Cause - Effect Assignment

You have been reading a lot about social issues of all kinds. Our readings focused on smoking, on family influence on teen sex, on perceptions of guilt influenced by cultural ideas of beauty, on alcohol use, and on use of genetics to get the "right" kind of baby.  These articles must have raised some questions about why these things happen (cause), or what happens when these things happen (effect). For this essay, I'd like you to use the knowledge gained from these readings, (or from one of these readings) combined with your previous knowledge on this issue to build your essay. You may choose to write an essay focusing on just the causes, or on just the effects, or on both the causes and the effects of the particular issue you have decided to discuss.

If you choose cause: look at why the issue you are discussing came to exist.

If you choose effect: look at the consequences of this issue, at what happens when your issue is present.

If you choose cause-effect: look at both issues above.

Develop an outline:

1.    Topic:

2.    Hook:

3.    Main Idea, or Thesis statement:

4.    1st reason to support your thesis

5.    Example

6.    Another example, or another support for your reason

7.    2nd reason to support your thesis

8.    Example, other support for this point

9.    Another example or support for this point

10.    3rd reason to support your thesis

11.    Support for this section, examples

12.    Conclusion

 Or a Persuasive Assignment

When you read the directions for the cause- effect paper, you did not find any request for your opinion about whether or not any of this information is good or bad, or whether it is reliable or not, or about what you think should be done about any of these issues. That is because a cause/effect paper doesn't reflect your opinion. It only reflects facts - what is happening, what the consequences are, or what the origin of the particular problem is. A persuasive paper, on the other hand, will express your opinion on a subject. It not only tells me what the issues are - the facts, the reasons for, the consequences, but it also explains to me how you feel about these issues. A persuasive paper tells me what should be done, or what should not be done about an issue, and then it gives me the facts to back up my thoughts. It is a step up from the cause-effect paper, since it requires just as much research as the cause-effect paper requires, and also requires that you take a stand on the issue. You will need to decide whether or not you agree with these issues, and then defend your position. The goal is to convince others that your thinking is correct.

If you choose to do a persuasive essay, think of the issue, the causes, the effects, and then decide which part you can agree with. Follow one of the patterns explained in your textbook to explain your ideas and to defend your position. Don't forget to think of the other side - of the people who would not agree with you - and try to convince them that your side is the best side to follow. Be careful not to be neutral about any issue here. You will need to take one side of the issue and defend it. Read the description of the cause-effect paper and think to yourself: Should we do anything about one of the issues above? Why, or why not? Back your answer up with examples from the readings we have done for this class.

Have fun writing!