1.  Major portion of the grade for English 3  Should be written on a current, DEBATABLE topic (therefore should have a SUPPORTING and OPPOSING side ◦ Capital Punishment (debatable) ◦ Genocide (not debatable)  Should be informative (REAL facts), argumentative (present a topic with 2 opposite positions)  Should present the history and BOTH sides of the topic  Then, evaluate your topic and make an EDUCATED choice as to which side you support  Should be written using MLA (Modern Language Association) format

2.  Paragraph 1: History of topic ◦ Brief explanation of what your topic is ◦ When did it first become an issue?  Paragraph 2: History of topic continued ◦ How have people reacted to this topic throughout the history of it?  Paragraph 3: Supporting Side Argument 1 ◦ Present one major reason why people support this topic and then explain  Paragraph 4: Supporting Side Argument 2 ◦ Present another major reason why people support this topic and then explain

3.  Paragraph 5: Opposing Side Argument 1 ◦ Present one major reason why people are against this topic and explain  Paragraph 6: Opposing Side Argument 2 ◦ Present another major reason why people are against this topic and explain  Paragraph 7: Evaluation ◦ Make an educated choice and explain which side is better and why ◦ DO NOT USE I, ME, MINE, ETC.!!!!! ◦ DO NOT SAY: I think that capital punishment should be supported because… ◦ SAY: Capital punishment should be supported because…

4.  Physician-assisted suicide  Gun control  Legalization of marijuana  Affirmative action  School dropouts  Amnesty for illegal immigrants  Education for illegal immigrants  Capital punishment  Hate speech / offensive speech  Religious fundamentalism  Influence of video games on violence  Influence of television/movies on body image  Mandatory drug testing (schools, athletics, professional)  Restrictions on divorce  Stem cell research  Cloning  Same sex marriage  Standardized testing  School uniforms  Busing for diversity  Censorship  Gambling  Comprehensive health care  Welfare  Safety of cell phones  Raising/lowering the driving age  Societal influence of social networking sites  Sex education  Global warming  Surrogate mother

5.  Animal experimentation  Global warming  Alternative energy vs. fossil fuels  Recycling  Population Control  Pros and Cons of Organic Farming  Agricultural Trade- Should government be involved?  Alternative Energy Sources  Offshore Drilling  Pesticides in Schools  Limiting Growth and Development to protect wildlife habitats  Alternative energy vs. fossil fuels  Government-mandated environmental restrictions  Livestock Production (Hormones in Meat)  Location of Landfills  Location of Powerplants  Organic production- is it safer?  Homeowner Association Powers- landscaping, fences, etc  Property Rights- Keeping exotic animals  Livestock in neighborhoods- covenants/homeowners association  Property Rights- Should landlords be required to test for radon/mold/etc in tenant homes?  Effects of recycling