Assignment:
Write a paper of 1500-2000 words (5-7 typed, double spaced pages) arguing an issue related to your topic area.  You will also give a persuasive speech of 5-7 minutes on the same topic.  Frame your argument primarily as a position ("Classical Argument," Ch. 13 in Guide to Writing), though your argument may contain elements of a proposal; we will also examine the section on argument in Little, Brown (95-104).  To argue effectively, you must clearly define the issue and provide necessary background; understand and respect your audience's values and beliefs; argue for your position with data, examples, and reasoning; and anticipate and respond to objections.  Your paper must include at least five scholarly sources from the library catalog, from scholarly databases, appropriate web-based information, or perhaps from in-depth news coverage and analysis of very current issues.  Document these sources according to a standard reference format such as APA, MLA, or Chicago.  Use your knowledge of the topic as it has been publicly discussed in recent weeks and months; this will be the "common knowledge" portion of the paper that will not need documentation if you are not using someone else's exact words.  Direct quotes should make up no more than about 20% of the paper; the rest will be paraphrased material from your sources, common knowldege, and your original ideas.

Consider your audience to be students and faculty from Samford who need to have well thought out opinions on your topic--others like yourself and, of course, like me.  Place your argument within the context of the university's Christian mission, but consider that not all of your audience will share your religious assumptions, though many will.  You must be prepared when preliminary assignments are due; if you have not done the assignment, you will be dismissed and counted absent.  You must be present in class for peer editing on Oct. 14 or e-mail your draft to me if you are absent; I will not grade any papers that have not been through the process of conference, draft, and revision.  Include selected pages from your sources in your folder so I can look at the material you use in its original context; also include your notes, drafts, and peer edit sheets used in the conferences and peer editing.

Evaluation Criteria - paper
1.    The paper is focused and unified in response to the topic.
2.    The paper practices the principles of effective argument as given in Ch. 13 of Guide to Writing (GW) and our other texts.
3.    The paper has effective organization, with clear introduction, logical flow of ideas from paragraph to paragraph, effective transitions, paragraph unity.
4.    Style is appropriate to the subject, with technical terms defined, short sentences for emphasis and longer sentences to tie together related ideas, and other aspects of effective sentence structure and diction.
5.    Grammar, spelling, idiom, and punctuation conform to the conventions of Standard Written English.
6.    All sources used in the paper are documented according to a standard reference format.

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