Engineering 100-980
Argumentative Essay on NASA
Contents
Purpose
The purpose of this argumentative essay is to build on the research, paragraphing, visual, and argumentative work you’ve done in tech comm. assignments 1-3 and make a compelling, persuasive argument about NASA.
Task
Your task is to write a short essay which argues that NASA is still a hub for innovation or whether it isn’t. In order to do this, you’ll need to conduct research, gather reputable sources, gather visual aids, make an argument, support that argument, and edit everything to the appropriate, collegiate level.
Your paper should be no shorter than two pages and no longer than three pages. It should be formatted according to IEEE style.
You are required to use at least two reputable sources. Note the word reputable. Your sources do not have to be scholarly, but they should be appropriate for your rhetorical situation, i.e. your audience and purpose. Remember to effectively integrate your sources.
While visuals aren’t required, consider that the purpose of your essay is to convince your audience that what you’re writing is true. This task will be easier if you combine text and visual to make a compelling, persuasive argument. If you do include visuals, make sure to format them properly.
Here are some hints to keep you from doing extra work and to help you earn the highest possible grade:
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Have the research lecture slide deck open to help when conducting research and selecting sources
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Have the effective paragraphing slide deck open to help when writing
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Have the visuals slide open to help when selecting and formatting visuals
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Have the document org/integrating evidence and citation/PEEL paragraph slide deck open to help with all the above!
Formatting specifications:
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No more than three pages, no less than two pages
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Clear organization with consistent formatting
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Single-spaced paragraphs, not indented, space between paragraphs
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Numbered pages
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Serif font (e.g. Times New Roman), size 11 or 12
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In-text citations and reference page in IEEE style
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One-inch margins
Criteria for Success
I’ll grade your document out of forty points. Criteria for success include:
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Argument: is there a clear argument, is this argument supported by evidence presented throughout the essay
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Evidence: does essay incorporate evidence from at least two credible sources, are sources appropriate, is use of evidence (paraphrase, summary, quotation) clearly integrated into the text to enhance audience’s understanding of the argument, is there a reference page, includes proper in-text and reference page citation
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Structure & Organization: essay follows best practices as discussed in class, essay includes a clear introduction, essay is organized into well-developed paragraphs with clear topic sentences and clear evidence, ideas follow a logical progression, if visuals are included then are the visuals integrated properly
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Proofreading & Professionalism: essay follows formatting specifications, proofread and free of mechanical errors, if visuals are included then are the visuals formatted properly
Your final score will be the average of all four criteria scores and correspond to the table below.
| Full Competency—Work requires few to no revisions | 40 points |
| Moderate Competency—Work requires only lower-order revision to improve clarity | 35 points |
| Some Competency—Work requires significant revision for its argument to be convincing to the audience | 31 points |
| Little Competency—Work requires higher-order revision because it has missed the mark in a key way | 0-30 points |
| No evidence provided | may receive some points based on completeness |