Teachers and parents should push their kids to explore other options outside of school that could lead to them being successful.
Assignment: Primary-Source Position Essay
Objective:

For this assignment, you will explore an original, localized, current issue that needs attention or improvement. Select a topic relevant to your personal experience, authority, and professional field of study. Introduce, define and explain the topic so that your readers understand the history and context and appreciate the significance of it. Provide a purpose statement that summarizes the intention of the writing (thesis). Develop the purpose statement with primary sources. This will be the foundation of your research paper and will feature information that you have observed, measured, experienced, collected, or produced first-hand. Your audience and methods of persuasion should be given careful consideration. Not only should your arguments appeal to and benefit a focused primary audience (decision-makers), but secondary audiences (teacher and classmates) indirectly connected to your issue should also find your writing clear, informative, substantive, and convincing.

Report Considerations:

Introduction
1. First, generate reader interest in the topic. Why is it important?
2. Provide a context for the discussion, which should include your personal interest and experience in the topic, along with well-chosen examples, and any necessary definitions of terms or concepts.
3. Keep your audience in mind. These are the decision-makers who can act on your recommendation. You also have a secondary audience that may include your teacher, peers, or college community, so your discussion should clarify the issue for a larger audience.
4. Establish a serious tone in standard, formal English. Since you are writing for multiple audiences, your introduction should establish a neutral, dispassionate tone in formal, precise, literal, and technically-appropriate language that you will sustain throughout the report.

5. Make sure your thesis opinion is stated explicitly and placed in the last sentence in the introduction.

This thesis will be based on the Outline that you produced for this paper and the research paper.

It will contain the opposing view, your view and reasons, and your call-to-action.

Example Thesis:

Although martial arts can be competition-based, they also provide benefits of respect, physical coordination, and self-defense, so parents encourage their children to study a martial arts to enhance their health and well-being.

Body

Every paragraph should contain explicit topic sentences that support thesis ideas in the order prescribed by the thesis.

Example Thesis with Supportive Topic Sentences:

Although martial arts can be competition-based, they also provide benefits of respect, physical coordination, and self-defense, so parents should encourage their children to study martial arts to enhance their children’s health and well-being.

Thesis ideas #1 and #2: martial arts can be competition-based… benefits of respect

Topic sentence #1, opposing view with rebuttal: Unfortunately, some martial arts focus on competition and teach students to fight to win, instead of fighting for self-defense however, most martial arts teach students self-respect and to respect those around them.

Thesis idea #2: they provide benefits of physical coordination

Topic sentence #2: Those of us who practice martial arts also discover that there are health benefits that are a result of the exercise, especially physical coordination.

Thesis idea #3: they provide benefits of self-defense

Topic sentence #3: One of the main reasons why many of us learn a martial art is to learn self-defense to keep us safe and prepared for the worst.

Thesis idea #4: conclusion with Call-to-Action: parents should encourage their children to study martial arts

Topic sentence #4, conclusion with Call-to-Action: parents should encourage their children to study martial arts

STUDENT EXAMPLE INTRODUCTION,

FIRST BODY PARAGRAPH & CONCLUSION

The Benefits of Martial Arts

I have practiced a variety of martial arts for a little over 10 years, including Cuong Nhu, which is a mix of Judo, Aikido, Wing Chun, Vovinam, Tai Chi Chuan, and boxing. I mainly joined a martial arts program because when I was in elementary school I was of small stature, and many of the kids picked on me and were violent with each other, so I wanted to know how to defend myself as a precaution. Although I wasn’t looking to fight my classmates, this experience gave me self-confidence that likely protected me. I had a level of pride that projected to others that I was not going to be an easy target. I never had to fight in self-defense, but I know that I can handle myself because of my training. The term “martial arts” is used as a label for a variety of sports that initially teach self-defense, and the word “martial” refers to combat or war, but it doesn’t have to be violent or only a means of winning medals. Although martial arts can be competition-based, they also provide benefits of respect, physical coordination, and self-defense, so vulnerable people should study a martial arts to enhance their health and well-being.

Unfortunately, some martial arts focus on competition and teach students to fight to win, instead of fighting for self-defense; however, most martial arts teach students self-respect and to respect those around them. Some of the martial arts that teach competition-based fighting are Muay Thai, Krav maga, and Kung Fu. However, most people who are properly taught a martial art attempt to avoid conflict as opponents could inflict serious damage or even death. Respect for the opponent ensures that all parties understand the lethal-level strength the other possesses. The first month that I started to practice a martial art, I learned both my limitations and strengths as I regarded my opponent as an extended version of myself during combat. Mutual respect kept us healthy, alive, and able to leave the Dojo as friends as well as competitors….

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WARNING: If you include ideas that are not your own, that are borrowed from another source (secondary), documentation is required, which includes both in text-citations and a Works Cited (MLA) or References (APA) page.

The inclusion of undocumented borrowed ideas is plagiarism.

Conclusion

Make sure your final paragraph is fully developed and offers a sense of finality. Emphasize why your position is important and should be adopted by decision-makers. Bring the discussion full circle to the introduction, and be sure to reach out to your audience one last time; make sure you leave a favorable, lasting impression.

Example Conclusion with Call-to-Action:

Most martial arts start by teaching respect, so parents should consider placing their children in a martial arts program, for the younger generation can have a stronger sense of respect and comradery. Many of the younger generation lack the appropriate respect for their parents, teachers, students, or other people around them. Respect and teamwork are important lessons that every person must learn if they plan on living a productive life.