Critical Thinking Paper

Your paper should present a reasoned, convincing argument for a position on a selected topic (see next page to select a topic).

Write a four (4) page paper in which you:(please follow all instructions especially the 5 steps listed in #1)
1. Follow the five (5) steps of persuasion: establishing credibility, acknowledging the audience’s position, constructing a rationale, transplanting root elements, and asking for a response.
2. Clearly define your position and supporting evidence.
3. Include all the necessary “evidence” for the reader to reach the expected conclusion in each argument in the paper (whether the overriding argument or one contained in an individual paragraph)
4. Ensure that each argument in the paper (whether the overriding argument or one contained in an individual paragraph) is valid and free from both formal and informal fallacies.
5. Include at least four (4) references (sources). At least one (1) of your sources must be obtained from the collection of databases accessible from the Learning Resources Center Web page.

The paper should follow guidelines for clear and effectively organized writing:
• The paper is well-organized, and every explanation is both complete and easy to understand.
• Include an introductory paragraph and concluding paragraph for the paper.
• Main ideas should be addressed in body paragraphs with a topic sentence and supporting sentences.
• Adhere to standard rules of English grammar, punctuation, and mechanics.
• The paper should be checked for spelling and grammatical errors.

SELECT A TOPIC:
• Dieting makes people fat.
• People are too dependent on computers.
• Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is an excuse and not a real disability.
• The government spends too much on art, so the NEA should be eliminated.
• Today’s Bachelor Degrees are a minimum, like high school diplomas were 30 years ago.
• “Home-schooled” children are more advanced than children attending public schools.
• Telecommuting will be the new way that jobs are performed in the next ten years.
• The war on terror has contributed to abuse of human rights.
• People with jobs should pay the health care insurance costs of people without jobs.
• High school graduates should take a year off before entering college.
• High school graduates should be required to spend two years in the military and then receive a free college education.
• The flat tax is the fairest form of taxation.
• All products that people eat/use should be first tested on animals.
• All citizens should be required by law to vote.
• All forms of government welfare should be abolished.
• Both men and women should have paid “paternity leave” when a spouse or partner has a child.
• Global climate changes are manmade, so people should change their lifestyle to protect the environment.
• Global climate changes are cyclical, and global warming is just “hype” by radical environmentalists and manufacturers trying to sell “new and improved” environmentally friendly products.
• Schools should distribute free condoms to high school students.
• Rich countries have an obligation to give money to poorer countries.
• Both parents should assume equal responsibility in raising a child.
• Participating in team sports helps to develop good character.
• Professional athletes deserve what they are being paid.
• The production and sale of cigarettes should be made illegal.
• Cities have the right to ban smoking in public.
• People have become overly dependent on technology.
• Beauty pageants exploit women.
• Frequent playing of video games increases violent behavior.
• Single-sex high schools would increase educational success.
• English should be the official language of the United States.
• Gay couples should have the same rights as married couples.
• Drunk drivers should be imprisoned on the first offense.
• Government and military personnel should have the right to strike.
• College students should have complete freedom to choose their own courses and create their own curriculums.
• Texting while driving is dangerous.
• The primary mission of colleges and universities is preparing students for the workforce.
• Financial incentives should be offered to high school students who perform well on standardized tests.
• All students in high school and college should be required to take at least two years of a foreign language.
• To encourage healthy eating, higher taxes should be imposed on soft drinks and junk food.
• All citizens under the age of 21 should be required to pass a driver’s education course before receiving a license to drive.
• Euthanasia (mercy killing) should be permitted in cases of terminally ill patients.
• Anyone who voluntarily works should be willing to voluntarily participate in drug testing.
• Video piracy should carry a mandatory jail sentence as well as a fine.
• Foreign terrorists should have the same civil rights as citizens.
• Families should be held responsible for crimes committed by teenagers.
• Notification of a diagnosis of HIV and/or AIDS should be required.