The paper will incorporate research to back up your ideas.
• There should be an INTRODUCTION PARAGRAPH that defines what the debate topic is and why it is complex. As you consider what is complex: Who are the different groups it impacts? What are some of the pros and cons? Are there logical arguments that conflict with emotional arguments?
• At the end of your introduction to the topic, you should come to a THESIS statement that clearly states what YOUR OPINION is on the topic.
• For your BODY PARAGRAPHS, you need to report on at least FOUR different arguments on the topic.
• If your topic is a pro/con issue, you need to bring in at least TWO arguments FOR and TWO arguments AGAINST the topic.
• If your topic is more of a problem/solution topic (ie: how do we keep young women safe from rape on college campuses?), you need to bring in at least FOUR different solutions.
• Each body paragraph should start with a clear topic sentence. Ex:
• One reason people support a raise in minimum wage is that it will lift a significant number of people out of poverty.
• You then need to EVALUATE EACH IDEA.
• Is the argument a good point, in your opinion? Why or why not?
• Bring in real life examples or data you have come across to argue your point.
• OR poke holes in the validity of the author’s arguments to argue your point (Is this a credible author? Does he/she fail to give good data to back up their ideas? Are they manipulating your emotion instead of using sound logic?).
• The logic and power of your reasoning in this section will significantly impact your grade!
• For each paragraph, you should bring in at least one piece of evidence in the form of facts and/or arguments from the research you did. You need to cite the source for each piece of research you bring in within the text of your paper. Example:
• In his article “Give Me the Money,” Abraham Lincoln reports that raising the minimum wage would lift 1.6 million families out of poverty.
• In “You Gotta Work Hard for the Money,” Martin Luther King, Jr. argues that “if people want to make more money, they should work hard to be promoted or to get the education for a higher paying job.”

• For your CONCLUSION PARAGRAPH, argue which side of the debate YOU think is strongest and WHY. The logic and power of your reasoning in this section will significantly impact your grade!