Instructions

1. Before you proceed, please ensure that you are familiar with last week's topics: the writing process, essay structure, and writing arguments. Review A Writer's Reference sections C1-C4 and A4 if needed.

2.View Argument Essay Topics and Sources. Choose ONE of the issues listed and read the prompt carefully.

Read as many of the source texts listed as needed in order to familiarize yourself with the issue and the different positions others have taken.

Available source texts:

• "Biden's Move to Fortify DACA an Unlawful Quasi-Amnesty" by Joseph Edlow (i recommend this one)
• "Why Deporting the 'Dreamers' Is Immoral" by Michael Blake
• "Extending DACA's Protection Creates Jobs and Tax Revenue for the U.S. Economy" by Ike Brannon
• "DACA Should Not be Replaced by an Amnesty Program" by Charles Stimson and Hans von Spakovsky"

1. While a growing number of states and municipalities have set a higher wage and/or passed legislation to increase the minimum over time, the federal minimum wage has been $7.25 per hour since 2009. Should the federal minimum wage be raised to $15 per hour?

3. Determine your position on the issue. Argumentation is not pro-con, so while you may see the merits of both sides of a debate, you are only taking ONE of those sides. If you are uncertain which side to take, consider which position you can build a more convincing case for. Your position is your thesis. It should be a statement that answers the topic question. Argumentative thesis statements often contain "should" or "should not." Avoid using unnecessary first person (i.e. "In my opinion, I believe...").

Next, brainstorm potential reasons why someone should accept your position.

4. Once you have a list of reasons, select the two or three that you can best support with evidence. These reasons will become your topic sentences. Evidence includes facts, statistics, examples, and expert opinions. For this essay, you may include relevant personal examples if you have any. However, they cannot be the only type of evidence given, nor should your experiences be the central focus of the essay. At least one piece of evidence must come from one of the sources assigned for your topic. You will be going into more detail once you draft the essay, but for the outline, a brief indication of how you will support your reasoning will suffice.

5. Consider an opposing viewpoint that you can successfully challenge in counterargument. Why might someone object to your position, and how can you answer that objection? Again, you may be more succinct here than you will be in the essay draft.

Finally, once you have gathered these ideas, you are ready to complete the outline. Download the following Word document Download Word document, read the directions and sample, enable editing (if needed), and fill in the outline template on p. 3. When you are finished, save the document, close it, and upload the file.

Your Outline

Topic Question:

Thesis:

Topic Sentence 1:

Evidence:

Evidence:

Topic Sentence 2:

Evidence:

Evidence:

Topic Sentence 3 (if needed)

Evidence:

Evidence:

Counterargument - Opposing View:

Response:

Your essay will also have a conclusion (not listed here).