Persuasive Research Paper
For this assignments, students will be tasked with researching a subject and taking a side on an issue. Students must draw on their research and use evidence from the research to support and defend the position that is being taken. Choose one prompt below for the research paper.
A. Should civil forfeiture be more heavily regulated?
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/23/us/memphis-police-vehicle-seizures-forfeiture.html
B. Should shark tourism be banned?
C. Was the punishment given to the Stanford rapist, Brock Allen Turner, too light? (You can NOT defend Turner in this essay!)
D. George Floyd's death stunned the United States. Why was it such a big issue? What should be done to prevent it from happening again? (Essay has high expectations.)
E. Given Supreme Court's ruling, how should cities handle the homeless problem?
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/05/us/-homeless-sleeping-on-street-ruling.html
F. What should be the with disaster profiteers? What can be done to prevent the exploitation of people during a disaster or pandemic?
G. Should the records of criminals be expunged after they serve their time?
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/20/opinion/expunge-criminal-records.html
I. Should people have the "right to repair"? (See Youtube on the issue.)
J. Should people in the United States have the right to be forgotten?
K. Should officials who were responsible for the Flint water crisis be charged with crimes?
L. How will drones impact future military conflicts? (Only with permission from teacher.)
M. Are aircraft carriers outdated? What impact will hypersonic weapons have on future conflicts? (Only with permission from teacher.)
N. Should the United States and other leading nations pay billions to help other countries fight the pandemic?
O. What should California do about the expanding housing crisis?
P. Should drug addicted women who repeatedly have babies be paid to be sterilized?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkERSYPLzqc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJAq9ymOEKw
Q. Did Meghan Markle and her husband do the right thing when they stopped being active royals? (Only with permission from teacher. Challenging.)
R. What should be done about the growing anti-Asian racism since the start of the pandemic?
S. Should the United States help fund an effort to produce Covid-19 vaccines for the entire human population? Why is this so important?
T. How was the imagery created by Victoria Secret toxic? Did they do the right thing by rebranding and try to create a new image? (Parents must approve of topic.)
V. Should websites like Facebook be held liable for what is posted by its users? If a social media company had postings linked to a crime, should they face legal consequences?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/01/06/facebook-boogaloo-lawsuit/
W. Some pundits say drones are an essential tool to combat terrorism, while others point to wedding bombings and civilian casualties by drones and say they should be banned. Should the United States stop using drones?
X. Should the payday loan industry be more heavily regulated?
Y. Should zoos exist at all?
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/11/opinion/zoos-animal-cruelty.html
Z. What should be done about the student debt crisis?
BA. Should the people who put on sideshows and/or street race have their cars seized?
BB. If someone kills a person while texting and driving, what should be done?
BC. Should the police be allowed to use tasers?
BE. Should mothers with babies be allowed to keep and care for their babies while in prison?
BF. Should social media companies block toxic people and organizations?
BH. Was Elon Musk a good CEO of Twitter?
BI. What changes should occur because of the BTX (crypto exchange) collapse?
BK. Should professional athletes be banned from betting on the sport they play?
ESSAY EXPECTATIONS
Each of these prompts were chosen because they can be used to write a persuasive research paper. The writer is expected to find SPECIFIC DETAILED EVIDENCE to incorporate in the essay. The essay needs to be built around evidence which supports the argument used in the thesis. The evidence then must be analyzed through commentary and evaluation. The writer must endeavor to explain the significance of the evidence that has been presented.
NOTE: Students who have received a 101 on a major essay or have had consistent high grades may request an essay topic of their choosing. The essay must be persuasive, take a side on an issue, and must require significant research. The topic must NOT be one that is already used in other classes. The topic must be pre-approved before 4/4 with a confirmation email.
EXAMPLE RESEARCH PAPERS
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jn4yltSp54I1iPiz9tOKiannziitx7iV/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SXryArfdVwuegIIgzFc1KslH88T2ulff/view?usp=sharing
TIMELINE *****************************************************************
WEEK 0: EXPLORE POSSIBLE TOPICS
Due: 3/27. 50 Points.
The purpose of this assignment is to give you a chance to explore a topics for our final essay.
A. Choose a topic that may interest you from Mr. Winter's List.
B. Find a good source. Be sure it is creditable. List a link to it.
C. Write a three-sentence summary of the source.
D. Ask three make-you-think questions for each source.
D. Repeat the above for a total of three topics.
E. You will pick one of the three for the project.
WEEK 1: RESEARCH AND PARAGRAPH SEEDS.
Due: 4/4. Turnitin. 50 points.
A. Find at least five good sources for your essay. You may use news stories or credible webpages or credible videos on
Youtube. At least three of your sources must come from text.
B. Create a new doc named: "Sources and Seeds".
C. Copy and paste the text of the sources in one Google Doc as plain text.
D. If a source is a video, include a short outline of the video with annotations.
E. Annotate and highlight the sources in one Google Doc. You should have at least eight annotations for a source. Longer sources will require more work. If you are using a video, write comments and questions as if you were annotating it as a text.
F. At the top of the document list at least twelve paragraph seeds.
These can be facts, quotes, events, questions or starting sentences for paragraphs. You should have a variety.
The paragraph seeds do NOT need to be in order.
G. Be sure to save links so you can make a proper works cited page.
Spring Break 4/10-4/14. Work on independent reading.
WEEK 2: PREWRITING and WORKS CITED PAGE
Due: 4/18. 50 Points. Google Classroom.
Open a fresh doc for the essay. Name it: "Final Essay".
Twenty word brainstorm.
Eight random sentences.
Eight make-you-think questions
Introductory paragraph with thesis that clearly takes a position.
Two other paragraphs in the essay. All the paragraphs should be at the top of the doc.
Proper works cited page with at least five sources. No credit for the week if not properly done.
WEEK 3: HALF of ESSAY
Due: 4/25. 50 Points. At least three pages. Double spaced. Must follow MLA. 12 Font.
Complete Works cited page. Google Classroom. Prewriting at bottom. This step must include specific
and detailed evidence. For example, it you were writing against shark tourism, the essay could include a
detailed description of a video of a shark tourist interacting with sharks.
WEEK 4: FINAL DRAFT
Due 5/2. 300 Points. Turnitin. FINAL Daft. At least five to seven pages total. Must follow MLA. 12 Font.
Double spaced. Works cited page. Sources must be cited. Turnitin.com. Prewriting at bottom. The essay should be
complete at this point. The essay must have a balance between evidence and
commentary / evaluation. You must include facts in your essay, and you must also
explain the importance of this evidence. It must be five pages or more.