Your third project in this class is an Argumentative Synthesis. In your Argumentative Synthesis, you are expected to do two things. First, argumentative synthesis papers are persuasive. You will need to formulate an opinion and make an argument (with a thesis statement) on a particular issue. Second, argumentative synthesis papers bring together a variety of sources. You will need to incorporate sources into your paper and use them to support your argument.
You can choose the topic for your own paper, but it must fall within two different categories. Because we are talking about the theme of literacy and discourse in this class, you can write a paper that addresses some issue related to language, literacy, language education, or literacy education. Secondly this course is also designed to get you to start thinking about your own academic field (major) as a discourse community, so you could also address an issue within or related to your own major that there is some disagreement or discussion about.
Guidelines for the paper:

1. You will be choosing your own topic for the paper. Pick a topic that has arguable positions and take a stand on the topic.
2. Your paper must have a clear, persuasive thesis statement.
3. You need to use at least 5 sources and at least 2 of them must be scholarly sources.
4. Remember that the sources you use should support your argument. You should develop your main idea throughout the paper and use the sources to provide evidence and support for your main argument. When sources disagree with your argument, refute them in your paper.
5. Develop your argument well, paying attention to your claims, grounds, and warrants. Incorporate appeals to logos (reason), pathos (emotion), and ethos (credibility).
6. Incorporate quotes and paraphrases from your sources to support your main idea. Integrate your sources into your paper smoothly using attributing phrases and connecting sentences.
7. Cite all of your quotes and paraphrases according to MLA style.
8. Organize your paper logically:
   1. State your thesis clearly and make sure it reflects the main point of the paper.
   2. Make sure your main points are clearly stated (use topic sentences) and connect clearly to your overall thesis.
   3. Divide paragraphs logically.
   4. Use appropriate transitions between and within paragraphs.
9. Use clear, unambiguous sentence structure. Make sure there are no fragments or run-on sentences. Pay attention to verb tense, subject-verb agreement, appropriate punctuation, and other grammatical, vocabulary and mechanical issues.
10. Your paper must be 5-6 pages long, plus a title page and a works cited page, typed, double-spaced, 12-point font.