Q The entire class is focused on a research-based, ten-page Arguing a Position paper. You will be taking a position on a topic that matters to you and trying to convince your readers of it––through logical argumentation (logos), presenting yourself as trustworthy (ethos), appealing to readers’ emotions and values (pathos), and carefully employed research. Your essay should include the following Key Features: 1. A clear and arguable position 2. Necessary background information 3. Good reasons 4. Convincing evidence 5. Appeals to readers’ values 6. A trustworthy tone 7. Careful consideration of other positions You are strongly encouraged to choose a topic from They Say/I Say, where you will find collections of essays that take different positions on important current issues. If you do this, you will already have a head-start on your research, but you may consult with your professor if you have a different idea. These topic areas are “why care about the planet?”, “how can we bridge the differences that divide us?”, "what's college for?", technology, and gender. It is possible that this project will also be structured as a proposed solution to a problem in the world; if this is the case, you might find the “Proposal” section in the Norton Field Guide to Writing useful, but your essay will still need to include the Arguing a Position Key Features (information about the problem would fall within “necessary background information,” etc.). This should ideally be a full-length draft: ten pages long in MLA or APA format with eight reliable, academic sources. The rubric is below; it is the same rubric as will be used for the final version (the Critical Assignment) to prepare you for those standards, except for the percentage values. Since the essay is not expected to be polished and complete yet, you can still earn an A on this draft by scoring in the Accomplished range, which would be a B if it were the final version. The Developing range is very wide, 70-89% to allow for the fact that "Developing" is a solid and successful place to be at this stage of the project. Levels of Achievement Criteria Exemplary Accomplished Developing Beginning A clear and arguable position Weight 15.00% 95.00 to 100.00 % The essay includes a clear and focused thesis statement that a person could reasonably agree or disagree with, that is not a matter of taste or opinion, that is not a simple fact, and that is not based only on faith. It is plausible but not obvious. 90.00 to 94.00 % The essay includes a clear thesis statement that a person could reasonably agree or disagree with. It is either slightly too obvious, slightly implausible, or bordering on a matter of fact, preference, or faith. 70.00 to 89.00 % The essay includes a thesis statement that could be defended, but it needs work in clarity, plausibility, or because it is a matter of fact, preference, or faith. 0.00 to 69.00 % A thesis is present, but it is unfocused, inconsistent, or difficult to understand. Necessary background information Weight 10.00% 95.00 to 100.00 % The essay includes sufficient information for the argument to be understood. The writer also demonstrates subtlety by only including background information that is relevant to the argument. 90.00 to 94.00 % The essay includes sufficient information for the argument to be understood. The writer could have demonstrated more discernment in selection of background information because there is information that could have been left out without affecting the argument. 70.00 to 89.00 % Background information is included in the essay, but there are gaps that make the argument more difficult to understand than it should be. The reader may be left wondering about a key piece of information that is omitted. 0.00 to 69.00 % Insufficient background information is included in the essay. The argument is written “in a vacuum” and lacks context. Good reasons (logos) Weight 15.00% 95.00 to 100.00 % Good, convincing reasons are provided and developed to support the argument. These could be comparisons (like Kristof’s comparison between cars and guns in the textbook), assertions that the proposed position would save lives (like McKay’s), or a variety of other strategies. The Exemplary score is earned because the reasons are particularly compelling. 90.00 to 94.00 % Good, convincing reasons are provided and developed to support the argument. These could be comparisons (like Kristof’s comparison between cars and guns in the textbook), assertions that the proposed position would save lives (like McKay’s), or a variety of other strategies. 70.00 to 89.00 % Reasons are provided, but they are only marginally effective. The links between reasons and argument may be tentative, the reasons may be insignificant, or they may be presented in such a way that they don’t quite hold together logically. A logical fallacy may be present. 0.00 to 69.00 % Reasons for the argued position are either missing or completely unconvincing because of inaccuracy, inconsistency, irrelevance, or logical fallacy. Convincing evidence Weight 15.00% 95.00 to 100.00 % Convincing evidence from the required number of scholarly sources is integrated smoothly into the essay to support the argument. The evidence may include facts, statistics, expert testimony, anecdotal evidence, case studies, and textual evidence. None of the evidence is irrelevant; all of it is intentionally employed to build a convincing case for the writer’s position. 90.00 to 94.00 % Convincing evidence from scholarly sources is integrated smoothly into the essay to support the argument. These may include facts, statistics, expert testimony, anecdotal evidence, case studies, and textual evidence. The Accomplished score may be earned by including one source fewer than required, by included a source that isn’t clearly relevant, or if some sources are integrated choppily into the author’s writing. 70.00 to 89.00 % Some convincing evidence is provided, but there may be fewer sources than required or the general case built by the evidence is only marginally convincing. Some sources may be presented illogically or randomly. There may be 2-3 fewer sources than required, or 2-3 sources may not be academic/scholarly. 0.00 to 69.00 % Very little convincing evidence is provided. The research component is either missing or seriously under-developed. The writer does not demonstrate that he or she can competently support an argument with research. Appeals to readers' values and emotions (pathos) Weight 10.00% 95.00 to 100.00 % The writer’s argument powerfully appeals to the readers’ values and emotions, like compassion or fairness. This is accomplished subtly, skillfully, and not in a way that is likely to alienate some readers. 90.00 to 94.00 % The writer’s argument successfully appeals to the readers’ values and emotions, like compassion or fairness. 70.00 to 89.00 % The essay includes hints at appeals to values and emotions, but they are not developed. 0.00 to 69.00 % There are no discernible appeals to readers’ values and emotions. A trustworthy tone (ethos) Weight 10.00% 90.00 to 100.00 % The writer appears to be trustworthy. It is clear that the writer knows what he or she is talking about. Strategies could include demonstrating experience with the subject and showing fairness and honesty. To earn the Exemplary score, this must be made apparent in the paper––a lack of inaccuracies is not enough to earn this score. 90.00 to 94.00 % The writer appears to be trustworthy. There are no inaccuracies or moments of unfairness that undermine the writer’s ethos. 70.00 to 89.00 % The writer generally appears to be trustworthy, but his or her ethos is slightly undermined by an apparent lack of experience or a moment of unfairness or inaccurate representation of an opposing side. 0.00 to 69.00 % The writer appears to be inexperienced and untrustworthy (in regards to this specific topic). No reason to trust the writer about this topic is apparent. Careful consideration of other opinions Weight 10.00% 95.00 to 100.00 % At least one counterargument to the writer’s position is carefully addressed. It may be refuted, partially conceded, or something else, but it is presented fairly and approached in good faith. The inclusion of the counterargument strengthens the writer’s position by showing breadth of knowledge and anticipating readers’ potential objections. 90.00 to 94.00 % At least one counterargument to the writer’s position is carefully addressed. It may be refuted, partially conceded, or something else. The Accomplished score is earned because there is room to improve in how fairly the counterargument is presented or in how successfully it serves the writer’s argument. 70.00 to 89.00 % At least one counterargument is presented, but it may be a “straw man” (an unfairly weak version of the argument). It may also be presented fairly and then left mostly unaddressed, leaving a hole in the argument. 0.00 to 69.00 % No counterargument is included. Grammar and mechanics Weight 15.00% 95.00 to 100.00 % There are no (or very few, about 0-3 per page) grammatical errors in the essay and it meets the standards of academic writing in English: professional tone and varied, correct word choice and sentence structure. Proper MLA or APA format is used. 90.00 to 94.00 % There are few (but some, about 4-5 per page) grammatical errors in the essay and it meets the standards of academic writing in English, but with an occasional misused word, colloquial tone, repetitive use of language, or error in MLA or APA format.