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ENG 111: Argumentative Essay (Frost-Loudoun)

The assignment requires students to research a contemporary social issue, do a rhetorical analysis of a scholarly article, a literature review, and a research-based analysis of a piece of media pertaining to the issue. Citations for two scholarly articles

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Assignment

In this class you can choose any topic for your argumentative essay. As part of that assignment, you'll write a proposal, create an annotated bibliography, and deliver a final argumentative paper. Citations should be in MLA format. 

An argumentative research paper consists of an introduction in which the writer clearly introduces the topic and informs the audience or reader on exactly which stance they intend to take. This is known as a thesis statement. It often helps to formulate your thesis as a question to be answered in your essay, through the research material you collect. An important goal of the argumentative research paper is persuasion, which means the topic chosen should be debatable or controversial. 

Use the tabbed pages on the left to help you locate books, articles, and other resources. For more detailed assignment information, please contact your professor.

Suggested topics

Students in prior semesters have used the following topics for their essays, but these are only suggestions:

  • Playing video games for stress release
  • Prison reform
  • Should CRT be taught in high schools
  • FDA regulation of the Halal market
  • Psilocybin as depression treatment
  • Ethics of true crime documentaries
  • Safety regulations for amusement parks vs. traveling carnivals

We'll go over where you can find more ideas during our Library Instruction session.