Paper #2: Entering a Conversation and Making an Argument

DUE DATE:3/2
Length: 1000-1250 words
In this paper, you will practice using what the editors of They Say, I Say call “the internal DNA of countless articles and even entire books.” In other words, you will practice entering a conversation about a controversial issue in our society. After summarizing what two other people have already said about this topic, you will make your own argument about your perspective on the topic. If you can master the basic rhetorical They Say, I Say template, you will be in a good position to make a coherent argument in any future college course you take.
The readings in They Say, I Say are divided into five categories: How can we bridge the differences that divide us? Why care about the planet? What’s college for? What’s gender got to do with it? How is technology changing us?
Choose the category that most interests you. Read through all of the essays in that section. Then choose TWO of the essays that seem to be making the most opposed arguments.
In your paper, you will summarize both of the arguments (“they say”), explain how the authors agree and disagree, and then craft your own well-argued response (not just free-flowing opinion) to the issues the two essays raise (“I say”). Make sure you include a naysayer to show possible objections to your argument, and address the “so what?” factor: why does this issue matter?