English Composition II - ENGL 1213

The purpose of Essay 2 is to construct a Rogerian Argument.  Students will use research skills and rhetorical analysis to investigate conflicting viewpoints on an issue with state or national impact.  By addressing conflicting viewpoints fairly, accurately, and empathetically, the result of a Rogerian Argument is a compromise-based solution that reduces the conflict and resolves at least pare of the issue.  Rogerian argument skills can be used in academic writing, interpersonal communications, and professional environments.

The essay should include the folllowing:

• MLA Format
• 3 to 4 pages (double-spaced), not including the Works Cited page
• In-text citations in the body of the essay
• Works Cited page with your credible sources
• A minimum of 4 sources

To complete this assignment, you should:

• Utilize invention techniques: Before writing the essay, begin identifying your issue through a series of invention techniques, including but not limited to the following: brainstorming, listing, clustering, questioning, and conducting preliminary research.  
• Plan and organize your essay: After the invention process, it is important to begin planning the organizational pattern for the essay.  Planning includes identifying your thesis, establishing main ideas (or topic sentences) for each paragraph, supporting each paragraph with appropriate evidence, and creating ideas for the introductory and concluding paragraphs. 
• Draft and revise your essay: Once you have completed the planning process, write a rough draft of your essay.  Next, take steps to improve, polish, and revise your draft before turning it in for a final grade.  The revision process includes developing ideas, ensuring the thesis statement connects to the main ideas of each paragraph, taking account of your evidence and supporting details, checking for proper use of MLA citation style, reviewing source integration, avoiding plagiarism, and proofreading for formatting and grammatical errors.
• Submit a polished, academic level essay.

• An introduction paragraph that provides history and context for the issue and provides an overview of the controversy surrounding it.
• A body paragraph that accurately and objectively explains the viewpoint of Side A.
• A body paragraph that empathetically validates strong aspects of the viewpoint of Side A.
• A body paragraph that accurately and objectively explains the viewpoint of Side B.
• A body paragraph that empathetically validates strong aspects of the viewpoint of Side B.
• One or more body paragraphs to achieve the following: concede the imperfection of Side B; identify aspect(s) of Side B that benefit both sides; propose a productive and feasible compromise based on common goals or values.
• A conclusion paragraph that concisely reviews the strongest points of both sides, identifies common goals and/or values, and reminds both sides that the proposed compromise satisfies at least part of the common goal.

Use the same topic you wrote about for your Classical Argument Essay.  With an objective mindset, your assignment is to consider the goals and values of at least two viewpoints on the topic by conducting further research.  Your research should focus on the state- or national-level impact of the issue.  This activity will help you develop a holistic understanding of the issue and the source of the conflict between viewpoints.  Your goal in the essay is to objectively describe multiple viewpoints on the topic, then to present a feasible solution of compromise that helps to reduce the conflict and moves towards a resolution of the issue.