Argumenta ve essay instruc ons
Follow these instruc ons carefully.
Table shows essay instructions.
Our argumenta ve essay
1. You're going to compose an Argumentative Essay in APA format. You must
argue for a particular side. See video, notes, and our textbook readings about APA
style.
2. Doublespaced, Times New Roman, size 12.
3. Running head: page numbers are inserted in the upper right corner; the title of your
essay appears in the upper left corner (not your namethat is MLA style, this is APA
style).
4. You may pick your topic (see below).
5. You must use the Coastline Online Library for at least three of the sources. See
guidance below.
6. Be sure to prewrite: brainstorm, read, research, gather ideas, and group them into an
outline.
7. At the start of an APAstyle essay you'll have a title page. At the end of your APA
style essay you'll have a section titled References.
8. Please cite your sources in APA style. Remember that MLA citations require (author
page #) after a quotation or paraphrase, whereas APA citations require (author, year,
p. #). Note the commas in APA style to separate this info.
9. As this essay is shortish, there is no need to include an abstract. (The abstract is a
summary preview of the essay.) However, on your final project due at the end of the
semester, you will write an abstract.
10. Total length will be around five pages
Title page (one page)
One intro paragraph + five argumentative body paragraphs + one conclusion
paragraph = seven paragraphs total
References page (one page)
Additional pointers on organizing your argumentative essay
There should be no quotations in the introductory paragraph. Those too often
congest the intro. Instead, save them for the body paragraphs. Your intro should
provide the big picture, an overview with the background of the subject you're arguing
for/against.
Body paragraphs must be organized per the usual pattern: transition phrase, topic
sentence arguing a specific aspect of your thesis, major and minor supporting details
such as one or two wellchosen quotations with citations, your analysis and
commentary, and a conclusion sentence wrapping up the paragraph.
We always follow this same pattern. Nothing fancy needed!
Paragraphs should always be six to ten sentences long in this class.
This must be an argumentative essay, meaning you are advocating for a specific
side. This is not an expository or exploratory essay. Again, your thesis sentence and
each topic sentence must argue for a particular side, not just explore the topic.
Quotations should be brief (one sentence long), forceful, and wellchosen. Do not drop
giant quotation chunks into your paragraphs. Also, we do not need to use block
quotations when writing such short essays.
To avoid congestion, no more than two quotations should appear in each body
paragraph.
A signal phrase must lead into each quotation. After the quotation, you must provide
an APA citation: (author, year, page #). Ex:
Psychology Today relays that intelligence is not specific to math or English, but is
more general: "We find that G, or general intelligence, crosses all skills and
competencies" (Lindenburger, 2012, p. 3).
Note that the citation includes author, year, and page number. Always include this
info whenever you use APA format.
Note that the period always goes after the citation.
Note that the title of the journal goes in italics.
Names of articles, on the other hand, go in " "s.
Ellipses (. . .) go in the middle of a quotation when you remove unnecessary text. You
do not need ellipses at the start or end of a quotation.
Grammar and punctuation are always in vogue and should improve with each essay.
Do contact Smarthinking tutor to review your first draft! It's a terrific, free service
that is almost guaranteed to help you improve your writing (and grade).
Keep in mind that this is a researchbased argumentative essay rather than a personal
essay. Even if you feel passionately about a topic, aim for an objective tone.
You are encouraged to acknowledge the merits of the "other side," even if you then
refute the other side's points.
This acknowledgement (think of it as "showing respect") is known as concession
and is a powerful persuasive tool showcasing your fairness and trustworthy ethos.
Argumenta ve essay topics
Choose one topic below.
You may also devise your own topic. Have at it!
1. Argue for or against whatever interests you, per the argumentative mode instructions
on the previous page.
2. There are some clichéd, stale topics about which you may not write: abortion,
marijuana, drinking age, samesex marriage, the death penalty, and vaccines.
3. Think of something specific and meaningful, whether serious or lighthearted, that you
like to debate or about which you are conflicted.
4. Don't be afraid to tackle a controversial topic. Just handle the subject matter
respectfully.
If you can't think of anything original that you want to write about, then choose one from
among the topics below.
Amazon.com is good / bad for book culture.
An employer should / should not be able to fire an employee for expressing beliefs and
opinions, however abhorrent, in his or her private life.
The Game of Thrones TV series is better / worse than the books (titled A Song of Ice
and Fire, btw).
Profanity does / does not deleteriously affect children.
Social Security is / is not doomed.
Socalled "hate groups" should / should not have the right "peaceably to assemble" in
public, per the First Amendment.
American tourists abroad do / do not deserve their reputations as loud and uninformed.
Cinemas are / are not going extinct.
Marriage is / is not an obsolete institution.
Confederate statues should be removed from public parks / should be left up as
historical reminders.
Couples should / should not live together as a compatibility test before getting married.
The US should / should not preemptively strike North Korea.
High schools should develop a vocational track for students uninterested in college /
should prepare all students for college.
Contemporary country music is quality / sounds manufactured.
Tax rates should go up / down for the upper class.
_____ is the best band or musician of this generation, and here's why.
_____ is the best novelist / poet of this generation, and here's why.
California community colleges should raise / lower tuition.
White nationalists are / are not rebranded white supremacists.
CSUs are better for community college transfers than are UCs, or vice versa. (It's a
competition between the two CA public uni systems, in other words.)
Nonhuman mammals (e.g. dogs, pigs, chimps, cattle) do / do not have consciousness.
The US should / should not merge with Canada and/or Mexico.
Age gap does / does not matter in romantic relationships.
Humans did / did not create God.
The Democratic and Republican parties are fundamentally the same / different.
California, with English as its official state language, should / should not add Spanish
as a second official language.
Parents should / should not be able to engineer their children genetically.
Sexual orientation is a choice / is biologically determined. OR Sexual orientation is
fixed / fluid.
Polygyny and/or polyandry should / should not be legal.
Adolescents should / should not be prescribed medication for hyperactivity and
attention deficit disorders.
The state should / should not intervene to reduce the number of liquor stores and fast
food restaurants in impoverished areas.
Senior citizens over a certain age should / should not be prohibited from driving in
urban areas.
Music education should / should not be funded at the level of athletics.
Youths of a certain age should / should not be required to do a period of community
service.
High school should / should not increase from 12th grade to 14th grade, after which
students would attend college for only two years to receive a bachelor's degree.
The homeless should be provided basic food and shelter / should endure the
consequences of their life choices.
Parents should / should not spank their children.
Food stamp and welfare programs should / should not be reformed.
It is / isn’t desirable for someone to know when he or she will die.
Voting does / does not impact modern American society.
Women should / should not be allowed in combat.
The government should / should not intervene on behalf of a terminally ill child when
the parents' religion dictates that they use alternative healing methods.
The 2028 LA Olympics will / won't be worthwhile for SoCal.
Hormone tests should / should not be used to separate athletes into male and female
categories.
Girls should / should not be allowed to play on boys' sports teams.
Affirmative action in university admissions should be based on economic class / on
race.
Transgendered persons should / should not be able to serve in the military.
Affirmative action in university admissions does / does not unintentionally discriminate
against Asian and AsianAmerican students.
The depiction of Jesus as Nordic is / is not historically accurate.
An actor should / should not be cast to portray a historical figure of a different race.
Meritocracy in the US is / is not a myth.
Most US politicians do / do not choose party over country.
The US should keep / should abolish the Electoral College.
The US would function better / worse as a parliamentary government than as a
republic.
Couples should / should not sign a prenuptial agreement before getting married.
Clear affirmative consent should / should not be required of unmarried adults before
they have sex.
Colleges / police departments should conduct investigations into felonies purportedly
committed by students.
Americans who cheer for another World Cup soccer team against the US team are /
are not unpatriotic.
California should / should not secede from the union.
It is wiser to attend the 10thranked university and graduate in the bottom 10% / to
attend the 100thranked university and graduate in the top 10%.
Asian students are justifiably / unfairly labeled "the model minority."
Adults should / should not be given a test of basic civic awareness before being
allowed to vote.
Prospective parents should / should not get a license before they procreate.
"War crimes" is / is not an arbitrary label imposed by victors to punish further the
vanquished.
Machines have largely replaced factory workers; advanced computers will / will not
soon replace collegeeducated, servicesector workers, too.
People do / do not segregate themselves into neighborhoods based on their racial
identification.
Passive resistance does / does not bring about change more effectively than violence.
1
Running head: E-READERS
E-Readers: Why We Should Pick Up the Twenty-First Century
A.G.
Coastline
English 100
Prof. Davis
October 11, 2016
E-READERS
2
E-Readers: Why We Should Pick Up the Twenty-First Century
“We are changing the world with technology,” Bill Gates said (2012, p. 3).
[opening to intro paragraph hooks the reader] Some believe that the technological
advances that have taken place in the last thirty years are ruining our society’s ability to
process and critically think on one’s own accord; however, others take the stance that new
technologies provide people opportunities that have yet to be fully recognized and utilized.
Even with holdouts to the technology revolution, advancements have yet to stop, and the
industry continues to boom. People are spurring on the advancements of our cars, our
computers, our televisions, our cameras, and our cell phones. Some of the largest corporate
competitions come from technology-based businesses such as Apple and Samsung, Lexus
and Acura, Canon and Nikon. Technology is not going away; it sits in our driveways and
finds a home in our pockets. [background helps reader understand the big picture] Now,
let’s expand on the technology at our fingertips and apply the advancements to the everyday
expansion of knowledge. It is time to shelve the old books and convert to electronic reading
devices. This essay argues that the technology of e-readers can positively impact society on
the levels of environment, education and school cost, and practicality. [thesis states purpose of
argumentative essay]
To start, [transition phrase] one must understand the functions of an e-reader and
how the device positively impacts society. [topic sentence states the main idea of first body
paragraph] As defined by the website Tech Terms, which is one of the leading dictionaries
that provides technology terms, “An e-reader, or ‘e-book reader,’ is a portable hardware
device designed for reading digital publications. These include e-books, electronic
magazines, and digital versions of newspapers” (E-Reader, 2011, p. 1). [APA citation]
E-READERS
Through e-readers, people have quick access to vast amounts of literature and news
sources. Tech Terms proceeds to tell us this: [signal phrase setting up the quotation] “Since
textual data does not require a lot of storage space, most e-readers can store thousands of
books and other publications. Just like an iPod can store an entire music library, a single
e-reader can store a large collection of books. Dozens of different e-readers are available,
but some of the most popular ones include the Amazon Kindle, the Barnes and Noble
Nook, and the Sony Reader” (E-Reader, 2011, p. 2). With the conversion from paper books
to e-books, there will be a cut back on the amount of paper product needed each year. Taking
a look at the environmental impact of just one paper mills within the United States, the
MeadWestvaco Covington Mill—the mill “released 1.8 million pounds of methanol in
2011, uses an average of 8,000 tons of wood chips per day, produces about 700 to 800 tons
a day of biomass, uses nearly 1,500 tons of coal a day, and has had troubles with the
Environmental Protection Agency and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
for polluting the Jackson River” (Chittum, 2012, p. 1). Though one of the largest paper mills
in America, all paper production plants have impacts on the environment that are similar
to the MeadWestvaco Covington Mill. The combination of air pollution, water pollution,
and a depletion of trees within the country—it becomes very clear that the environmental
impacts are unavoidable during the production of paper. Some people argue that pollution is
still a problem with e-readers due to the manufacturing and the consumption of energy to
charge the device; however, the manufacturing of the device does not deplete natural
resources as quickly as paper mills, and the amount of energy needed to charge the device
is similar to that of a phone or a laptop. [several major and minor supporting details] By
converting to e-readers, society will no longer have a demand for paper printed books, which
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E-READERS
will limit a portion of the paper production in the United States and cut down on the
pollution created from such production. [conclusion sentence wraps up paragraph]
[note that this and the other body paragraphs are a bit too long and occasionally
digressive, though the sentences are very well written; your paragraphs should be only
6-10 sentences long]
Secondly, by converting to e-readers, schools, universities, and students will have
better access to books and at a lower price point. Recently, the price of textbooks has
increased extraordinarily fast, especially in the state of California. Released data from
the 20 Million Minds, a non-profit organization that looks to reduce the price of college for
students, found that the prices of textbooks are increasing “at four times the rate of inflation.
The average annual cost for college textbooks is now $1,260” (2012, p. 1). The price hike has
most impacted the “2.8 million students that attend California Community College, where
textbook costs make up 75 percent of total student expenditures. On average, publishers
release a new edition every three years, with each one costing 12 percent more than the
last” (20 Million Minds, 2012, p.1). By eliminating textbooks and purchasing e-readers
and e-books, California Senate President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg said, “Open source
digital textbooks can bring real relief of nearly $1,000 a year to each college student" (20
Million Minds, 2011). The conversion of e-readers for grades kindergarten through twelfth
grade would also bring exponential financial savings. At an elementary school district
located in Bakersfield, California called Norris School District, “officials roughly estimate
the district pays about $100 to $120 for each traditional textbook that lasts about seven
years. The district is the largest elementary district in California, and has 28,000
students enrolled” (Barrientos, 2012). With the knowledge that elementary schools in
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E-READERS
California teach at least four subjects: history, math, science, English, and each subject requires
a different book, one can figure that the school district pays a minimum of $11.2 million
dollars every seven years to keep the school supplied with books. Then the question arises—
if schools only have the funds to purchase traditional textbooks every seven years, then
how can people feel confident that students are being taught with the most current
information? The Norris School District also said that it would cost $360,000 for three years
to put e-readers in the hands of [sixth through eighth grade] students in the district
(Barrientos, 2012). Thirty-six hundred thousand dollars over three years equates to just over
$1 million, which is a fraction of the cost to replace textbooks every seven years. To issue ereaders to an additional six grades (kindergarten through fifth) one can estimate that it would
cost the district about $3 million, which is still well below the expected $11 million every
seven years. With lower financial burdens posed on school districts, e-readers would allow for
school districts to spend money on other aspects of the school system that need
improvements.
Besides having positive impacts on the environment and finances, [excellent
transition phrase here!] e-readers are overall practical for people of all ages. Looking at
just the demographic of students, a person under eighteen spends on average ten to
twelve hours a day connected to technology such as cell phones, televisions, and
computers (Richtel, 2012, p. 3). If schools incorporate e-readers in curriculum, students
would be more inclined to learn via technology and not strictly use technology to text and
use social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Also technology and
schools are progressing together, and many colleges are starting to utilize online course
offerings. For the first time, one of the largest public university systems—University of
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E-READERS
California—is offering online classes starting in Fall 2012 (Krieger, 2011, p. 2). By
incorporating e-readers into the kindergarten through twelfth grade system, students would
be more adapted to handle online college courses and assignments. With the growth in
technology, many companies are supporting the expansion of technology in classrooms. In
January 2012, Apple “unveiled iBooks, which lets students instantly access interactive
digital textbooks through their mobile device, among other features. Apple's high school etextbooks are being sold for about $15 each year in a partnership with three major textbook
publishers” (Barrientos, 2012, p. 4). Also, if schools use e-readers as textbooks, schools
can continually provide up to date information, due to the ease of wireless Internet and
instant updates. If a new version of a textbook is released, schools can purchase the new
version at a fraction of the cost compared to a regular textbook. With the push to get current
technology into classrooms, society should take advantage of the current opportunities;
however, even though e-readers would teach students the benefits of educational technology,
some opponents believe that not having an actual book in hand is a determent to the
learning process. In a recent study though, “students at a Riverside, California middle
school using a specialized iPad algebra program showed impressive scores on state testing,
reports show” and “students who were in the program performed 19 percent better than
students not in the program” (Barrientos, 2012; “HMH Fuse Algebra 1,” 2011/2012, p.7).
By expanding on technology in classrooms through e-readers, students would be better
prepared for the technologically advanced world to come after schooling is finished.
Looking at the demographic of older generations, e-readers give people who are no longer
able to read ordinary print books the ability to read again. On the Amazon Kindle e-reader,
“A reader can control the text size for their reading material on Kindle by choosing
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E-READERS
between six different font sizes” (Amazon, 2012). According to Paul Biba, the Kindle’s
font size ranges between a ten point font to a twenty point font, which compared to “the
average font size for a main body at an eleven or twelve point font” allows for a reader to
nearly double the font size on an e-reader such as the Kindle (2008; Crossbooks, 2012). Ereaders transcend age groups and can impact the lives of people young and old.
If society moves from printed books to electronic reading devices, the benefits far
outweigh the disadvantages of not holding a bound book in one’s hands. E-readers
provide people an ease of access to literary material while also having positive effects on
the environment, finances, and the devices are practical. It is time for society to shelve
those old, dusty books and pick up a piece of technology that in the long run is better for
adults and the children who are the future. [conclusion paragraph discusses future of the
topic]
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E-READERS
8
References
Biba, P. (2008, August 9). First Thoughts on My Kindle. TeleRead. October 16, 2012, from
Barrientos, J. (2012, February 11). Attn. Students: There is an E-book in your future.
EBSCOhost Student Resource Center. October 9, 2012, from
Chittum, M. (2012, July 22). Mill Goes the Extra Environmental Mile. EBSCOhost
Student Resource Center. October 9, 2012, from
E-Reader. (2011). Techterms.com. Retrieved October 8, 2012, from
Gates, B. (Unknown). Quote. Thinkexist.com. October 9, 2012, from
Krieger, L. M. (2011, August 17). UC takes first steps into online education.
EBSCOhost Student Resource Center. October 10, 2012, from
Richtel, M. (2012, May 29). Wasting Time Is New Divide in Digital Era. New York
Times. October 11, 2012, from
E-READERS
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Unknown. (2012). Book Publishing: Preparation. Crossbooks. October 16, 2012, from
Unknown. (2011/2012). HMH Fuse Algebra 1: Results of a yearlong Algebra pilot
in Riverside, CA. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
October 11, 2012, from
20 Million Minds. (2011, December 13). California Pushes for Free Digital Open
Textbooks. EBSCOhost Student Resource Center. October 10, 2012, from
20 Million Minds. (2012, January 31). California State Legislature Investigates
Escalating College Textbook Prices. EBSCOhost Student Resource Center. October 10,
2012, from
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