Youth should not play football due to concussions

ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAYPlanning Worksheet

I. The position that I will take in my essay is: Youth should not play football due to concussions. (make this as specific as possible).

II. I will be using the following source(s) that describes research on the white matter of the brain:

A reference book for this

III. Identify which source of research will provide evidence to support your position. Evidence can be drawn from journal articles, government websites, or non-profit organizations that describe researh. Enough of a citation must be put here for me to find your specific source. (Just “APA website” or American Psychologist is not adequate.).
Source Available thru Ivy Tech library
Need available as a full text

IV. Beyond those factual sources, I will use the following 2 sources to help me develop my logic or to bolster my position with interesting details relevant to my topic. A possible source is a newspaper, magazine or blog. Enough information must be put here for me to find your specific source.

Source Available thru Ivy Tech library
1. Terl, S. (Dec, 2011). Concussions in Youth Sports. Parks & Recreation. Dec2011, Vol. 46 Issue 12, p15-17. 3p
It mentions that Shane Caswell, a high school hockey player, was one youth who experienced concussion when his head was hit during the game. Furthermore, the symptoms of concussion include headache, vision problem or light sensitivity, and vomiting or Nausea. INSET: CONCUSSION TIPS.

2. Dillon, N.(Aug2011). Head Games. American School Board Journal. Aug2011, Vol. 198 Issue 8, p17-19. 3p.

ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY
(20 pts. planning / 30 pts. paper)
This assignment allows students to address a current social problem in the United States. Students’ social problem is how parents and schools should handle concussions in youth football. Students may take a position that fit their values and life experiences, but their essay needs to have research that substantiates that view. The assignment involves writing a 3-5 page paper addressing the topic.

Heartfelt feelings and strong opinions, even values that you hold, may underlie your position on football. On any controversial issue, your genuine intentions and devotion to a value are commendable. But, they will gain you few followers among others at home, at college or in the workplace if they are not substantiated. Your paper can be filled with impassioned ideas, but no case has been made successfully without factual information and logical reasoning.

So, it is essential that at least a page of your essay is course content related to the brain. For another, this written piece is an academic assignment. That means that the position that is taken must be supported both by factual information (i.e. at least a page of evidence on concussions from outside sources) and by logical argument.

Below, I have attached the criteria by which your essay will be evaluated. You’ll notice that the majority of the criteria (#1, 2, & 3) relate to course content, evidence, or critical thinking.

Evaluation of Essay
General requirement:_____Essay is 3-5 pages (1.5 line spacing, 1”margins)

Content requirements:
____ 1. Content from the notes & textbook has been described accurately & shows understanding of psychology.

____ 2. Explanation of evidence from outside factual sources makes sense.

____ 3. Position is supported by psy. content & evidence and reasoned argument.

____ 4. Essay is written so that ideas are clear (spelling, grammar, word usage, organization).

required sources (see the planning worksheet)
Four sources are required to support your essay.

1. a. Factual information on the white matter of the brain and
b. Evidence for your position on concussions and football
should be drawn from at least one source each. Choose your sources carefully. For at least those two sources, the author must cite facts, and in psychology that requires that research studies be identified. For this essay, those two sources must do more than identify studies or simply state their results, but also they must describe how those studies were conducted.

Journal articles and Internet sites of academic institutions or the government are recommended for those two sources. Articles are available through databases that can be accessed through the virtual library of our college. You can connect to those databases through Campus Connect. Academic websites are identified in their URL by _____.edu. Also, useful are websites of the federal government. Those public websites are identified by _____.gov.

Or, research may be acquired from the website of the American Psychological Association (apa.org). Other non-profit organization websites may be used if they report research.

2. a. Reasoning for your position should be supported by two additional sources in addition to those assigned for class. Or, these sources may be useful in providing interesting details to bolster your argument (e.g. a case study). You may use the popular media (i.e. magazines, newspaper, television, or non-profit organizations on the Internet) for your ideas or details. No commercial websites (_____.com) other than magazines, newspapers, or television should be used. Magazines and newspapers also can be found in databases through Campus Connect.

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