Posted: December 4th, 2013
Problem/Solution Essay
Following the guidelines in chapter 9 or our textbook, select either a health, education, or environmental problem that you believe needs a solution.
Narrow and focus the problem and choose an appropriate audience. Write a 750-850 word essay in which you describe the problem anddemonstrate for your audience that it needs a solution. State your solution and justify it with reasons and evidence. This evidence may include observations you yourself have made or things you have learned through your own experiences, but must also include evidence gathered from secondary sources. Where appropriate, weigh alternative solutions, examine the feasibility of your own solution, and answer objections to your solution. Remember—to be specific, your thesis statement must indicate both your problem and your solution.
Use a minimum of three non-website sources, such as magazine and journal articles or books. You may cite websites, but they will not fulfill your source requirements. Sources accessed online through Galileo are not considered websites, so they may be used. If Galileo provides a full text article in both PDF and html, choose the PDF format. Again, if you have questions about the appropriateness of your sources or difficulty finding sources, contact me ASAP.
Format your paper according to MLA style guidelines. For an example of what an MLA paper looks like, see page 364 inChoices . In particular, note the placement of the title, page numbers, and writer’s name, date, etc. If you choose to use sources in your paper and need help following the MLA rules for documentation described in chapter 12ofChoices, ask me.
Note: A Works Cited list (unlike a bibliography) is a list of sources actually cited in a paper. To meet the above requirements for sources, you must actually use and properly cite these sources within the body of your essay; simply listing sources on your Works Cited page without having actually used them will not meet the requirements for this paper. Ten points will be deducted for each source short of the requirements.
The following patterns indicate four possible (but not the only) ways to organize a problem-solving essay. One of these patterns may help your organize your essay:
I. Introduction
II. The problem: identify and demonstrate
III. The solution(s)
IV. Answering possible objections, costs, drawbacks
V. Conclusion: implementation plan; call to action
Point-by Point Pattern
I. Introduction
II. The overall problem: identify and demonstrate
III. One part of the problem, solution, evidence, answers to possible objections, feasibility
IV. Second part of the problem, solution, evidence, answers to objections, feasibility
V. Third part of the problem, solution, evidence, and so on
VI. Conclusion: implementation; call to action
Alternative Pattern
I. Introduction
II. The problem: identify and demonstrate
III. Alternative solution1; why it’s not satisfactory
IV. Alternative solution 2; why it’s not satisfactory
V. Alternative solution 3; why it works best; evidence, objections, feasibility
VI. Conclusion: implementation; call to action.
Step-by Step Pattern
I. Introduction
II. The problem: identify and demonstrate
III. Plan for implementing the solution or how solution has worked in the past:
A. Step one: reasons and evidence showing why this step is necessary and feasible
B. Step two: reasons and evidence showing why this step is necessary and feasible
C. Step three: reasons and evidence showing why this step is necessary and feasible
IV. Conclusion
Expert paper writers are just a few clicks away
Place an order in 3 easy steps. Takes less than 5 mins.