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ASSIGNMENT: Following the Topic Selection Guidelines below, choose an argumentative topic to research. This will be your topic throughout the entire course, so the activities required for this assignment will provide the foundation for your future Touchstones. The topic for an argumentative research paper must be a debatable topic, meaning that it involves conflicting viewpoints. Additionally, it cannot be a topic that is already decided or agreed upon by most of society. You will need to take a firm position on the topic and use evidence and logic to support the position. Touchstone 1.2 includes a research question, a working thesis, a detailed outline, and a reflection on this pre-writing process. Sample Touchstone 1.2 A. Topic Selection Guidelines DIRECTIONS: You may choose any topic you wish as long as the topic has two clear sides and is not agreed upon by most of society. Your topic should be current, appropriate for an academic context and should have a focus suitable for a 6-8 page essay. In order to foster learning and growth, all essays you submit must be newly written specifically for this course. Any recycled work will be sent back with a 0, and you will be given one attempt to redo the Touchstone. B. Research Guidelines DIRECTIONS: Refer to the list below throughout the writing process. Do not submit your Touchstone until it meets these guidelines. 1. Research Question and Working Thesis Keep in mind: The research question and working thesis are the driving force behind your research and eventual argument. ❒ Your research question should be a single sentence, framed as a question. ❒ Your working thesis should be a single focused sentence, framed as a statement that takes a clear position on the research question. ❒ Include your research question followed by your working thesis. 2. Detailed Outline Keep in mind: Your detailed outline provides a map of the argumentative research essay that you will write, including your key claims and the sources that support them. You may not have all your sources yet, and that is fine. The outline is a way to organize your essay and determine which areas (e.g. your sub-points) will require researched evidence as support. ❒ Headings: one for each paragraph with a brief label of the paragraph’s controlling idea(s). ❒ An introduction, at least five body paragraphs, and a conclusion. ❒ Introduction includes your working thesis. ❒ Body paragraphs should each have their own unique title and key points. ❒ Conclusion includes notes on your final thoughts. ❒ Subheadings: two to five for each paragraph, below each heading, indicating key points that support the controlling idea ❒ Sources: one to three for each paragraph, as relevant, indicating the support for the key points ❒ For each source, include the author’s name and the idea or information relevant to your argument (e.g. “Lappé on mono-cropping corn/soy and production”). 3. Reflection ❒ Have you displayed a clear understanding of the research activities? ❒ Have you answered all reflection questions thoughtfully and included insights, observations, and/or examples in all responses? ❒ Are your answers included on a separate page below the main assignment? C. Reflection Questions DIRECTIONS: Below your assignment, include answers to all of the following reflection questions. Learning to conduct research is important because it is a skill you will use both in academia and in your professional life. It improves critical thinking and empowers you to find information for yourself. Consider the process of researching as a whole. What was the most challenging aspect of the process for you? (2-3 sentences) The working thesis statement is a proposed answer to your research question. It should clearly identify a debatable topic and take a position on one side of that topic. Analyze the effectiveness of your working thesis statement. (3-4 sentences) A detailed outline is an effective tool for laying out the progression of an argument. It allows you to consider the arrangement and organization of your ideas, as well as choose places to incorporate outside source materials. Review your detailed outline and summarize the argument you’ve presented. (3-4 sentences) You will use the same topic on three of the remaining Touchstones in this course. What kind of feedback would be helpful for you? What are specific questions you might have as you go deeper into the research process? (2-3 sentences) D. Rubric Advanced (90-100%) Proficient (80-89%) Acceptable (70-79%) Needs Improvement (50-69%) Non-Performance (0-49%) Research Question Pose a meaningful research question on a debatable topic. Constructs a precise and focused research question relative to a current and debatable topic. Constructs a focused research question relative to a debatable topic. Constructs a research question relative to a debatable topic; however it is somewhat too broad or too narrow for the assignment. Constructs a research question; however, the question is too broad or too narrow for the assignment and/or it is not debatable. Does not construct a research question, or constructs a research question that does not meet any of the rubric criteria. Working Thesis Propose a focused working thesis. Includes a working thesis that takes a well-articulated, clear, specific position on one side of an issue. Includes a working thesis that takes a clear, specific position on one side of an issue. Includes a working thesis that takes a clear position on one side of an issue; however it lacks specificity. Includes a working thesis; however, it lacks specificity and does not take a clear position. Does not include a working thesis, or includes a thesis that does not take a position. Detailed Outline Present a detailed outline that includes coherent headings, subheadings, and source placement notes. Outline is thoroughly developed and clearly labeled with effective notes, such that the reader can easily see how the essay will build its argument; all necessary elements of the outline are present. Outline is well-developed and labeled with sufficient notes, such that the reader can get a sense of how the essay will build its argument; all necessary elements of the outline are present. Outline is primarily well-developed and labeled with sufficient notes, such that the reader can get an overall sense of how the essay will build its argument; however, a few necessary elements may be unclear or missing. Outline is not fully developed and/or labeling and notes are often unclear, such that the reader cannot easily get a sense of how the essay will build its argument; several necessary elements of the outline are unclear or missing. Outline is not developed and/or labeling and notes are unclear or absent, such that the reader is unable to see how the essay will build its argument; most necessary elements of the outline are unclear or missing. Style Establish a consistent, informative tone and make thoughtful stylistic choices. Demonstrates thoughtful and effective word choices, avoids redundancy and imprecise language, and uses a wide variety of sentence structures. Demonstrates effective word choices, primarily avoids redundancy and imprecise language, and uses a variety of sentence structures. Demonstrates generally effective style choices, but may include occasional redundancies, imprecise language, poor word choice, and/or repetitive sentence structures. Frequently includes poor word choices, redundancies, imprecise language, and/or repetitive sentence structures. Consistently demonstrates poor word choices, redundancies, imprecise language, and/or repetitive sentence structures. Conventions Follow conventions for standard written English. There are only a few, if any, negligible errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, and usage. There are occasional minor errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, and usage. There are some significant errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, and usage. There are frequent significant errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, and usage. There are consistent significant errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, and usage. Reflection Answer reflection questions thoroughly and thoughtfully. Demonstrates thoughtful reflection; consistently includes insights, observations, and/or examples in all responses, following or exceeding response length guidelines. Demonstrates thoughtful reflection; includes multiple insights, observations, and/or examples, following response length guidelines. Primarily demonstrates thoughtful reflection, but some responses are lacking in detail or insight; primarily follows response length guidelines. Shows limited reflection; the majority of responses are lacking in detail or insight, with some questions left unanswered or falling short of response length guidelines. No reflection responses are present. E. Requirements The following requirements must be met for your submission to be graded: Double-space the outline and use one-inch margins. Use a readable 12-point font. All writing must be appropriate for an academic context. Composition must be original and written for this assignment. Plagiarism of any kind is strictly prohibited. Submission must include your name, the name of the course, the date, and the title of your composition. Submission must include your research question, working thesis, outline, and reflection questions. Include all of the assignment components in a single file. Acceptable file formats include .doc and .docx. F. Additional Resources The following resources will be helpful to you as you work on this assignment: Purdue Online Writing Lab’s APA Formatting and Style Guide This site includes a comprehensive overview of APA style, as well as individual pages with guidelines for specific citation types. Frequently Asked Questions About APA Style This page on the official APA website addresses common questions related to APA formatting. The “References,” “Punctuation,” and “Grammar and Writing Style” sections will be the most useful to your work in this course. APA Style: Quick Answers—References This page on the official APA Style website provides numerous examples of reference list formatting for various source types.
Sophia Pathways for College Credit – English Composition IISAMPLE TOUCHSTONE AND SCORINGLogan StevensEnglish Composition IIDecember 1, 2019Research question: How should ethical concerns direct the choices that people make abouteating meat?Working thesis statement: For ethical and environmental reasons, people should limit theirbeef consumption, and the beef that they do eat should be humanely raised, locally sourced, andgrass-fed.Detailed OutlineI. Working Thesis in Introduction: For ethical and environmental reasons, people shouldlimit their beef consumption, and the beef that they do eat should be humanely raised,locally sourced, and grass-fed.A. Hook with description statistics on beef consumption.B. Introduce two concerns: humane treatment, environmentSource: Davis and Lin on statistics on beef consumption in the U.S.II. Ethical IssuesComment [SL1]: Hi Logan! This is a very goodresearch question. It is relevant, debatable, andis adequately focused for a paper of this length.Comment [SL2]: This is a very well-constructedthesis statement. You take a very clear stance onthe issue, indicating how you plan to argue oneaspect of the research question.Sophia Pathways for College Credit – English Composition IISAMPLE TOUCHSTONE AND SCORINGA. Animals feel painB. CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations)C. Inhumane treatment of domesticated cattleSource 1: Grandin and Smith, paragraph 2Source 2: Pollan on ethical conflicts, paragraphs 32 and 40III. Environmental IssuesA. Mono-cropping: feed for cattle and transportB. Manure: contamination, transport, ground waterC. Antibiotics: rise in antibiotic resistant bacteriaSource 1: Lappe on mono-cropping com/soy and production, page 22Source 2: Sager on manure issues, paragraph 7Source 3: Palmer on antibiotics, paragraph 12IV. Health Benefits of Grass-FedA. Higher in vitamins A and E and contains half the saturated fat and more omega-3fatty acids, all of which fight cancer and heart diseaseB. Cows are healthier, so their meat is healthier to consume.C. Note that organic is a separate category.Source 1: Ruechel on health benefits, page 235Source 2: Sager on organic note, paragraphs 10-15V. Environmental Benefits of Grass-Fed BeefA. Local production is better for the climateB. Forage is better for the climate than corn/soyC. Some meat consumption is good for the planet.Comment [SL3]: Good. You are indicating whichsources you plan to use in support of yourdiscussion and highlighting the specific part ofthe source which will be used here. This helpsyou to find exactly what you need when you arewriting your final paper. Well done.Comment [SL4]: Your argument is progressingin a very logical manner so far.Sophia Pathways for College Credit – English Composition IISAMPLE TOUCHSTONE AND SCORINGSource 1: Lappe on climate change, page 11Source 2: Pollan on local and diverse, end of articleVI. CounterargumentA. Rainforest razing in South America – increases carbon dioxide in the atmosphereand depletes the ozone layerB. Travel distance from S. America & Australia is environmentally negative –depends on fossil fuelsSource 1: Brown and Funk, and Sage, on issues w/grass-fed cattle in thedeveloping world.Source 2: Pollan (and possibly Lappe) on “season” for beefVII. ConclusionA. Grass-fed is better on both ethical and environmental grounds, but the real answeris to eat less beef overall.B. Emphasizing respect for animals solves ethical dilemmasSource 1: Pollan on eating less and the ethics of being choosy, paragraph 82Reflection Questions1) Learning to conduct research is important because it is a skill you will use both inacademia and in your professional life. It improves critical thinking and empowersyou to find information for yourself. Consider the process of researching as a whole.What was the most challenging aspect of the process for you? (2-3 sentences)Comment [SL5]: Good. It is important topresent the counter-arguments in order toestablish a balanced perspective on the issue.Comment [SL6]: Excellent. This summarizes themain points you have made throughout youressay and ties the discussion back to your thesisstatement.Sophia Pathways for College Credit – English Composition IISAMPLE TOUCHSTONE AND SCORINGOne of the most challenging aspects of researching for me was how much time it took tofind all of the different types of sources for this paper. It was also very difficult to assesseach source and determine whether the information it provided was credible and usefulfor my essay. I really thought this would only take an hour or two, but it ended up being amuch more involved process. Now I know that if you want to really learn about an issue,it takes more than a quick web search for information!2) The working thesis statement is a proposed answer to your research question. Itshould clearly identify a debatable topic and take a position on one side of that topic.Analyze the effectiveness of your working thesis statement.My working thesis statement is one sentence that presents one side of a relevant anddebatable argument. In addition, I tried to be as specific as I could. Instead of simplysaying “People should not eat beef” I stated that it was for ethical and environmentalreasons. I offered an alternative for what should be done if people would not avoid beefcompletely. I really tried to explain why this issue was important and discuss what couldbe done to improve the situation.3) A detailed outline is an effective tool for laying out the progression of anargument. It allows you to consider the arrangement and organization of your ideas,as well as choose places to incorporate outside source materials. Review yourdetailed outline and summarize the argument you’ve presented.I start by laying out the ethical issues and inhumane treatment of mass-produced cattleand discuss the environmental concerns of feeding and transporting cattle. I then switchSophia Pathways for College Credit – English Composition IISAMPLE TOUCHSTONE AND SCORINGto discussing the health and environmental benefits of grass-fed, humanely raised beef.The counterargument outlines a few issues that still exist with grass-fed beef and theconclusion reiterates that eating grass-fed beef is better but eating less beef is the moreenvironmentally friendly option. I think that the argument progresses logically in thisway and I think that the information I provided in my introduction and conclusion will bevery helpful in introducing and summarizing the topic.4) You will use the same topic on three of the remaining Touchstones in this course.What kind of feedback would be helpful for you? What are specific questions youmight have as you go deeper into the research process?I’m pretty confident in the information I provided, but I would like additional insight intothe structure of my essay. I think that my outline is clear, but I am not sure if it will makeas much sense to someone who is not as familiar with the topic. I would also like someguidance on my use of formatting. I tried my best to use APA guidelines, but I’m not asfamiliar with these Comment [SL7]: You’ve done a really great jobwith these things. It can be difficult to strike theright balance in providing enough information inthe bibliography and outline, but you havesummarized the sources well and your outlineclearly shows how you plan to develop yourtopic. Your formatting is also very precise andadheres to all the conventional guidelines. Verywell done!Sophia Pathways for College Credit – English Composition IISAMPLE TOUCHSTONE AND SCORINGTouchstone 1 Rubric and FeedbackRubricCategoryFeedback Score(acceptable, needsimprovement etc.)ResearchQuestionYour research question is very precise andrepresents a relevant and debatable topic.8/10Working ThesisYour working thesis is also very clear and youclearly state which side of the issue you plan totake.9/10Detailed Outline Your outline is clearly labeled and demonstratesthe logical progression of your argument. Youhave provided sufficient notes so that the readercan easily see how you plan to use each sourceto support the discussion in each section. Youalso include all of the required components.14/15StyleYour tone is consistent and informative.5/5Conventions Your use of English conventions is consistent.5/5Reflection You thoroughly answer all questions and provideinsights, observations, and examples in yourresponses.5/5Overall Score and Feedback: 46/50
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