argumentative essay about teenagers pregnancy

Speculating Causes (Writing Project 2)

This is a causal argument. In Project 3, we will work in small groups to solve some of the problems we establish with this paper.

An important part of arguing about a problem is figuring out why, where, when, and how it became a problem, and, of course, who is responsible for it. It is often easy to agree that a problem exists (undocumented immigration across the US/Mexico border, the global financial crisis, teen pregnancy). However, figuring out the causes of the problem not only help us better understand it, but they lead us towards solutions.

In your causal essay, provide sufficient background of your topic for a general audience, argue for the cause(s) you feel are responsible, and preemptively rebut any obvious objections to your argument. You may also need to defend why your cause is more significant than other causes. You may also need to discuss the timeline of a problem, as, upon digging deeper, we sometimes discover things began before we realized. Establish credibility for your position with scholarly outside support such as facts, expert testimony, statistics, case studies, etc. Avoid the traps of logical fallacies. Consider ethos, pathos, logos, and kairos, as well as your audience. 

This assignment should be 4-5 pages long and include an MLA Style Works Cited or APA style References list of at least three scholarly outside sources, which you will also cite accordingly in the paper.

Schedule:

Mon. Feb. 27: Read pp. 352-354 and 280-282. Be prepared to identify Logical Fallacies from political speeches and/or advertisements in class.

Wed. March 1: Read pp. 363-367 and pp. 374-379.

March 6-10: Have a happy and safe Spring Break!

Mon. March13: Read pp. 368-373 and pp. 379-383.

Wed. March 15: Read pp. 383-386. Invention due.

Mon. March 20: Complete rough drafts due. Bring two hard copies for peer review.

Wed. March 22: Revise. Continue peer review.

Mon. March 27: Final drafts due.