Arguing a Position

  Arguing a Position Write a paper that makes and supports a claim related to a topic from one of the readings for this unit. Topic options include: intellectual property in online gaming, the effect of technology on our lives, or anti-intellectualism. Each topic option holds a lot of possibility. Example Sources that can be used Alex Weiss “Should Gamers be Prosecuted for Virtual Stealing˃” Nicholas Carr “Is Google Making us Stupid?” Grant Pentrod “Why We Hate the Smart Kids” Write your essay as though it were an opinion piece for the New York Times. Focus on the persuasive nature of writing. Analyze what readers of the New York Times expect from the claims, arguments and evidence in the opinion section, and craft your paper accordingly. Use at least three sources to develop your argument. Figure out how to develop a claim that can be supported with the resources you find. Use research to investigate a question you have, and use the sources you find to develop an informed opinion on an issue you care about. Get a broad sense for what people have been saying on the topic, and try to find a range of sources that include writers you agree with and writers you disagree with, from a diversity of magazines/journals/newspapers etc. Only one of your sources should come from the New York Times. Your paper should use key features of an argument and the rhetorical strategies. Begin with an idea of the argument you wish to make, but be open to modifying that argument according to the kinds of sources you find to support it. Consider what readers of the New York Times opinion section already think, know and feel about your topic (audience’s needs/values/beliefs.)