20 Sep Generation Z and Homeownership: Will They be able to Afford It?

Writing Assignment Three (WA3): Making an Argument (Worth a max of 400 Points)

Assignment
Using all the techniques weve discussed this semester, you will compose an argument on ANY topic of your choice. Just make sure you can find credible sources on that topic. You will choose only ONE side & stick to that side of the argument. *This is NOT an INFORMATIVE ESSAY. This is an argumentative essay. If your paper reads like an entry out of an encyclopedia, you did it wrong. You need to establish a clear thesis & you need to defend that thesis with outside evidence. 
 
*The support for your argument can come from any of the essays found within the They Say/I Say textbook (If they apply) as well as the Internet & the PBSC library. However, you cannot choose any essays out of the textbook that you’ve already used for a previous paper. That will not be allowed. If you violate this policy, you will automatically fail the paper. 

*All of your sources must argue in support of your argument with the exception of your ONE REQUIRED COUNTERARGUMENT & REBUTTAL. A counterargument & rebuttal is required for this paper. If you lack this, anticipate not scoring a high grade on the final paper.

*IMPORTANT: Stay away from arguments that most would agree with (ex: Why drinking & driving is bad for you), or silly arguments such as “Flat Earth Theory” that have already been disproven by science. If you violate this policy you will not pass this assignment. 

*Regardless of what you choose to write on, you will use a MINIMUM of 5 sources and a maximum of 8. Failure to meet the source minimum will keep you out of A-range at least if not more. Exceeding the maximum will also result in keeping you out of A-range at least if not more.

*As mentioned before, a counterargument/rebuttal section is also required for this paper as well. Failure to provide a counterargument/rebuttal will keep you from scoring high on this paper. 
 
Your paper should include specific quotes/examples from your chosen sources along with adequate explanation of quotes in order to support your thesis & supporting points (Quote Sandwich Method.)
 
*You will have a Works Cited Page as the last page of your paper. It must be properly MLA-formatted or you will lose points (This will be the first thing that I check). Missing one entirely will result in an automatic deduction of half a letter grade.
 
Content (Also See Rubric):
You must use standard essay form that is appropriate to college-level writing (paragraphs, indents, transitions, introduction, thesis statement, body paragraphs, conclusion, etc.).

You must explain your ideas in detail to make a clear & complete argument.
 
Make sure your essay is written only in the first & third-person when appropriate. Do not use second- person (You). Also stay away from the use of Us and We.

Evidence (Also See Rubric):
Provide proper MLA-style in-text citations for all quotes, making sure to use the sandwich method from Chapter 3 of They Say/I Say to properly incorporate quotes/paraphrasing.
 
As stated before, a naysayer/rebuttal is required. You will need to substantiate the naysayer with quotes from the text. Make sure to reference Chapter 6 within the textbook as a guide.

*I will be scrutinizing your sources much more in this paper than in WA2. The quality of where you find your sources as well as the expertise of the author’s chosen will be evaluated. If any of your sources look questionable, you will lose points. This is to prepare you for what you will inevitably face when you take ENC 1102. 
 
Format (Also See Rubric):

Use proper MLA style for this & all writing assignments moving forward in this class. Information on MLA style can be found within the Little Seagull Handbook and Bedford Handbook (If you have it), as well as online at Purdue OWL: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/13/.
 
*I am more interested in quality than quantity. You will determine the length of your paper. Just be sure to do a thorough job of summarizing & supporting your ideas with evidence from the essay. Every body section needs to have evidence in the form of a quote to back up your thesis. Do not write a body paragraph without direct evidence from your chosen sources.  
 
While you can certainly treat your chosen authors as experts in the field, please be aware of the difference between an experts OPINION versus an experts RESEARCH/OUTSIDE SOURCES. This will go a long way in determining the quality of your evidence. Always lean towards the research that an author presented versus what they just simply say or think. Objective evidence will always be valued more than subjective opinion, regardless of who the speaker is.
 
*Plagiarism of any kind will be penalized in accordance with the plagiarism policy found within the course syllabus.