Government Unit 3 Performance Task Analysis and Argumentative Writing: Foreign Affairs Paragraph

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1 Government Unit 3 Performance Task Analysis and Argumentative Writing: Foreign Affairs Paragraph Step # 1: Choose a foreign affairs topic from the list below, or suggest an alternative with Mr. H. Step #2: Research and educate yourself on the topic, recording your findings and linking them with numerical footnotes to their sources. In class research days M 5/21 + Tu 5/22 -read at least 5 recent news stories and web postings concerning the topic -find the historical facts that will help you to summarize the backstory of the issue -consider a variety of opinions and explain opposing views in a fair and balanced voice -explain how people of different ideologies view the issue differently -prepare to argue your own opinion on the matter -find expert opinions, statistics, and facts that will help you to support your argument Step #3: Review the argumentative writing vocabulary below. Step #4: Write an argumentative paragraph with the following structure: Th May 24 Begin with a topic sentence summarizing your claim on the issue, and if your view represents a left, right, or moderate point of view. Next, summarize the context of the issue, using relevant facts to frame the issue, and highlight the challenge at hand. Explain opposing arguments on the issue, clearly and concisely. Make sure to express the logic of counter claims, and then explain why you disagree with the opposition. Present the most powerful pieces of evidence you can find to support your position, and explain how it supports your argument. Carefully follow instructions on the back page of this assignment packet to cite your sources. (see Mr. Hughes s health care debate example) Argumentative Writing Vocabulary context: the factual background information to help make sense of an issue relevance: the importance to society claim: the writer s position on an issue argument: reason that supports the writer s claim counter claim: a claim on the opposite side of the issue evidence: facts, information, details, quotes, statistics, that give legitimacy to the argument/counterargument source: the person or organization responsible for creating the information foreign affairs issues Paris Climate Accord refugee crisis Syrian Civil War Int l Criminal Court US role in the UN US role in NATO relations with Iran relations with North Korea C.I.A. and torture Drones and assassinations Guantanamo prison Israeli-Palestinian conflict Trump travel ban

2 TOPIC / ISSUE : Background Facts: -What has been the history of the issue? -Note specific laws, people, events that are relevant to the issue. Frame the politics of the issue. If the left/liberal v right/conservative categories don t fit, cross out and reset the lines of debate. (3 points each side min) -Who are the critical players? Left liberal view Right conservative view Current events notes: -Where does the issue now stand? -How has this issue been reported in the media recently?

3 Research Sources -Include all information needed for a simple citation. -Write notes to help you judge the validity of the source. (5 minimum/3 complete) simple online citation format: Name of Author or Editor, Organization Name, Article/Section Name, Title of Website, <URL: (omit unavailable information) Author(s) / organization / title of article / 1. Title of website, URL Information on the source: -Facts about the source -Viewpoint represented ***notes below should be linked to the above sources with a ( ).

4 Citing Sources: Students must support their explanations of the context, relevance, and arguments of the health care debate with evidence from cited sources. Students need to identify sources of cited information directly in the text, called an in-text citation, AND explain the relevance of the source. Include at least one cited piece of information per paragraph to help explain the issue's back story, characterize opposing views, or to support your political position. Include an in-text citation and an end citation for each cited source. End citation format: (MLA style ok too) Name of Author or Editor, Organization Name, Article/Section Name, Title of Website, <URL: (omit unavailable information) example segment with in text citation: (see Mr. H health care debate example) Our health care system has major problems: its too expensive, and causing economic hardship for many American families. According to the Peter G Peterson Foundation, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development reports that the United States spends more than two times, per person, than the average of other developed countries on health care. This means that we Americans pay too much for health care, and we should create a more efficient system! In 2011 the Democrat-led health care reform law Works cited: (this list with all works cited is at the end of the paper) Peter G. Peterson Foundation, "Per Capita Health Care Costs--International Comparison", <pgpf.org>. Paragraph Rubric: -Does your first sentence establish a clear topic & claim? Yes Partially No -Do you summarize the backstory and frame the debate? Yes Partially No -Do you provide a balanced portrayal of opposing logics? Yes Partially No -Do you accurately identify your view as left, right, or center? Yes Partially No -Do you robustly support your position? Yes Partially No -Does this paragraph flow and transition smoothly? Yes Partially No -Do you use proper grammar, punctuation, and capitalization? Yes Partially No -Is factual evidence given as support? Source explained? Yes Partially No In-text citation: effective attempted none End citation: complete partial none

5 When to Cite Sources You ll discover that different academic disciplines have different rules and protocols concerning when and how to cite sources, a practice known as citation. The three basic principles described below apply to all disciplines and should guide your own citation practice for the credo. 1. Quotation. Any verbatim (word for word) use of a source, no matter how large or small the quotation, must be placed in quotation marks. The quotation must be accompanied within the text by a precise indication of the source--that matches with a citation at the paper s end. 2. Paraphrase. Paraphrase is a restatement of another person s thoughts or ideas in your own words, using your own sentence structure. Although you don t need to use quotation marks when you paraphrase, you absolutely do need to cite the source. If another author s idea is particularly well put, quote it verbatim and use quotation marks to distinguish his or her words from your own. Paraphrase your source if you can restate the idea more clearly or simply, or if you want to place the idea in the flow of your own thoughts though be sure to announce your source in your own text ( Albert Einstein believed that... ) and always include an end citation. 3. Facts, Information, and Data. Often you ll want to use facts or information to support your own argument. If the information is found exclusively in a particular source, you must clearly acknowledge that source. But if the fact or information is generally known and accepted for example, that Woodrow Wilson served as president of and the United States during World War I you do not need to cite a source. Note that facts are different from ideas: facts may not need to be cited, whereas ideas must always be cited. Deciding which facts or pieces of information require citation and which are common knowledge, and thus do not require citation, isn t always easy.

6 (essay outline organizer: make a plan for the key components of your paragraph) Claim: Context: left more public system right more private system Arguments Evidence in support