Instructions

Using the material generated in Activity 4 of this unit and the following list of possible topics, draft a response to the arguments presented in the assigned readings in an essay of about 1200 words. Using the research methods you studied in Unit 3, find, incorporate, and document at least two additional, academic-quality sources in your final essay, for a minimum of four sources.  Your essay should be well organized, with good paragraph structure and transition; a strong, ethical, persuasive approach; an appropriate introduction and conclusion; and lively, precise, and grammatically correct sentences. Use a variety of rhetorical techniques, as appropriate, and use MLA-style documentation to cite any material that you quote, paraphrase, or summarize. Revise, edit, and proofread as necessary.

Note

The critiques written in Activity 4, as well as the first draft of the assignment must be submitted with the assignment. Although the critiques will not be given a separate mark, they are worth 10% of the grade for the assignment.

Topics:

Argue one side or the other of one of the following statements, drawing on the material from the readings listed below and from the critiques you completed in Activity 4 as well as from your own research. Remember that your thesis must be your own. You will need to narrow your topic, zeroing in on what you believe are the most important points.

1. “Canada needs to develop a self-sufficient food supply.”

Readings: “Canada Needs a National Food Strategy” by Margaret Webb (page 296); “Is Local Food Bad for the Economy?”by Tamsin McMahon (page 298). 

2. “The propagation of misinformation and fake news via the Internet is jeopardizing democracy throughout the world.”

Readings: “Google, Democracy, and the Truth about Internet Search” by Carole Cadwalladr; Google is Disrupting Our Democracy, but not in the Way Trump Thinks” by Ramesh Srinivasan.  

3. “Higher education has become prohibitively expensive without offering better employment returns.” 

Readings: “College Graduates Fare Well, Even Through Recession” by Catherine Rampell; “Rising Costs and Bad Jobs Have Made Degrees a Bad Deal for Many” by Armine Yalnizyan.  (Note: the “Rising Costs” link takes you to two articles on either side of the debate; you are  being asked to critique Armine Yalnizyan’s article in addition to Catherine Rampbell’s article for this topic. You’re welcome to use the article by Alex Usher as an additional source in your paper, but you would still need to find at least two additional sources on your own.)