Samford University
UCCA102 Kirby Spring 2014
Topics and instructions for Position paper and speech
Problem
scenario for Position paper: The
Southern Association of Religious Colleges and Universities (SARCU, a
fictional organization) is sponsoring an undergraduate research forum
on your topic of interest. College professors and administrators
from the related fields (for example, environmental ethics encompasses
natural sciences, religion, philosophy, and law) will be organizing the
conference and reading the papers that will be submitted. The
interdisciplinary nature of this forum ties in so well with Samford's
approach to a broad based education in the liberal arts that many of
Samford's administrators and trustees are asking faculty to require
their students to submit papers.
Look for ways to explore your major or possible major
and to connect
your argument to the
university's Christian mission or your personal religious belief.
Take the opportunity to think about these issues, and remember that
without them you won't be addressing your audience. The
principles involved in arguing a position are
presented
in Chapter 14 in Guide to Writing
and Section 11, p.95-114, of LBH.
Topic areas:
Explore the Opposing Viewpoints
database or other sources to select three or four topic areas.
Position paper (15%).
Thoroughly evaluate your position in light
of
the research you have done.
Consider
the opinions of those who oppose your position. How would they counter
your argument? How do you need to address their objections so as to
show
yourself a reasonable person? Examine the claims and evidence you want
to use to
support
your argument. Is all of it really effective? Discard things that are
too
subjective or questionable. Gather statistics (logic) and case studies
(emotion) that you will consider using in the paper. Evaluate the logic
of your argument, using the principles in LBH. Then write a
complete draft of the paper and
bring
it to class on the appropriate due date. I
will not grade your paper if you do not submit a draft when it is due
and if the paper does not show evidence of revision.
Revise and continue research if needed. The paper should be
1500-2000
words, five to seven typed double-spaced pages, 11 or 12 point font
using
a minimum of five sources.
You may use APA or MLA format and documentation with Works Cited at the
end of
the paper in the same file. See The
Little, Brown Compact Handbook (LBH)
for documentation.
Papers must be in Word
and e-mailed
to
me as attachments.
The attached Word file must be named with your SU e-mail
address and POS like this: Albert Einstein would name his
file
"aeinsteiPOS." In the Subject line of the e-mail put
"Position
assignment."
The draft, copies of sources, and peer review
sheets in a
pocket
folder are due in class on the appropriate due date. Papers will
be
lowered
one letter grade for each class period they are late.
Evaluation criteria:
1. The paper takes a clear position on the subject.
2. The paper provides adequate evidence, via logic and
emotion, in support of the position, avoids logical
fallacies, and
responds
to objections.
3. The paper has an effective pattern of organization,
including a strong introduction and conclusion and appropriate
paragraph
order and transitions.
4. The paper is adequately researched and follows
standard
guidelines for documentation.
5. The paper uses clear and appropriate sentence
structure
and diction.
6. The paper conforms to the conventions of Standard
Written English.
Position speech
(10%).
Prepare a speech of about four to five minutes from the material in
your
paper. Do not use visual aids. Address yourself to the same
audience as in the paper, but reduce the content so as to be able to
deliver the speech in the allotted time. The criteria are #1-3
above and the principles on the critique sheet handed out in class.
Daily schedule of assignments (REMINDER: always bring Guide to Writing and LBH to class):
Feb 18 Unit 1 assignments due; discuss and report on Position
topics; argumentation strategies from Guide
to Writing and LBH (no
reading assignment),
further work on principles of rhetoric and argument
Feb 20 Scan/Review Ch. 13 in Guide
to Writing;
in-class review and discussion of argumentation; quote/paraphrase
exercises (bring all sources to class)
Feb 25 Conferences, my office - bring draft in progress
(remember, your paper must show evidence of text-level revision) and
all
sources
Feb 27 Drafts due for peer editing; speech practice
and
evaluation
Mar 4 Position
papers due;
Speeches
Mar
6 Speeches;
begin
Unit 3, Proposal speech and background paper