3 Quarter BA

Essay Preparation
rd

2nd Quarter BA Essay

Vast Improvement from Quarter #1 to Quarter #2
Still a lot of room for improvement
Common Mistakes and Areas for Improvement
Using a quote for the statement of purpose. (Do not use a quote for your
claim or supporting details) - This statement of purpose is your opinion and
how you will support it
Not enough elaboration of evidence (background information).
Need to develop the counterargument further
Inconsistent connection or weak connection between the claim and
supporting details

Todays Focus
Opening Paragraph
Body Paragraphs
How do we connect these paragraphs to
make sure the argument flows?

Argumentative Essay Writing

Who has a Cat?
Who has a Dog?
Who has both?

Which animal makes the better

pet cat or dogs?

Writing Practice
Read the handouts
Write a Statement of Purpose
Write a Counterargument

Introduction Paragraph (Dogs vs.

Cats)
The most important paragraph: its sets up the remainder of the paper
Attention Getter: Imagine that you hear the window breaking in the middle of the night
and an intruder is in your house. Luckily, you chose that German Shepherd instead of the
Siamese Cat at the pet store. The dog starts barking and scares off the intruder.
Connection to the Statement of Purpose: Pets serve many needs including security,
affection, and service to humans. In America over half the population owns a pet. Many of
these pets are cats and dogs. Many people have strong feelings as to whether cats or dogs
make better pets.
Statement of Purpose (Claim and Supporting Details) : In the following paper I will
argue that dogs make better pets than cats because they serve useful purposes and
have a positive affectionate relationship with their owners
Counterargument: Some would argue that cats make better pets than dogs due to less
maintenance and they are a better fit for apartment living.

Body Paragraphs
With your partner, what would be the topic sentence of Paragraph 1 and
Paragraph 2?
Pick out a citation that you could use to for SD1 and SD2

Body Paragraph 1
Topic Sentence: Dogs make the best pets because they serve many useful purposes for
humans.
Elaboration of Evidence: Large dogs can make their owners feel more secure in their homes
from possible break-ins. Many individuals in neighborhoods with high crime rates will own large
dogs for this reason. Dogs also force people to exercise as they require daily walks. Next, dogs
provide many services for their owners. There are dogs specially trained to lead the blind.
Citation: According to 11 Scientific Reasons Dogs are Better than Cats by Dina Spector So
called seizure alert dogs have the ability to detect if someone is about to have a seizure
More E of E: The dogs can alert the owner to get help before they have the seizure. Lastly,
dogs are used by many police departments and government agencies for their sense of smell.
There are numerous other ways that dogs are useful. Because of all the useful purposes dogs
serve, this gives them a distinct advantage over cats.
Must address the counterargument

Body Paragraph 2 (Dogs vs.

Cats)
Topic Sentence: Dogs make the best pets because by their nature they have a positive
affectionate relationship with their owners.
Elaboration of Evidence: Many psychologists believe that affection is one of the strongest
human needs. While some of this affection can come from relationship with other human beings,
pets can help fill this void. Dogs are especially good at filling this void because they give their
affection very easily to their owners. In addition caring for a dog can give the owner a sense of
purpose. Dogs require tasks such as walking, eating and bathing. This requires the owner to
stay active in order to properly take care of the dog.
Citation: According to 11 Scientific Reasons Dogs are Better than Cats by Dina Spector Dogs
give a certain meaning to their (elderly people) lives, since the task of caring for a dog also
means great responsibility
More E of E: This responsibility of owning a dog can make a person much happier than they
would have been otherwise. These are all good reasons to own a dog.
Must address the counterargument

Second Quarter BA Essay

Which movement had the greatest impact on the United States the Common
School Movement or Abolition Movement?

Opening Paragraph
Attention Getter: Life in the USA wasnt always how it is now. It wasnt
until the mid 1800s that American Society began to change drastically due
the Common School Movement and Abolitionist Movement.
Statement of Purpose: The Common School Movement had a greater
impact on the United States than the Abolition Movement because it
improved the quality of education for students and helped communities
escape poverty.
Counterargument: On the contrary, other people thought the Abolition
Movement had a greater impact because it helped African Americans gain
happiness and more respect.

Body Paragraph #1
Topic Sentence: First, the Common School Movement had a greater impact
on the United States because it improved the quality of education for
students.
Citation: From School: The Story of American Public Education, PBS,
Throughout the late eighteen and early nineteenth centuries, public school
students attended classes only for a few weeks each winter, often in poorly
equipped schoolhouses with untrained teachers
EofE: Students were not able to learn very well in these poor conditions.
Horace Mann Massuchetts first Secretary of Education saw this, he improved
the quality of school and teachers.

Body Paragraph # 2
Topic Sentence #2: Next, the Common School Movement had a greater
impact on the United States because it helped communities escape poverty.
Citation: From Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, Wiley saw education
as a means of overcoming the backwardness and poverty in his state
EofE: Wiley a skilled writer and speaker who helped education in the South,
realized that without a proper education, people would not be able to get jobs
and would stay in poverty. The whole state would be poor and unable to
function.

Prompt
Did the Dred Scott Decision or
the Election of 1860 have a
greater impact on leading us
toward Civil War?