ENGL 1B

Dr. A. Eastwood

Essay 3: Position Paper

Write an essay (1,500 words, typed, double-spaced) in which you take a position on a controversial subject related to humans and their interactions with the natural world.  This assignment will require that you do a bit of preliminary research on the broader areas of a controversy in order to narrow the subject down to something you might argue effectively in 1,500 words. 

SAMPLE TOPICS (You are not limited to these):

1.     Animals

Pets

Wild animals v. humans

Territorial encroachment  (coyotes, mountain lions, bears)

2.     Food

Nutrition in schools

Labeling in restaurants or on packages

Fast food

3.     Environment

Global warming/climate change

Overfishing

Farming/Agriculture

Once you have chosen a broad topic, you will need to begin to narrow it down by asking questions about that topic.  For example, if you choose “Global warming/ Climate change,” you might ask any of the following questions:

Is climate change something I should care about? What are they saying about climate change in the news?  What is controversial about climate change?  Assuming we are experiencing climate change, what are our options for stopping it? 

Important: Figure out what you think about the subject.  If you don’t have any feelings about it, choose a different topic. 

After you have some questions listed, do a little research to see what the possible controversies are.  Select one, and write an essay in which you take a particular side in the debate.   Your thesis will be a clear statement of your position on the topic. 

For this assignment, you may use up to five internet sites (not Wikis), and at least three of the following:

Books

Journal or magazine articles

Interviews

Television or radio shows

Your essay must be documented in MLA format and include:

A title

Page numbers in the upper right hand corner

In-text citations

A Complete Works-Cited page

Please make sure you allow plenty of time to proofread your work. 

Due March 23^rd