LearnLearn
Argumentative Essay
You will be writing an argumentative essay supporting the ban of smoking in outdoor public places. An argumentative essay is a genre of writing that requires research on a topic to establish a position in a concise manner. It should contain the claim, reasoning, and evidence supporting the claim. It should also include opposing views or counterclaims. You will follow a rubric as you write you essay.
Components of the Essay
The essay should include the following components:
- Claim: The argument.
- example - Smoking in outdoor places on campus should be banned.
- Reason: The statement of logic that supports your claim.
- example - reason for the claim above - ... because of the negative health effects of second-hand smoke.
- Evidence: The proof to support the claim; it proves the reason; it should be scientific and reliable, not an opinion.
- example - reliable evidence showing the negative effects of second-hand smoke would be stated here.
- Counterclaims: The opposing viewpoints to argue the claim.
- Rebuttal: The refutation of the opposing viewpoints with evidence.
Use the resource Writing an Argument: Claim, Reasons, and Evidence for help writing an argument.
Assignment Task
Here is your assignment:
Your college campus has had many complaints with smoking outside of buildings and restaurants. Many students want smoking banned in outdoor areas on campus. You have been asked to research and write an argumentative essay to support the banning of outdoor smoking on the campus.
- You have learned that second-hand smoke is defined as "the combined smoke given off by the burning end of a tobacco product and the exhaled tobacco smoke produced by a cigarette, cigar, or pipe."
- You have also read that second-hand smoke has been attributed to many respiratory pathologies such as asthma, COPD, and lung cancer, and that second-hand smoke causes 53,000 deaths per year. Complete research to support the claims of the negative health effects from second-hand smoke and compose an argumentative essay to support the ban of outdoor smoking on campus due to the negative health effects of second-hand smoke.
Resources for Research
Here are resources you can use for research on the effects of smoking to help assimilate your evidence to the claim. (You are not restricted to just these resources.)
- Centers for Disease Control resources, including:
- American Lung Association resources, including:
- Alabama Department of Health resources, including:
- Smokefree and Tobacco-Free U.S. and Tribal Colleges and Universities (American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation)
- The Toll of Tobacco in Alabama (Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids)
- COPD Causes and Risk Factors (Web MD)
- Use the databases from the Alabama Virtual Library, including:
- EBSCOhost Search - search the EBSCOhost search engine for peer reviewed research on the effects of secondhand smoke on the lungs or health in general
- Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints - this database covers current social issues and includes pro/con viewpoints and reference articles
- Explora - High Schools - this search engine provides access to reliable research sources and topic overviews
- PubMed.gov - a database from the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM) of research and journal articles related to the life sciences and biomedicine
Rubric for Essay
Your essay will be worth 100 points and evaluated using this rubric:
Scoring Scale:
- Mastery (4)
- Partial Mastery (3)
- Progressing (2)
- Emerging (1)
Format of Essay - 20 points
- Title and essay in 12-font, Times New Roman
- Correct spelling throughout essay
- Correct grammar use
- Correct sentence structure and punctuation
- Resources Cited APA format
- 4 or more resources
- Link on APA Format (Link to Format)
- Citation Machine Link(Citation Machine Link)
Paragraph 1 - Introductory -15 points
- Thesis sentence (or argument statement) - states the position and argument in one sentence
- Background information about smoking effects on health
- Cigarettes as carcinogens
- Statistics of secondhand smoke
- Overview of smoking laws on college campuses
Paragraph 2 - Evidence to the Claim/Position -40 points
- Evidence #1 Stated (statement to support the argument/claim)
- Reasoning to why this supports the claim
- Evidence #2 Stated (statement to support the argument/claim)
- Reasoning to why this supports the claim
Paragraph 3 - Opposition 15 points
- Opposing View/Argument #1
- Refuting opposing view #1
- Opposing View/Argument #2
- Refuting opposing view #2
Paragraph 4 - Conclusion 10 points
- Restate the thesis
- Restate the importance of the issue (summarizes what the world will be like if your argument is not implemented)
