Argumentative Topic to Research: LGBTQ Education
Write a Research Question, Thesis, and Outline
ASSIGNMENT: Following the Topic Selection Guidelines below, choose an argumentative topic to research. This will be your topic throughout the entire course, so the activities required for this assignment will provide the foundation for your future Touchstones. The topic for an argumentative research paper must be an arguable topic, meaning that it involves a stance that advocates for a concrete course of action and at least three supporting reasons which are defensible with credible sources. Additionally, it must take a stance that someone could hypothetically disagree with. You will need to take a firm position on the topic and use evidence and logic to support the position. Touchstone 1.2 includes a research question, a working thesis, a detailed outline, and a reflection on this pre-writing process.
A. Topic Selection Guidelines
DIRECTIONS: You may choose any topic you wish as long as the stance is arguable and the supporting reasons are defensible with evidence. Your topic should be current, appropriate for an academic context and should have a focus suitable for a 6-8 page essay.
In order to foster learning and growth, all essays you submit must be newly written specifically for this course. Any recycled work will be sent back with a 0, and you will be given one attempt to redo the Touchstone.
EXAMPLE THESIS STATEMENTS (off-limits):
1. Rather than ending at age eighteen, compulsory education in the United States should be lifelong in order to improve civic engagement, teach new skills, and stave off cognitive decline, thus extending life expectancies.
2. Local governments, businesses, and property owners should replace conventional grass lawns with clover lawns in order to create habitat for pollinators, save water, and reduce maintenance, which will also lower carbon emissions.
3. Colleges and universities should prioritize academic freedom for students because sensitive discussions on difficult topics are necessary for students to learn, confidence in their own expertise is essential to teachers being effective, and students should be prepared to be exposed to many different opinions.
1. Research Question and Working Thesis
Keep in mind: The research question and working thesis are the driving force behind your research and eventual argument.
❒ Your research question should be a single sentence, framed as a question.
❒ Your working thesis should be a single focused sentence, framed as an actionable statement that takes a clear position on the research question and includes three main supporting points for holding that position.
❒ Include your research question followed by your working thesis.
2. Detailed Outline
Keep in mind: Your detailed outline provides a map of the argumentative research essay that you will write in Touchstone 3.2, including your key claims and the sources that support them. You might not have all seven required sources yet, and that is fine (at least three are required). The outline is a way to organize your essay and determine which areas (e.g. your sub-points) will require researched evidence as support.
❒ Headings: one for each paragraph with a brief label of the paragraph’s controlling idea(s).
❒ An introduction, at least five body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
❒ Introduction includes your working thesis.
❒ Body paragraphs should each have their own unique title and key points.
❒ At least one body paragraph is devoted to addressing counterarguments.
❒ Conclusion includes notes on your final thoughts.
❒ Subheadings: two to five for each paragraph, below each heading, indicating key points that support the controlling idea
❒ Sources: one to three for each paragraph, as relevant, indicating the support for the key points. Do not over-rely on any single source.
❒ For each source, include the author’s name and the idea or information relevant to your argument (e.g. “Lappé (2017) on mono-cropping corn/soy and production”). Link with a website if it is available.
Requirements
The following requirements must be met for your submission to be graded:
Double-space the outline and use one-inch margins.
Use a readable 12-point font.
All writing must be appropriate for an academic context.
Composition must be original and written for this assignment.
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 must include your name, the name of the course, the date, and the title of your composition.
Submission must include your research question, working thesis, outline, and reflection questions.
Include all of the assignment components in a single file.
Acceptable file formats include .doc and .docx.
Despite some critics' counterarguments that lack of support from the administration, parents' pushback, and ambiguity about teaching approaches do not permit such education, including LGBTQ education, is the need of time, the following paragraphs substantiate this fact.
LGBTQ Education Promotes Safe Sexual Practices
Sexually Transmitted Diseases in the LGBTQ Community
Due to lack of information about safe sexual practices, young people having queer sexual tendencies are more susceptible to sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) than heterosexual students are.
Lack of Understanding Increases Susceptibility to STDs
The lack of understanding of their queer sexual tendency due to the unavailability of this crucial information at the school level complicates their sexual life, leading to increased cases of STDs among LGBTQ youth.
Lack of LGBTQ Education Creates Intense Psychological Issues
Discrimination and Ignorance Develops Suicidal Ideation
When teachers and students are unaware of the biological condition and rights of the LGBTQ community, they maintain a hostile attitude toward them and create a negative school environment for these students.
Psychological Distress Increases Substance Abuse
In most cases, lack of information about the LGBTQ community generates ignorance about their physical and psychological issues; resultantly, these students' psychological disturbance hits the sky.
Lack of LGBTQ Education Promotes Prejudice
Heterosexual Education Increases Challenges for LGBTQ Community
Other than the complete absence of LGBQT education, the provision of heterosexual education in most schools provides a way to exclude discussion over the sexual orienta...