Instructions:
Using APA formatting, in a 1- to 2-page paper, write an essay comparing two contrasting attitudes on a controversial subject. You may want to contrast your views with those of someone else, or contrast the way you felt about the subject in the past with the way you feel right now.
Make sure you proofread and revise your essay before submitting.
Assignment Submission:
Must be created and submitted in Microsoft Word.
The use of outside resources is strongly recommended, and all papers must be cited and written in APA format.
Once you have completed the assignment, click the Submit Assignment option in the menu to the right and select a format for submitting your assignment.
Click the Submit Assignment button when you are ready.
Detailed Directions:
Choose any controversial topic that you want. The important part is that it has at least two points of view. I highly suggest that you check out procon.org Links to an external site.
Find about three or four reasons to support each side of the argument. Again procon.org Links to an external site. is awesome for this.
Organize your paper into four paragraphs
Paragraph 1: Introduction
Paragraph 2: Pro or con
Paragraph 3: Pro or con
Paragraph 4: Conclusion
If you want to write an unbiased comparison, it doesn’t matter whether you start with pro or con. However, if you have an opinion on the topic, you want to put the side you agree with in the third paragraph.
Don’t forget to include a reference!
Process Example:
During office hours, teachers helped students start this assignment. Here is what was done:
We went to procon.org Links to an external site. and the student chose the topic of death penalty.
We read through the pros and cons and selected the ideas we liked best.
We plugged our ideas into the outline. The student was against (con) the death penalty, so we put the pro in paragraph 2 and the con in the third paragraph.
Paragraph 1: Introduction
Paragraph 2: Pros of death penalty:
upholds the judicial system
bargaining chip for detectives
justice for the family
Paragraph 3: Cons of death penalty
Biased against minorities, the mentally ill, and the poor
Innocent people could be killed
Killing is morally wrong
People can change
Paragraph 4: Conclusion
The teacher explained that the best introductions start with a story or anecdote, so we researched a person who was executed for a crime he didn’t commit.
We created a reference page for procon.org and the article about an innocent man who received the death penalty (see below).
We wrote the introduction, ending it with a very general thesis statement that doesn’t include a blueprint. The thesis for your final paper will need to include more details.
We wrote the second paragraph, starting off with a topic sentence that included all the information (see below).
At this point, we ran out of time; however, the process remains the same.
Write the third paragraph, starting off with a topic sentence that includes all the information.
Wrap it up with a conclusion.
Written Example:
Capital punishment is a topic that has been debated since the 1970’s. Many people support the notion of “an eye for an eye” while others are fearful it could result in the death of an innocent person. And, unfortunately, these fears are justified. In 1989, Carlos DeLuna received the death penalty for killing Wanda Lopez at a gas station in 1983. Almost 23 years after Lopez’s murder revealed that DeLuna was innocent, just as he had said all along (Cohen, 2012). This situation reveals the importance of carefully analyzing the pros and cons of the death penalty.
Some people believe that the death penalty is appropriate because it upholds the judicial system, is a bargaining chip for detectives, and ensures justice for the victim’s family. If the death penalty were revoked, all murderers would be treated the same. So, if someone murdered 1 person while another killed 20, they would both receive the same punishment (Procon.org, 2019). Another reason people support capital punishment is it provides the detectives with a bargaining chip to get extra information from a suspect (Procon.org, 2019).
Paragraph 3 – Cons/Disadvantages of death penalty
Biased against minorities, the mentally ill, and the poor
Innocent people could be killed
Killing is morally wrong
People can change
Paragraph 4 – Conclusion
References
Cohen, A. (2012, May 14). Yes, America, we have executed an innocent man. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/05/yes-america-we-have-executed-an-innocent-man/257106/
Procon.org. (2019, March 26). Should the death penalty be allowed? Retrieved from https://deathpenalty.procon.org/questions/should-the-death-penalty-be-allowed