· Choose an issue in our community, school, or society about which you are passionate and state a claim related to the topic.

Defend and justify your opinion by explaining your reasoning, providing supporting evidence, and addressing opposing points of view.

Introduction: Overall plan for the paper—the why

. A. Description of context, situation, place i.

What is the history of the context, situation, place?

1. What did the environment, place, or situation used to be before the problem started?

2. What are the laws, values and or morals of the people or culture prior to problem?

ii. Where does the problem happen?

1. What is the current environment, place, or situation look like, etc?

2. What are the laws, values, morals of the people, culture, etc. currently?

3. What are words that your reader needs to understand the topic and problem.

This is specialized vocabulary about your topic. a. What is the definition of your topic? b. What is the definition of the population about which you are writing? c. What words do readers need to know to understand your topic? iii. Thesis Statement: (problem statement + Strong Belief + Solution statement) (Example: Because schools are graduating students without basic reading skills, America students cannot succeed in the real world, therefore, American schools need to ensure that students who have completed all of their course requirements can read.) Put Thesis Here: Right Here: II. Body Paragraph #1: Description of the problem. A. Background of the problem i. What started the problem? 1. Who participates in the problem? ii. How big is the problem? 2. Who does it affect?

a. Why does it affect them? b. What do people who have or deal with the problem experience daily, monthly, etc? III. Body Paragraph #2: Description of the problem. A. What have others done to try and solve the problem? i. Was the attempt to solve the problem successful or a failure? 1. Describe what other activists or advocates did or tried to do according to other authors (what did you read about current solutions?). ii. How much have other people investigated this problem? 1. What have they found out?

2. What parts of the problem do you think do you still needs addressing or solved?

IV. Body Paragraph #3: Description of the Problem. A. Why is it still a problem? i. What keeps the problem a problem?

1. What are the causes of the problem? Write them out as statements.

2. What are the effects of those causes?

Write them out as statements.

3. What is your concern with the problem?

V. Body Paragraph #4: 1st Cause of the Problem. A. What is one cause of the problem

? i. What is the reason the problem started?

ii. Who is involved and in what way?

iii. Why is this happening?

iv. Do others agree with you?

If so, why, if not, what are their counterarguments?

1. What evidence do you have to refute(disprove) their argument?

VI. Body Paragraph #5 1st Effect of the Problem.

A. What is the effect of this cause?

(What happens because it happened?)

i. How does the problem affect the environment, people, or culture? Describe it. ii. How does the environment, the people, or culture deal with the fallout (result, outcome, consequence) of the cause?

iii. What are some similarities or differences in the environment, people, or culture since the consequence took effect?

iv. What would your solution do for the environment, people, or culture?

v. Do others agree with you? What are their counterarguments?

1. What evidence do you have to refute(disprove) their argument?

VII. Body Paragraph #6 2nd Cause of the Problem.

A. What is one cause of the problem?

i. What is another reason the problem started?

ii. Who is involved and in what way?

iii. Why is this happening

? iv. Do others agree with you? What are their counterarguments?

1. What evidence do you have to refute(disprove) their argument?

VIII. Body Paragraph #7 2nd Effect of the Problem. A. What is the effect of this cause?

(What happens because it happened?

) i. How did the problem affect the environment, people, or culture?

Describe it. ii. How does the environment, the people, or culture deal with the fallout (result, outcome, consequence) of the cause?

iii. What are some similarities or differences for the environment, people, or culture since the consequence took effect

? iv. What would your solution do for the environment, people, or culture?

v. Do others agree with you?

What are their counterarguments? 1. What evidence do you have to refute(disprove) their argument? IX. Body Paragraph #8: 3rd Cause of the Problem A. What is one cause of the problem? i. What is another reason the problem started?

ii. Who is involved and in what way?

iii. Why is this happening?

iv. Do others agree with you

? What are their counterarguments?

1. What evidence do you have to refute(disprove) their argument?

X. Body Paragraph #9 3rd Effect of the Problem. A. What is the effect of this cause?

(What happens because it happened?)

i. How did it affect the environment, people, or culture?

Describe it

. ii. How does the environment, the people, or culture deal with the fallout (result, outcome, consequence) of the cause?

iii. What are some similarities or differences in the environment, people, or culture since the consequence took effect?

iv. What would your solution do for the environment, people, or culture?

v. Do others agree with you? What are their counterarguments? 1. What evidence do you have to refute(disprove) their argument? XI. Body Paragraph #10 Solution—What solutions have others tried already?

A. What are some descriptions of the solutions attempted by others?

i. Who or what tried the solutions

? ii. What did it do to help the causes and or effects of the problem?

iii. What effects did the solution have on the problem?

XII. Body Paragraph # 11 Solution-What type(s) of solution needs to be implemented? A. What type of solution should activists consider for this situation?

Describe it. i. What kind of solution is needed?

ii. Why is it better than what others have tried?

XIII. Body Paragraph #12 Solution—What is your solution to the overall problem? A. What is your solution to the overall problem?

i. What will your solution do to stop the causes of the problem?

ii. What will your solution do to lessen the effects of it on the environment, people, or culture? XIV. Body Paragraph #13 Solution—Why is your solution the best one? A. Who or what will it help the most?

i. How will it help the most? ii. Why is it the best? XV. Conclusion – Restatement of the Thesis—What problem were you trying to solve? A. Why is this problem worthy of solving again?

i. Tell the reader what should happen.

ii. Describe how the situation will change if your plan is adopted

. 1. Mention how your solution will lessen the problem.

iii. Give a real-life example or scenario showing the adoption of your plan and how it works.

1. What is small anecdote to assist your audience to visualize the world with your problem solved?

iv. For the last sentence, write a call- to- action or final instruction to the reader

(a sentence that makes your audience want to take action and implement your plan