Writing Project 3: Community-Centered Argumentative Essay

For the final sequence, students will write a 5-7 page argumentative essay about a particular community/place in Madison and a significant issue affecting this community. Their task is to make a well-researched and compelling argument that addresses this issue, considering both the community needs and possible solutions. This project will help students think critically about their immediate environment, engage in local research, and practice making arguments that are specific, focused, and actionable. This project builds on students’ previous work, encouraging them to use the same community discussed in Writing Project 2, incorporating revisions and additional insights. Students will also connect their argument to the Wisconsin Idea (from Writing Project 1), discussing how university research and initiatives can improve the quality of life, health, environment, and agriculture for Wisconsin residents. Finally, students will present their work to their classmates through a poster presentation, sharing what they’ve learned and how this information will affect them moving forward. If instructors or students are interested, assignments that feature multimodal genres and composition are available.

Sequence 3 Learning Outcomes

• To build on research skills and strategies.
• To gain experience with different research genres and audiences/stakeholders.
• To craft claims and reasons for an extended argument
• To learn strategies for critiquing, evaluating, interpreting, and incorporating researched ideas.
• To gain practice in drafting and revising in response to peers and your instructor.
• To learn how to support an informed and credible opinion or point of view.
• To continue to practice planning, drafting, and revision.

Short Assignments

Short Assignment 6: Project Proposal

Writing Project/Portfolio

Writing Project 3: Community-Centered Argumentative Essay

Peer workshop option

Writing Project 3: Poster Presentation 

Sample Final Portfolio Instructions

Additional Sequence 3 Writing Projects

Additional options for short assignments and writing projects can be found on the E100 LessonShare site (on Canvas) and/or the E100 BOX site.

We often view the final sequence of English 100 as a kind of “capstone” to the entire course. Final projects are wide, varied, and creative, bringing together the many pieces of writing, rhetoric, and analysis that students have practiced throughout the course including narrative and descriptions, analysis, research summary, synthesizing conversations etc. With that in mind you want to think thoughtfully about what type of projects you want students to engage in. This can go beyond a simple and traditional research paper where students simply argue a “hot button” topic; a paper that general is particularly ripe for plagiarism or AI-writing assistance. Here are some additional suggestions to get you started:

• Encourage students to think about the community needs around them, asking them to make an argument about an important or significant issue on the UW campus or in their peer group. This can include very local forms of research such as interviews with students and teachers, while also including more in-depth analysis of secondary research as well. Asking students to focus on an issue present to them, gets them thinking more strategically about making arguments that are specific and focused as opposed to more abstract and unwieldy. In addition to laying out the specific issue and problem, students can begin moving toward possible solutions drawing from their specific research.
• This is a great opportunity to offer students the option of doing a multimodal project. One of the great strengths of multimodal work is that it brings together research and analysis in layered and complex ways. In the past teachers have asked students to create websites, blogs, brief videos or documentaries, podcasts, etc. Design Lab is a wonderful tool on campus to help support your work in this type of project and they are always happy to consult with you.