In Unit 2 we have considered our increasing reliance on technology, and its impact on our social habits, ways of communicating, relationships, and identity.
For your Unit 2 paper, you will choose from one of the three topics listed below. Your essay will be between five and seven pages, and must include the following:
o A brief introduction, that leads the reader with precision to your specific thesis. That is, not a “filler” introduction.
o A clear, decisive, stance-taking, claim-making thesis statement.
o Three subtopics, or major supporting ideas, that are argued in 3-4 paragraphs each. Remember the sequence of Claim, Evidence, Explanation as you plot each subtopic. Summarize all evidence briefly before analyzing it.
Each subtopic should have a topic sentence that both introduces the subtopic and also, as appropriate, makes connections to the previous subtopic and the thesis, so the argument builds as the paper progresses.
The evidence you present in each subtopic should be summarized factually first, including the name of the article or television show episode, as well as the author for all written pieces.
Analysis of your summarized evidence should, as we practiced in class, strongly connect the claim you are making in that particular subtopic and the evidence you are presenting to support it. Take risks with your voice and stance, so your values on the chosen topic are expressed eloquently and persuasively.
o A counterargument, placed between the second and third subtopic.
• A conclusion that acknowledges the journey the essay has taken the reader on, and that perhaps speculates as to the future in terms of the topic, or synthesizes the argument succinctly.
Sample Solution
