See attached
Touchstones are projects that illustrate your comprehension of the course material, help
you refine skills, and demonstrate application of knowledge. You can work on a
Touchstone anytime, but you can’t submit it until you have completed the Unit’s
Challenges. Once you’ve submitted a Touchstone, it will be graded and counted toward
your final course score.
Touchstone 4: Argumentative Essay
BEFORE YOU START
Consider revisiting the tutorial Supporting an Argumentative Thesis. Just like in
previous Touchstones, your stance needs to be stated in a thesis statement and your
evidence in body paragraphs should work to support your claim. For help citing
evidence in body paragraphs, revisit the tutorial Source and Quotation Formatting in
APA to learn how to quote and paraphrase sources using APA style.
ASSIGNMENT: Write a 4-6 page (approximately 1000-1500 words) argumentative
essay arguing one side or stance of an academically appropriate debate using the
classical model supported by evidence and research. If the writing exceeds the 1500
word maximum, it will be returned back for revision.
●
Ready
●
Submitted
●
Graded
Touchstone whenever
you want, but you must
complete the previous
assessments in the Unit
before you can submit
SUBMIT TOUCHSTONE
Currently, it takes about 2-3 business days for a Touchstone to be graded.
UNIT 4 — TOUCHSTONE 4:
Argumentative Essay
-/100
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” Sample Argumentative Essay
In order to foster learning and growth, all work you submit must be newly written
specifically for this course. Any plagiarized or recycled work will result in a
Plagiarism Detected alert. Review Touchstones: Academic Integrity Guidelines for
more about plagiarism and the Plagiarism Detected alert. For guidance on the use of
generative AI technology, review Ethical Standards and Appropriate Use of AI.
CopyLeaks Originality Checker: All writing will be checked for originality. Ensure that
all references are credible and include page and paragraph numbers if the source is
longer than four pages. If a source cannot be accessed by a grader, you might need to
provide digital proof that you possess the source (for example, a photo of the print
book). Text from any third party source is prohibited, including internet or chatbot
searches, without proper APA-style citations. Focus on developing your own ideas and
use evidence sparingly to support your own original claims, following the classical
model of argumentation.
A. Directions
Step 1. Choose a Topic
Today, there are many different debates being had all around the world about topics that
affect our personal, professional, civic, and/or academic lives. Some of these debates have
been such hot topics for so long that it has become very difficult to add to the conversation
with new and original ideas or stances to take. To move beyond this trend, we have
created a list of topics that may not be written about for this Touchstone. This includes
example topics that are used in Unit 4. Feel free to access a tutor if you would like support
choosing a topic for this essay.
Please AVOID choosing any of the following topics:
Abortion Rights
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Animal Testing (Unit 4 example)
Climate Change (Unit 4 example)
Belief in God(s) or Afterlife(s)
Death Penalty / Capital Punishment
Euthanasia / Assisted Suicide
Fad Diets (e.g., Keto, etc.)
Funding/Defunding Law Enforcement
Immigration
Legal Alcohol/Tobacco Age
Legalization of Marijuana
Legalization of Sex Work
Paying Student Athletes
Second Amendment Rights (i.e., Gun Control)
Social Media’s Impact on Mental Health
Universal Healthcare
Vaccines
Choosing to write about any of the above topics will result in a non-passing score.
Step 2. Write an Argumentative Essay
Remember the word “argument” does not mean a fight in a writing context. An academic
argument is more like a thoughtful conversation between two people with differing
viewpoints on a debatable issue. However, you are required to take a position on one side
of a debatable issue that is informed by academically appropriate evidence.
For the purposes of this assignment, expressing or relying on your personal opinion of a
debate is discouraged. Rather, the essay must argue one side or stance of the debate
using the rhetorical appeals (logos, ethos, and pathos) and be supported by academic or
scholarly sources. These include physical sources in public libraries, digital sources in
academic libraries, online sources (excludes unreliable sources like procon.org and
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wikipedia.org, which are discouraged), and published expert reports, preferably peer-
reviewed by experts in the field to maintain utmost credibility. Consider revisiting the
tutorial Finding Sources for more information on appropriate sources for argumentative
writing.
Your submission must include an APA style in-text citations and a reference page following
the essay. In your research, you will need at least 2 and no more than 4 credible primary or
secondary sources to use as support in your essay.
All sources cited in the writing submitted must be locatable by a grader; include
hyperlinks to the sources in the reference page.
The use of any source that requires payment for access is strictly prohibited for this
assignment.
Avoid using sources that exceed 20 pages in length, as they may be overly extensive
for the purposes of this assignment.
Including more than four sources may cause delays, and you might be asked to
provide additional evidence of the credibility for each source.
The following resources will be helpful to you as you work on this assignment:
. Purdue Online Writing Lab’s APA Formatting and Style Guide
a. This site includes a comprehensive overview of APA style, as well as individual
pages with guidelines for specific citation types.
. Frequently Asked Questions About APA Style
a. This page on the official APA website addresses common questions related to APA
formatting. The “References,” “Punctuation,” and “Grammar and Writing Style”
sections will be the most useful to your work in this course.
. APA Style: Quick Answers—References
a. This page on the official APA Style website provides numerous examples of
reference list formatting for various source types.
Step 3. Think About Your Writing
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On a separate page, below your reference page, include thoughtful answers to the Think
About Your Writing questions. References and Think About Your Writing questions are NOT
included in the word count for this essay.
Below your reference page, include answers to all of the following reflection questions.
. What have you learned about how to present a strong argument? How could/will you
apply this knowledge in your professional or everyday life (3-4 sentences)? Sophia
says: Think about the specific skills and techniques that you used while developing
and writing your essay. What tools will you take with you from this experience?
. Consider the English Composition I course as a whole. What have you learned about
yourself as a writer (5-6 sentences)? Sophia says: What did you learn that surprised
you? Is there anything that you have struggled with in the past that you now feel more
confident about?
Step 4. Review Rubric and Checklist
Your composition and reflection will be scored according to the Touchstone 4 Rubric, which
evaluates the argumentative topic and thesis statement, argument development and
support, organization, flow, research, style, use of conventions (grammar, punctuation, etc.),
and your answers to the “Think About your Writing” questions above.
Refer to the checklist below throughout the writing process. Do not submit your
Touchstone until it meets these guidelines.
Argumentative Topic and Thesis Statement
❒ Have you included a thesis that takes a clear, specific position on one side of an
academically appropriate, debatable issue?
Argument Development
❒ Are all of the details relevant to the purpose of your essay?
❒ Is the argument supported using rhetorical appeals and credible, academic source
material?
❒ Is your essay 4-6 pages (approximately 1000-1500 words)? If not, which details do you
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need to add or delete?
Research
❒ Have you cited outside sources effectively using quotation, summary, or paraphrase?
❒ Are the sources incorporated smoothly, providing the reader with signal phrases and
context for the source information?
❒ Are the sources explained with regard to your topic and how they relate to the
argument?
❒ Have you referenced at least 2 and no more than 4 credible sources?
❒ Have you included an APA style reference page below your essay?
❒ Have you included a hyperlink to each source in the reference page?
Organization and Flow
❒ Is there an introduction, conclusion, adequate body paragraphs, and a
counterargument?
❒ Do the topic and concluding sentences reiterate the argument to maintain a sharp focus
on the purpose of the essay?
❒ Is the argument presented in a logical order and easy for the reader to follow?
❒ Are there transitions within and between paragraphs?
Style
❒ Are the word choices accurate and effective?
❒ Are the sentence structures varied?
Conventions and Formatting
❒ Have you properly cited your sources according to APA style guidelines?
❒ Have you double-checked for correct grammar, punctuation, spelling, formatting, and
capitalization?
❒ Have you proofread for typos?
Before You Submit
❒ Have you answered all of the Think About Your Writing questions on a separate page
below your reference page? Are your answers thoughtful and included insights,
observations, and/or examples in all responses?
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❒ Does your submission include your essay, followed by your reference page, followed by
your Think About Your Writing questions?
B. Rubric
Advanced
(100%)
Proficient
(85%)
Acceptable
(75%)
Needs
Improvement
(50%)
Argumentative Topic
and Thesis Statement
(5 points)
Take a clear position on
a debatable topic.
Includes an
argumentative thesis
that takes a well-
articulated, clear,
specific position on one
side of a debatable
issue.
Includes an
argumentative thesis
that takes a clear,
specific position on one
side of a debatable
issue.
Includes an
argumentative thesis
that takes a clear
position on one side of
a debatable issue;
however, it lacks
specificity.
Includes an
argumentative thesis
on a debatable topic;
however, it lacks
specificity and/or does
not take a clear
position.
Argument
Development and
Support (20 points)
Have a clear argument
on a debatable topic
and sufficient support
Details are highly
relevant and clearly
support the argument
of the essay. Argument
is thoroughly
developed; the
argument is
consistently and
effectively supported
using rhetorical appeals
and source material.
Details are relevant and
support the argument
of the essay. Argument
is well developed; the
argument is supported
using rhetorical appeals
and source material.
Details are
predominantly relevant
and generally support
the argument, though
some details may be
irrelevant and/or
distracting. Argument is
not fully developed; the
argument is supported
by rhetorical appeals
and source material;
however, some aspects
of the argument or
support are neglected.
Details are often
irrelevant and
frequently distract from
the argument of the
essay.
poorly developed;
there is little evidence
of rhetorical appeals
and/or source material
support.
Organization (20
points)
Exhibit competent
organization and
writing techniques.
Includes all of the
required components
of an argumentative
research paper,
including an
introduction with
relevant and engaging
background information
and an argumentative
thesis, an adequate
number of body
paragraphs each with a
topic sentence, a body
paragraph addressing
counterargument(s),
Includes all of the
required components
of an argumentative
research paper,
including an
introduction with
background
information, an
argumentative thesis,
an adequate number of
body paragraphs each
with a topic sentence, a
body paragraph
addressing
counterargument(s),
Includes nearly all of
the required
components of an
argumentative research
paper; however, one
component is missing.
Includes most of the
required components
of an argumentative
research paper, but is
lacking two
components.
Sequences ideas and
paragraphs such that
the connections
between ideas (within
and between
paragraphs) are
sometimes unclear and
the reader may have
difficulty following the
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and a conclusion with a
concluding statement.
and a conclusion with a
concluding statement.
progression of the
argument.
Flow (10 points)
Establish and maintain
a logical flow.
Sequences ideas and
paragraphs logically
and uses smooth
transitions (within and
between paragraphs)
such that the reader
can easily follow the
progression of ideas.
Sequences ideas and
paragraphs logically
and uses transitions
(within and between
paragraphs) such that
the reader can easily
follow the progression
of ideas.
Primarily sequences
ideas and paragraphs
logically and uses
sufficient transitions
(within and between
paragraphs) such that
the reader can
generally follow the
progression of ideas.
The progression of
ideas is often difficult to
follow, due to poor
sequencing, ineffective
transitions, and/or
insufficient transitions.
Research (10 points)
Incorporate sources
through effective
quotations,
paraphrases, and
summaries.
Incorporates sources
smoothly and
effectively through
direct quotation,
paraphrase, or
summary. References at
least 2 and no more
than 4 credible primary
or secondary sources.
Primarily incorporates
sources effectively
through direct
quotation, paraphrase,
or summary.
References at least 2
and no more than 4
credible primary or
secondary sources.
Acceptably
incorporates sources
through direct
quotation, paraphrase,
or summary.
References at least 2
and no more than 4
credible primary or
secondary sources.
Generally incorporates
sources through direct
quotation, paraphrase,
or summary.
References at least 2
and no more than 4
primary or secondary
sources, but some
sources may not be
effective or appropriate
for the essay’s
argument.
Style (10 points)
Establish a consistent,
informative tone and
make thoughtful
stylistic choices.
Demonstrates
thoughtful and effective
word choices, avoids
redundancy and
imprecise language,
and uses a wide variety
of sentence structures.
Demonstrates effective
word choices, primarily
avoids redundancy and
imprecise language,
and uses a variety of
sentence structures.
Demonstrates generally
effective style choices,
but may include
occasional
redundancies,
imprecise language,
poor word choice,
and/or repetitive
sentence structures.
Frequently includes
poor word choices,
redundancies,
imprecise language,
and/or repetitive
sentence structures.
Conventions (10
points)
Follow conventions for
standard English.
There may be a few
negligible errors in
grammar, punctuation,
spelling, capitalization,
formatting, and usage.
There are occasional
minor errors in
grammar, punctuation,
spelling, capitalization,
formatting, and usage.
There are some
significant errors in
grammar, punctuation,
spelling, capitalization,
formatting, and usage.
There are frequent
significant errors in
grammar, punctuation,
spelling, capitalization,
formatting, and usage.
Formatting (10 points)
Execute formatting
according to
requirements.
Consistently adheres to
APA formatting
requirements for in-text
citations and the
References page.
Primarily adheres to
APA formatting
requirements for in-text
citations and the
References page, such
that formatting errors
are minimal.
Adequately adheres to
APA formatting
requirements for in-text
citations and the
References page, such
that formatting errors
are occasional.
Inadequately adheres
to APA formatting
requirements for in-text
citations and the
References page, such
that formatting errors
are common.
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C. Requirements
Your essay should be 4-6 pages (approximately 1000-1500 words), double-spaced,
with one-inch margins.
Argumentative essay guidelines must be followed or submission will not be graded.
Use a readable 12-point font.
Composition must be original and written for this assignment and all writing must be
appropriate for an academic context, including academically credible sources.
Use of generative chatbot artificial intelligence tools (ChatGPT, Bing Chat, Bard) in
place of original writing is strictly prohibited for this assignment.
Plagiarism of any kind is strictly prohibited.
Submission should include your name, the name of the course, the date, and the title
of your essay.
Submission must include the argumentative essay, reference page, and your answers
to the reflection questions.
Include all of the assignment components in a single .doc or .docx file.
Think About Your
Writing (5 points)
Reflect on progression
and development
throughout the course.
Demonstrates
thoughtful reflection;
consistently includes
insights, observations,
and/or examples in all
responses. Answers all
reflection questions
effectively, following or
exceeding response
length guidelines.
Demonstrates
thoughtful reflection;
includes multiple
insights, observations,
and/or examples.
Answers all reflection
questions effectively,
following response
length guidelines.
Primarily demonstrates
thoughtful reflection,
but some responses
are lacking in detail or
insight. Answers all
reflection questions,
primarily following
response length
guidelines.
Shows limited
reflection; the majority
of responses are
lacking in detail or
insight. Answers
reflection questions
inadequately: may not
answer all of the
questions and/or may
not follow response
length guidelines.
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