Argumentative Essay For Birth Control, Morning After Pills
Research Paper RequirementsFor this new unit, you will be writing a research paper on a topic of your choice. You must choose a controversial topic and it must be pre-approved with Miss Butcher before the research starts. The idea is to help you develop proper researching skills, demonstrate your ability to use the research to prove a point, and enhance your ability to correctly format an argumentative essay. Due Date: Currently set for November 18th. The following topics are on the “NO” list: Abortion, Capital Punishment, Civil Rights, and the Holocaust. Your Job: a 7-10 page research paper in MLA format with a Works Cited page1. Choose a stance on the topic a. Decide which side you want to support and your initial thoughts on why you want to support that side.2. Research a controversial topica. Need at least 6 sourcesi. 2 booksii. 1 peer reviewed Journal Articleiii. 1 Websiteiv. 1 Database search (instructions on my website)v. 1. Other Sources: interviews, documentaries, surveys etc.b. Fill out at least 20 Notecards for research (instructions on my website)3. Once research is complete, you will organize your thoughts in an outline (instructions on my website). 4. Write your first draft- must be typed for easier editing. 5. Self-Edit and fix any errors that you have found.6. Peer Edit- student or adult must sign your draft and changes must be apparent to earn the points for the Editing process. 7. Fix errors and print the final copy. MAKE SURE IT IS IN MLA FORMAT!Argumentative Paper Format*Please note that this is only a sample format. There are multiple ways to organize an INTRODUCTIONo 1-2 paragraphs topsargumentative papero PURPOSE: To set up and state one's claim o OPTIONAL ELEMENTS Make your introductory paragraph interesting. How can you draw your readers in? What background information, if any, do we need to know in order to understand your claim? If you don't follow this paragraph with a background information paragraph, please insert that info here.o REQUIRED ELEMENTS If you're arguing about a literary work—state author + title If you're arguing about an issue or theory – provide brief explanationor your of issue/theory. If you're arguing about a film—state director, year + title STATE your claim at the end of your introductory paragraph BACKGROUND PARAGRAPHo 1-2 paragraphs tops; Optional (can omit for some papers). Also, sometimesthis info is incorporated into the introduction paragraph (see above). o PURPOSE: Lays the foundation for proving your argument.o Will often include: Summary of works being discussed Definition of key terms Explanation of key theories SUPPORTING EVIDENCE PARAGRAPH #1o PURPOSE: To prove your argument. Usually is one paragraph but it can belonger.o Topic Sentence: What is one item, fact, detail, or example you can tell yourreaders that will help them better understand your claim/paper topic? Your
answer should be the topic sentence for this paragraph.
o Explain Topic Sentence: Do you need to explain your topic sentence? If so,
do so here.
o Introduce Evidence: Introduce your evidence either in a few words (As Dr.
Brown states ―...‖) or in a full sentence (―To understand this issue we first
need to look at statistics).
o State Evidence: What supporting evidence (reasons, examples, facts,
statistics, and/or quotations) can you include to prove/support/explain your
topic sentence?
o Explain Evidence: How should we read or interpret the evidence you are
providing us? How does this evidence prove the point you are trying to make
in this paragraph? Can be opinion based and is often at least 1-3 sentences. o Concluding Sentence: End your paragraph with a concluding sentence that
reasserts how the topic sentence of this paragraph helps up better understand and/or prove your paper's overall claim.
Courtesy the Odegaard Writing & Research Center http://www(dot)depts(dot)washington(dot)edu/owrc
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SUPPORTING EVIDENCE PARAGRAPH #2, 3, 4 etc. o Repeat above
COUNTERARGUMENT PARAGRAPH
o PURPOSE: To anticipate your reader's objections; make yourself sound more
objective and reasonable.
o Optional; usually 1-2 paragraphs tops
o What possible argument might your reader pose against your argument
and/or some aspect of your reasoning? Insert one or more of those
arguments here and refute them.
o End paragraph with a concluding sentence that reasserts yournpaper's claim
as a whole.
CONCLUSION PART 1: SUM UP PARAGRAPH
o PURPOSE: Remind readers of your argument and supporting evidence
o Conclusion you were most likely taught to write in High School o Restates your paper's overall claim and supporting evidence
CONCLUSION PART 2: YOUR “SO WHAT” PARAGRAPH
o PURPOSE: To illustrate to your instructor that you have thought critically
and analytically about this issue.
o Your conclusion should not simply restate your intro paragraph. If your conclusion says almost the exact same thing as your introduction, it may indicate that you have not done enough critical thinking during the course of your essay (since you ended up right where you started).
o Your conclusion should tell us why we should care about your paper. What is the significance of your claim? Why is it important to you as the writer or to me as the reader? What information should you or I take away from this?
o Your conclusion should create a sense of movement to a more complex understanding of the subject of your paper. By the end of your essay, you should have worked through your ideas enough so that your reader understands what you have argued and is ready to hear the larger point (i.e. the "so what") you want to make about your topic.
o Your conclusion should serve as the climax of your paper. So, save your strongest analytical points for the end of your essay, and use them to drive your conclusion
o Vivid, concrete language is as important in a conclusion as it is elsewhere-- perhaps more essential, since the conclusion determines the reader's final impression of your essay. Do not leave them with the impression that your argument was vague or unsure.
o WARNING: It's fine to introduce new information or quotations in your conclusions, as long as the new points grow from your argument. New points might be more general, answering the "so what" question; they might be quite specific. Just avoid making new claims that need lots of additional support.
Courtesy the Odegaard Writing & Research Center http://www(dot)depts(dot)washington(dot)edu/owrc
Page 2 of 3
OUTLINE WORKSHOP
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND
SUPPORTING EVIDENCE #1
SUPPORTING EVIDENCE #2
SUPPORTING EVIDENCE #3
COUNTERARGUMENT
SUM UP CONCLUSION
Sum up claim + supporting evidence statements SO WHAT CONCLUSION
Institution:
Date:
Course:
Birth control
According toCITATION Ste11 \l 1033 (Sober and Schreiber) over 75 million women worldwide utilize oral contraceptive pills (OCPS) for contraception and in the United States, over 80% of women born after 1945 have used OCPS at some time in their lives. These statistics show the magnitude of how contraceptives are being used around the world especially by women to control the likelihood of unwanted pregnancy. However, the use of contraceptives has been a hotly debated topic over the years. The debate is mainly hinged on personal belief systems, legal framework and scientific definition of terms like conception. Amidst all these debates, contraceptives have been widely used to prevent unwanted pregnancies all over the world. Actually, the use of contraceptives dates back to Egyptians in 1550 BC who used Acai leaves to prevent unwanted pregnancies CITATION Pot16 \l 1033 (Potts). Over the centuries which followed the practice spread all over the world and new technologies were invented. In the 20th century condoms came and added to the existing methods of using contraceptives. Pharmaceutical industries continue to produce more drugs regarding the same and lately it has started to birth hot debates about the morality and legality of using these drugs. Morality mainly stems from cultural and religious issues that demonize use of contraceptives citing its unnatural and it ‘terminates’ the life of another sentient being. Religion especially some Christian churches have opposed use of contraceptives and cited it is unbiblical and thus amounts to sin. Other traditional regressive cultures especially practices in Africa cite that contraceptives denies them the ability to create life. In this research paper, the contentious debate on contraceptives is discussed in details featuring the main reasons that have fueled the debate.
Notably, not all forms of contraceptives have been contentiously debated. Condoms have been widely accepted as a safe way of preventing pregnancies. They are only disallowed by the groups which believe sex is only for procreation which is a misleading argument. It has also been supported by most religious and civil rights groups who oppose other forms of contraceptives. Additionally, condoms are advocated since they prevent other sexually transmitted diseases. Notably, one might be quick to judge that the contraceptives administered on women are contentious. Some contraceptives like IUD and implants are also permitted by most religious and civil groups who object other forms of contraceptives. Implants which are mainly hormonal are permitted since they do not contravene the definition of ‘conception’. This is because their mode of preventing pregnancy does not kill a fertilized egg. They prevent release of an egg from the ovary or act as spermicides. The mainly contested contraceptive is the ‘morning after’ pill which works in a couple of ways.
First, ‘morning after pills’ can prevent the ovulation such that the egg is never released from the ovary after intercourse. This means that the sperms which had made their way to the uterus or even the fallopian tubes will never fertilize the eggs and thus there will not be a ‘conception’. The sperms die and the egg is released later when there are no surviving sperms in the female productive organ system. Secondly, they may prevent the fertilization of the egg. In this case, the contraceptive acts as a spermicide and kills all sperms before they reach the egg in the fallopian tube. Finally, they may prevent a fertilized egg from attaching to the walls of the uterus. A process known as implantation. This is achieved by preventing the necessary production of hormones that aids in implantation and suppressing the ovaries from producing other eggs for fertilization. This is the hotly debated form of contraceptive. The latter form of preventing pregnancy is cited by the anti-contraceptive advocates to contravene the definition of conception.
Conception is defined as the process where by a sperm fertilizes an egg, typically in the fallopian tube. Some other scientists and group of anti-contraceptives claim that pregnancy starts after implantation of the egg on the uterine walls. The issue stems from the definition of the term conception. Some says conception is successful implantation whilst others define it to be the fertilization of an egg by a sperm. Those who ascribe to the definition of conception as the start of human life term and condemn those who refer conception as successful implantation. They cite that such people are oblivious of the fact that two DNA have come together to create a new human who has rights. According to CITATION Rut09 \l 1033 (Porter and O'Connor), literally speaking, 'contraception' is 'contra-conception', after fertilization, contraception no longer applies. This means that contraception definition is limited in its scope and thus if fertilization occurs, then life has started. The contraception is thus said to have failed and any procedure to end that pregnancy is considered abortion rather than contracepting. The proponents overlook the fact that the implantation is a non-issue in consideration of when life begins. On the other hand, those who define conception as implantation cite that even under normal circumstances a fertilized egg might not be implanted and thus hinging the blame alone on fertilization alone is not sufficient. Most contraceptive debates have always gravitated to the definition of conception.
Some anti-contraceptive use supporters have also cited health effects of these drugs and called for their abolition on such grounds. The side effects of some of these drugs include increase in weight, skin problems like acnes, poor appetite, decreased libido etc. These health effects have also been substantial cause for the call of these drugs. However, almost all drugs have side effects and calling for the abolition of drugs over side effects is a weak reason against the b...