Assignment:
Write an essay that convincingly responds to the lettered topic below.
Length:
At least 1,200 words
Organization:
Your essay should include the following:
A separate introductory paragraph
Multiple body paragraphs
There should be at least two confirmation paragraphs (paragraphs in which you argue in favor of your stance).
There should be at least two refutation (or rebuttal) paragraphs (paragraphs in which you argue against one of the other side’s points).
A separate conclusion paragraph
Secondary Sources:
At least six secondary sources. Please limit your search for secondary sources to the following:
articles from The Brief Bedford Reader
articles from one of the college’s electronic databases, such as Academic Search Premier or Opposing Viewpoints
books from the college library (print and/or eBooks)
articles posted by your professor on Canvas
Formatting:
MLA Style. Please use 12-point Times New Roman font.
Documentation:
MLA Style. Please include both in-text citations and a works cited list.
Audience:
Your professor, your classmates, as well as other professors and college students in the United States
Your task:
Write an essay arguing for or against a law to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour.
Requirements:
Provide at least two different points in favor of your stance.
After that, rebut at least two points made by the other side (except for any you decide to concede).
Use Shonda Rhimes’s “My Summer of Scooping Ice Cream” as a source—and cite (quote) it in your essay.
Use a minimum of six sources altogether–and cite them in your essay.
Tips:
In order to rebut the points made by the other side, you have to do enough research to find out what the other side’s points are. That is part of doing research for an argument-rebuttal essay.
If you include a concession paragraph, it should appear right before your first confirmation paragraph. Of course, a concession paragraph is optional, so don’t include one unless you really have something to concede.
Make sure each rebuttal paragraph stays on point. One of the most common flaws in an argument-rebuttal essay is introducing one of the other side’s points at the beginning of a rebuttal paragraph and then shifting to a different point. That is not a rebuttal; that is just changing the subject. An effective rebuttal paragraph should introduce one of the other side’s points at the beginning of the paragraph and then show why that point is wrong–not shift to another point.
The article by Rhimes does not explicitly argue for or against raising the minimum wage, but it does describe what it’s like to work at a minimum wage job and how rewarding (or not) that is, which you might address in your essay.