Hey everyone! (: It's been a while. I just started my new sophomore year course. I need help with this--

'When you finish with the first collection you will write a persuasive essay that includes a personal narrative in your journal. This essay is intended to convince your audience of your viewpoint about a debatable issue or situation. Brainstorm a list of possible essay subjects and write them. Your issues should be subjects that are open for debate or situations you think need to be changed.'

Can I get some ideas to write about please? Thanks
-MC

Welcome back, MC. :-)

Which issues or situations do YOU know about?

We'll be glad to comment on and add to YOUR list of debatable issues.

Thanks Ms.Sue [: I've missed you guys.

Umm I can't really think of anything except for stuff like, why uniforms are better in a school than a choice of dressing. Would that work?

-MC

Here are some better ones--

Home Schooling
Genetic engineering
Dress Codes in School
Pollution
Abortion

-MC

That's pretty lame for a sophomore.

Don't you read or watch the news? If you don't, I urge you to keep up with the news.

What about?

abortion
Afghanistan war
Muslim center near Ground Zero
legalizing marijuana
home schooling
requirement of two years of algebra for all high school students
Obama's new stimulus package to improve roads, bridges, and airports
Israel and Palestine conflict
illegal immigrants

Thanks. I've mentioned some of the ones you listed above. I think I'll either do abortion or the mosque near Ground Zero since I can write about those two pretty well.

-MC

Good idea!

However, if you want to increase your knowledge, you'd choose a subject you don't know much about and research it thoroughly.

Of course, I'd be happy to help! To brainstorm ideas for your persuasive essay, you can follow these steps:

Step 1: Identify topics of interest or areas you are passionate about.
Think about subjects that you are genuinely interested in or have personal experience with. These could be related to social issues, politics, education, environment, technology, or any other field that captivates your attention.

Step 2: Research current debates or controversial topics within those subjects.
After identifying a few potential areas of interest, conduct research to explore the various debates or controversial issues associated with each topic. This will help you narrow down your choices and ensure that the subject you choose is indeed open for debate or change.

Step 3: Consider your personal opinions and experiences.
Reflect on your own viewpoints and experiences related to the topics you are researching. Consider whether you have a strong opinion or personal narrative that you could incorporate into your essay. Having a personal connection to the subject matter can make your writing more compelling and authentic.

Step 4: Generate a list of potential essay subjects.
Based on your research and personal reflection, create a list of potential subjects to write about. Here are a few examples to get you started:

1. The impact of social media on mental health and self-esteem.
2. Should college education be free for everyone?
3. The implications of climate change on future generations.
4. The pros and cons of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
5. Gun control and its effect on public safety.
6. The importance of teaching financial literacy in schools.
7. Should standardized testing be abolished in education?
8. The role of technology in modern relationships.
9. The ethical considerations of animal testing.
10. The legalization of recreational marijuana.

Remember, these are just suggestions to spark your thinking. You can further refine or modify these topics to suit your interests and the requirements of the assignment. Good luck with your essay!

Gotcha. But in my text it says that since this essay needs to include a personal narrative, you need to have some personal experience that you can tie into the issue somehow, and I think writing about the mosque near Ground Zero would be best for this situation since I'm a Muslim and I can write about how there's no violence in mosques and stuff so there should be no issue about that or something.

-MC

Ahh -- you made a good point about using personal experience.

You should also emphasize that most Muslims are peaceful. Every religion and ethnic group has an extremely small minority who are violent. (Think of "Christians" killing abortion doctors and Timothy McVeigh's terrorist act.)