All papers must be typed, double spaced, left aligned, using a 12pt Times New Roman font.

No headers/footers. No page numbers/watermarks.

Mission: This paper will require you choosing a topic, doing research, formulating a thesis, and writing a formal essay. You will be composing more than one draft, while using documented research, or quotes. This essay ultimately serves as your final exam.

Audience: Academic. This is a formal essay. No first person. No colloquialisms.

 

Topic

Should tobacco companies be held responsible for smoking-related deaths?

 

Yes, they should be held responsible.

Points (why yes)

1- health (fatal illness, tobacco companies can be accountable for a great percentage of lung cancer and other diseases caused by tobacco. Secondhand smokers contribute to death toll, even if you don’t smoke tobacco puts you at risk)

2- ethical (dishonesty publicity about their product which misrepresented tobacco’s harmful nature, tobacco companies hided nicotine’s severe aIDiction and tobacco’s secret carcinogen ingredients as mayor cause for fatal illness. They failed to conduct researches to lower the harm caused by their products, instead they increased cigarettes aIDiction’s power, they aIDed illegal drugs and higher aIDictive substances like cocaine, morphine and ammonia. Their business practices are deplorable. They maintained their aggressive marketing campaigns targeting minorities, women and youth, to serve this purpose they even aIDed candy and fruit flavorings to its products, etc.)

3- economic (tobacco industry must be held liable for the clean-up cost resulting from its misdeeds. They must pay for the healthcare cost resulting from tobacco related illness. Tobacco industry negligence and fraudulent practices have cost taxpayers billions in needless healthcare cost. A lawsuit is not only about obtaining compensation but it’s also a mechanism to set a precedent to reform industry misbehavior, for example alcohol, medicine and food industries; and gain policy measures in the interest of protecting public health. It could help to reduce tobacco use. It could include a ban in tobacco sponsorships, prohibition in tobacco cartoon characters and further restrictions on youth access to tobacco, etc.)

Counterpoints (why not)

1- moral (is morally wrong, smokers free will, liberty of rights, none is pointing a gun on you to smoke)

2- economics (tobacco industry, lots of jobs, taxes, etc. also would have to sue alcohol companies, food companies and so on)

3- social (socially wrong, tobacco was cool in former Americans’ society, widely published by every social media, magazines, television and movies, these media companies should be held accountable for tobacco’s society spread and posterior fatal impact too)

There are seven tasks to this assignment.

 

1.Outline (point / counterpoint) – – outline points. USE example model (at the end below). 2 pages

 

2. Annotated Bibliography – – At least 5 sources – – cite source, write paragraph explaining what the article is about, and how you will use it in paper. 2-3 pages (see example at the end). MLA format.

 

3. Introduction – – define topic, why is it important, chronology, history of issue – – ask rhetorical questions, maybe touch on thesis -talk about Florida lawsuits against tobacco companies, no dictionary definitions, no quotes. 1-page

 

4. Body # 1 (Point 1) – – develop your point through explanation and documented illustration.  1-page

 

5. Body # 2 (Point 2) – –  develop your point through explanation and documented illustration. 1-page

 

6. Body # 3 (Point 3) – – develop your point through explanation and documented illustration. 1-page

 

7. Conclusion – – what’s next for issue, provide a solution, show opposing viewpoints and refute. Don’t summarize or be redundant.  1-page

 

Use the library databases to obtain your information / research. Use Opposing Viewpoints or CQ Researcher.

Use the 5-editing techniques after you’ve written the first draft

 

1. eliminate redundancies
2. avoid wordy expressions
3. cut awkward sentence openings
4. vary your sentence structure
5. use strong verbs

 

 

Point / Counterpoint Example

List 3 points and give examples and explanations of each point. Example:

Should the official work week be shortened / extended?

Yes.

1.Saves power-companies and businesses will have lower power bills because usage will be less. With lower power bills, companies can save money, increase advertising to grow their businesses, and save energy for the community.

2.Saves gas-commuters will use less gas and this could have a trickling effect on the economy. Less gas usage means more oil supply. In turn, oil prices drop. Thus, food prices will drop because it is cheaper to transport the food.

3.Extra personal time-allows people to grow stronger bonds with family and community. For instance, a person may be able to volunteer, or they will spend more money shopping. This in turn builds a stronger economy.

No.

1. Longer workdays can be physically draining. This could in turn lead to health problems. For example, if a worker gets sick, then they may lose more work time.
2. Re-arranging scheduling becomes a conflict. What if a person misses a day? Missing one long day is almost like missing two regular work days. This could hamper overall productivity and lead to poor output.
3. No fuel savings. Just because a worker is not driving to work, doesn’t mean they are not driving around to other places on their day off.

 

Annotated Bibliography

The purpose of a bibliographic annotation is to summarize a source’s content and then analyze the text for its strengths and weaknesses in terms of your research. You will create this bibliography as you research your chosen issue for the documented arguments. You will not need to have a thesis in mind as you begin this research—in fact, it is best you don’t try to form a thesis for your argument until you’ve explored some sources; I say this because you need to become familiar with a variety of perspectives about the issue to see its dimensions and to avoid oversimplifying it or leaving out important points. Once you have a good grasp of the issue through your exploration of its sources, you will be ready to offer your own argument about it. This annotated bibliography will help you to get that grasp of the issue and begin to formulate your own argument.

Create this document by listing your sources in MLA format, arranged in alphabetical order per author’s last name. Each entry will consist of the following:

1. The bibliographic documentation (citation) of the source.
2. A section summarizing the source’s thesis and main points.
3. A section analyzing the source’s strengths and weaknesses in terms of your research.

The key here is to summarize the article and describe how you will use it in your term paper. Describe in detail. You may find the article useless. If so, explain why.

You need to include a minimum of 5 separate sources in the annotated bibliography.

Example:

1. Johnson, Fenton. Notes of a Native New Yorker. NY: Birch Lane Publishers, 1989

Johnson’s narrative describes his experience growing up in an urban New York Community, and eventually leaving home to go to Stanford University in California. Johnson’s piece reveals how connected we are to the experiences and values we learned as children, despite our geographic locations later in life, most particularly in issues related to gender, race, and class distinctions. This essay is an effective model to discuss alternative methods of argumentation. Recognize. I will use this article to support my claim that one’s roots determine the type of person they are.

2. Mook, Jimmy. The Underground. NY: Dope Heads Press. 2006

 

Mook’s book describes the countercultural scene in urban centers around the country. He goes onto explain that the streets of South American countries are influencing the art coming out in the United States. I will use this source to illustrate my point that real art comes from the ghetto