Building on your Informative Synthesis Essay, the Argument Essay asks you to take a clear position on your topic and defend it. You'll move from explaining multiple perspectives to advocating for a specific stance — using evidence, addressing counterarguments, and writing in APA 7th edition format. Minimum 4 full pages of text (not counting title page and References).
Assignment & Prewritings
- Argument Essay Assignment PDF Read this first. Contains all requirements, length, source minimums, and grading criteria.
- Prewriting 1 instructions PDF
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Prewriting 1 & 2: Day 1 Presentation
Slideshow
Also available as: PDF slideshow
- Sample Prewriting 2 PDF Sofia Hernandez — completed example
- From Informative to Persuasive: Keys to Developing Persuasive Writing Slideshow walkthrough — read before Prewriting 2.
- Prewriting 3: Final Drafting Steps PDF
- Sample Prewriting 3 PDF
- Argument Essay Rubric PDF Review this before you draft — know what's being evaluated.
Writing the Argument
- Moving from Informative to Argumentative Theses PDF
- Making Academic Arguments Chapter 8 of A Guide to Rhetoric, Genre, and Success in First-Year Writing — free online textbook chapter.
- Source Integration Techniques PDF How to quote, paraphrase, and analyze — don't just drop in quotes.
- Phrases for Introducing Counterarguments PDF
- Using Personal Experience in Academic Arguments PDF A guide specifically for freshman composition students.
- List of Evaluative Language Terms PDF Vocabulary for making claims and taking positions with precision.
APA Format & Citation
Format: APA 7th edition. This essay uses APA — not MLA. Prewriting 1 walks you through converting your Informative Synthesis essay from MLA to APA. See the resources below for formatting help.
Formatting Your Paper
- Writing down the Basics — APA Format, pp. 87–95
- Format APA 7th ed. in MS Word (OneDrive) Video
- Format APA 7th ed. in MS Word App Video
- APA 7th ed. — Apple Pages Video Do not do an abstract.
- APA 7th ed. — Word for Apple Video
Citing Your Sources
- Purdue OWL — APA Guide The definitive online reference for APA formatting and citations.
- Writing down the Basics — APA Citations, pp. 96–110
- APA Style — Official Website Straight from the source. Good for edge cases the OWL doesn't cover.
Start here
Doing Research — Kelli's general research guide covers citation resources, the EPCC library, Google Scholar, U.S. government data sources, global data sources, and trusted research organizations. Open it alongside this page when you're searching for additional sources.
Also check Informative Synthesis — Sources tab — If you don't see one of the approved sources listed below, it may be on the Informative Synthesis sources page. Your argument essay sources carry over from that essay, so everything there is fair game.
Also check Informative Synthesis — Sources tab — If you don't see one of the approved sources listed below, it may be on the Informative Synthesis sources page. Your argument essay sources carry over from that essay, so everything there is fair game.
You must use at least 4 sources total. Your required sources are the 4 you used in your Informative Synthesis Essay (you may trade out a few if you've found better sources). You may add up to 2 additional sources of your choosing.
📖 Stories & Fiction
- The Pedestrian — Ray Bradbury
- The Perfect Match — Ken Liu
- Rocket Surgery — Website has text and audio podcast
- Just Do It — Audio/mp3 version
- Resistance — Podcast/audio
📰 Articles & Readings
- Friend or Faux: Are Parasocial Relationships Healthy? — Cleveland Clinic
- The Five Key Questions and Core Concepts of Media Literacy — Center for Media Literacy
- What One High School Senior Wants You to Know about Phone Bans
- High School Teachers Say Phone Distraction In Class Is A Big Problem In The US
- A History of Panic Over Entertainment Technology
- What We Know about TikTok Content Creators — Pew Research
- A Closer Look at Americans' Experiences with News on TikTok — Pew Research
- How the U.S. Public and AI Experts View Artificial Intelligence — Pew Research
🎬 Videos
- The Sociology of Gossip Video
- How ChatGPT Slowly Destroys Your Brain Video
- Symbols, Values & Norms: Crash Course Sociology #10 Video
- Neuromarketing: How Brands Are Getting Your Brain to Buy More Stuff Video
🔎 Data & Reference Sites
- Data Brokers EPIC (Electronic Privacy Information Center) — overview of the data broker industry.
- Pew Research Center Nonpartisan fact tank with polling and demographic research on technology, media, society, and more.
- Online Advertising & Tracking Federal Trade Commission resources on data privacy and online tracking.
- Doing Research — General Sources Guide My guide to government data, global data, and research organizations. Use it to find additional sources beyond this list.
Before you read: These are strong essays, but they are models — not ceilings. Notice how each writer takes a clear position, builds each paragraph around one main claim, and engages with the counterargument rather than ignoring it. Pay attention to how they use APA citations throughout.
Sample Argument Essays
- Why Data Brokers Need Federal Regulation PDF Sofia Hernandez — Topic: data brokers and privacy
- Learning to See Through the Screen: Why Schools Need to Teach About Parasocial Relationships PDF Marcus Ramirez — Topic: parasocial relationships and media literacy education
- Finding the Middle Ground: Why Schools Need Phone Policies, Not Phone Bans PDF Jessica Martinez — Topic: cell phone policies in schools
Corresponding Informative Synthesis Essays
It can be useful to compare each student's Synthesis Essay to their Argument Essay — you can see how they transformed the same research from informative to persuasive writing.
- The Hidden Trade: How Data Brokers Collect and Use Our Information PDF Sofia Hernandez — Synthesis version
- Feeling Close to Strangers: What We Know About Parasocial Relationships PDF Marcus Ramirez — Synthesis version
- Phones in Schools: What the Experts Are Actually Saying PDF Jessica Martinez — Synthesis version