Argumentive research essay

This assignment focuses on your ability to: create effective thesis statements; synthesize research, text support, and personal analyses into a cohesive essay; defend an argument; properly citie researched material in APA format.

 

The purpose of completing this assignment is: as a student, career professional, and individual, learning how to defend your side of an argument with data, experience, and valid information is of paramount importance. As a student at Post, use this assignment to master the objectives listed above, particularly APA citation and reference page formatting.  You need to know APA and argumentation techniques! ______________________________________________________________

 

Prompt (what will you be writing about):

 

 Which conflict does Wilson use most to drive (bring forth, move forward) all the other elements of the story?  Choose ONE that you feel is more apparent and easier to defend than the others. o Troy vs Society o Troy vs Himself o Troy vs Family o Troy vs Death

 

Instructions (how to get it done):

 You have completed research on August Wilson, his life, and his plays.

 You have completed reading/viewing Fences by August Wilson.

 You have read the resources on Conflict in this unit.

 Choose the conflict area that you think will have the strongest text support.

 Create a thesis statement that clearly states your stance on why this conflict is the driving force of the play and how you’re going to prove it (see “Helpful Hints” section below).

 Research needed sources so that you have at least 3 outside sources that are valid and reliable.

 Be sure also to include text examples from the Fences, the play.

 Defend your thesis in an introduction, at least three supporting sections, and a conclusion.

 Check in with your instructor with any and all questions.

 

Requirements:

 Length and format: 3-4 pages.

 You should have at least three outside sources plus text examples from the play.

 The title page and reference page are also required, but they should not be factored into the 3-4 page length of the essay.

 It should also be double spaced, written in Times New Roman, in 12 point font and with 1 inch margins. The essay should conform to APA formatting and citation style.

 Use the third-person, objective voice, avoiding personal pronouns such as “I,” “you,” “we,” etc.

 Use APA format for in-text citations and references when using outside sources and textual evidence.  Please be cautious about plagiarism. Make sure to use in-text citations for direct quotes, paraphrases, and new information.

 

Helpful Notes:

 Thesis: o Your thesis is the response to the prompt question plus the supporting areas that you will be using to defend your argument.  Be sure to have a thesis that clearly states which conflict you feel is the most important and drives the other conflicts.  o Your thesis could begin with, “In the play, Fences, August Wilson uses the conflict of __________ to drive the other conflicts and elements of the story as evidenced by….

 Sources and evidence: o Be sure to use things that you have learned about Wilson’s life and his writings. For example, if you are analyzing Troy and his father’s conflict, you could bring in information that you researched about Wilson’s relationship with his own father.  o Include direct quotations from the play.

To cite a direct quote from a play, the format is:

 “quotation” (Wilson,1985, act #, scene #, line #).  OR

 As Wilson (1985) writes, “quote” (act#, scene #, line#). o Use at least three outside sources. Two of them could be from your previous research essay. Be sure to include all of these in your reference page.

 

Source: Fences by August Wilson (pages 1270-1331)