking for strong utilization of the framework that we discuss in class. I will also be looking for
good use of appropriate sources and proper documentation. You must have a strong argument in your
paper with a clearly articulated and research-supported perspective. I use the ENGL 111 rubric, which
can be found on Canvas, to grade each of your papers. Most importantly, however, you should be
incorporating comments about how to improve and strengthen your writing I left in the paper into this
one. Failure to do so will result in a lower grade.