07 Jan Perform a peer review

Week 1 discussion

DQ1 In the argument chapter, you learned about expressed arguments (overt arguments attempting to persuade the audience towards a point of view) and implied arguments (arguments that appear on the surface not to be arguments but actually seek to persuade the audience of a point of view or views). For this DQ, provide a specific example from the media of an expressed argument and an implied argument and answer the following questions:

What is the expressed argument you identified? What specific argument does the author make? What evidence does the author use to support his or her claims?

What is the implied argument you identified? What specific argument does the author make? What evidence does the author use to support his or her claims?

Why is it important to understand expressed and implied arguments?

How might you use your understanding of expressed and implied arguments when drafting your first essay in this course?

Note: You may use visual arguments such as photos and pictures, but you will still need to explain your rationale for why you believe the author is making a specific argument.

Be sure to cite all sources used to compose your answer. Format your in-text citations and reference list entry according to GCU Style.

DQ2 Please review the following video Writing Process about writing introductory paragraphs and thesis statements, with particular focus on Section One: Organizing the College Essay. Note: This link works best in the Google Chrome browser.

For the first essay, you will be writing a definition essay about a term related to organ sales or donations. Please share your current thesis statement for your definition essay. Here is a sample thesis statement for the definition essay:

Organ sales in the United States would be unethical because they exploit the poor, favor the rich, and create an unfair or black market organ lottery.

During the week, respond to your classmates with constructive feedback about their thesis statements. You may consider revising your own thesis statement after receiving feedback from your peers.

Week 2 discussion

DQ1 Read “Legalizing the Organ Trade?” by Ritter, located on the Time website (copy and paste the link into the URL).

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1833858,00.html

As noted in Peter Ritter’s (2008), “Legalizing the Organ Trade?”, Singapore’s health minister, Khaw Boon Wan, argued that, “We may be able to find an acceptable way to allow a meaningful compensation for some living, unrelated kidney donors, without breaching ethical principles or hurting the sensitivities of others” (para. 2). In the definition essay assignment, you are asked to select a term, define the term, and offer evidence to support your definition of the term.

In this case, imagine you have selected the term meaningful compensation to define. You might ask yourself: What constitutes meaningful compensation for an organ donor, especially if the donor is poor and the recipient is wealthy? What examples of human organ sales can I find that match or do not match your definition of meaningful compensation? What other terms related to organ sales and donation would be suitable for an argument of definition?

DQ2 In the Aristotelian or Classical Framework for argument, a writer might target an audience of readers that is undecided or neutral about the main claim (thesis statement) of the essay. A section is placed directly before the conclusion for acknowledging opposing viewpoints. Then the writer chooses to concede or refute that view.

Why does the writer not want to spend much time on an opposing viewpoint? Why mention that viewpoint at all? How might a concession help or hinder the main claim of the essay (the thesis)? What are some opposing viewpoints you might include in your definition essay?

Week 3 discussion

DQ1 Recall your readings in Topic 1 regarding human organ donation and sales. In the article, “Kidney Shortage Inspires A Radical Idea: Organ Sales,”

https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.lopes.idm.oclc.org/docview/399092881?accountid=7374

Dr. Francis Delmonico believes that even a regulated human organ trade would be exploitative because “it’s the poor person who sells” (Meckler, 2007). Answer the following questions:

Do you agree that allowing a poor person to sell an organ is an exploitative practice? Why or why not?

What documented examples from real-life organ donors can you provide to help you demonstrate how a regulated human organ trade would (or would not) be exploitative?

If you were writing your definition essay on the term exploitative, how would you define it?

You may revisit the Human Organ Donation and Sale Resource List from Topic 1 for resources. Be sure to cite all sources used to compose your answer. Format your in-text citations and reference list entry according to GCU Style.

DQ2 Chapter 2 of the textbook discusses two scenarios in which evidence may not meet some audience’s expectations. In the first scenario, two scientific studies are in conflict with each other In the second scenario, a child psychiatrist uses stories from his patients rather than statistics as evidence. Each case poses a problem regarding the use of evidence: We sometimes have difficulty reconciling conflicting pieces of evidence, and we are reluctant to see stories, rather than statistics, as valid evidence. In the essay that you are writing right now, what kinds of evidence have you found? In what way might it meet an audience’s expectations? Name the audience, discuss how it may meet–or not meet–the audience’s expectations, and explain why. Later in the week, compare your observations about evidence with those of your classmates.

Week 4 discussion

DQ1 To help you prepare for your Cause and Effect essay on donating or selling organs, brainstorm general topics of interest and conduct an online inquiry as to possible causes and effects.

For example, you might have an interest on the effect of social media on children younger than thirteen years of age. You research young children in their tweens and discover that these individuals are more readily exposed to online interactive groups, such as Facebook, Twitter, or Web pages themed to attract a younger audience; this creates a root cause with the effect of having a large social network of friends.

This result becomes a new cause that leads to the effect of stronger Web-based communication skills, which leads to intuitive and up-to-date technology skills. This result leads to overuse of or possible Internet obsession, which results in decreased participation of afterschool activities, such as sports or music groups. This result leads to lack of focus on homework and a significant drop in academic performance, which results in poor quality of student work. The result is repeating the same grade level.

Now, create your own cause-effect chain based on your online inquiry. Make sure the cause-effect chain is logical, plausible, and realistic.

Be sure to cite all sources used to compose your answer. Format your in-text citations and reference list entry according to GCU Style.

DQ2 We are continuing to work towards our Cause and Effect essay on donating or selling organs. Watch the local news or go online and read news as presented through CNN, Google, or MSN News. Choose a current story or news event of interest. Create a list of causes for the story or event. Discuss at least three “whys” (the causes) that led to the event and three projected plausible results (the effects) from the event. Your reply should discuss a total of three causes and three effects. Support each cause and result with an explanation.

Be sure to cite all sources used to compose your answer. Format your in-text citations and reference list entry according to GCU Style

Week 5 discussion

DQ1 As you have learned from this week’s readings, a cause-effect chain argues that one thing leads to another (e.g., “Increasing levels of acidity in sea water are harming the oceans’ coral reefs.”). A causal cause and effect chain links causal claims together as links in a chain. Remember your argument is only as strong as the weakest link in your chain.

Summarize the causal cause and effect chain used by the writer in the article from The New York Times. Was the argument persuasive? Why or why not?

What has caused the growth of the legal sale of human organs in some countries, a concept unthinkable 100 years ago?

What has caused the growth of selling human organs on the black market?

What are the causes you have identified and will write about in your draft?

What are the effects you have identified and will write about in your draft?

DQ2 There is common wisdom that states, “Correlation is not causation.” Explain in your own words what this phrase means. Now, read the current draft of your cause and effect essay. Consider how you might revise your essay in light of this saying. Describe what revisions you might need to make to your essay to ensure that your argument is logical, plausible, and realistic and does not present an argument that is illogical, far-reaching, or unrealistic.

Week 8 discussion

DQ1 Use the following questions to develop ideas for your proposal.

What do you think is the most significant problem regarding the sale of organs?

Why do you think it is a problem?

Who has the power to solve this problem?

Why has it not been solved up to this point?

How can the problem be solved?

What are the benefits and costs related to your solution?

Using strategies for argumentation discussed previously in class, develop some arguments for your proposal that you could use for your skeptical audience. Refer to Chapter 7 in the textbook for additional information on rebuttals

DQ2 To whom will you address your proposal? This person (or group) will be skeptical of your views. Will it be a friend or family member with different beliefs and values related to health care and/or the human body? Are there individuals in the medical community who hold different values than you do? How about a politician or media figure?

What are their views on the issue of selling human organs, and what do they think should be done about it? Summarize the views of your skeptical audience as fairly and accurately as possible.

During the week, review your classmates’ summaries of their skeptical audiences’ views. Constructively offer feedback on their summaries. Were the summaries fair, or did they seem biased? How can you tell? Offer suggestions on how to revise their summaries.

Week 9 discussion

DQ1 Four important steps when composing a proposal include (1) convincing the audience that there is a problem that needs to be solved, (2) explaining what you want your audience to do about the problem, (3) acknowledging opposing viewpoints or steps to solving the problem and (4) justifying the action you are asking your audience to take. What strategies will you use for each step? What will make your content for each of these steps effective? Later in the week, review answers that your classmates have provided and provide feedback on their ideas.

DQ2 Many people have either engaged in an argument that seemed unresolvable or witnessed such an argument between friends and family members. Consider one of these arguments you have either experienced or witnessed, and then identify the fallacies that were expressed during this discussion or argument. Note how the fallacies prevented the discussion from being resolved. What did you learn about fallacies from this experience that you can apply to your proposal essay? How might fallacies like these be avoided in proposal writing?

Week 2 assignment

Definition Essay First Draft

Definition Argument Essay Assignment

Goal

Write a 1,500-1,750-word essay using five to seven academic resources in which you argue that a contested “case” involving the sale, trade, or donation of human organs fits (or does not fit) within a given category. A case may include a specific news article, story, or incident illustrating a dilemma or controversy relating to the exchange of human organs. The case does not need to be a court case.

Directions

Follow these steps when composing your essay:

1. Start by selecting a controversial case found in the media involving the sale, trade, or donation of human organs. For example, an appropriate case might include a story in the news about an organ broker, and the term to define might be “criminal.”

2. Decide what category you think your case belongs in, with the understanding that others may disagree with you about the definition of your category, and/or whether your chosen case matches your category.

3. In the opening of your essay, introduce the case you will examine and pose your definition question. Do not simply summarize here. Instead, introduce the issue and offer context.

4. To support your argument, define the boundaries of your category (criteria) by using a commonly used definition or by developing your own extended definition. Defining your boundaries simply means naming the criteria by which you will discuss your chosen case involving the sale, trade, or donation of human organs. If you determine, for example, that an organ broker is a criminal, what criteria constitute this? A criminal may intentionally harm others, which could be one of your criteria.

5. In the second part of your argument (the match), show how your case meets (or does not meet) your definition criteria. Perhaps by comparing or sizing up your controversial case to other cases can help you to develop your argument.

This essay is NOT simply a persuasive essay on the sale, trade, or donation of human organs. It is an argumentative essay where the writer explains what a term means and uses a specific case to explore the meaning of that term in depth.

First Draft Grading

• You will receive completion points for the first draft based upon the successful submission of a complete draft.

• Because your first draft is a completion grade, do not assume that this grade reflects or predicts the final grade. If you do not consider your instructor’s comments, you may be deducted points on your final draft.

Final Draft Grading

The essay will be graded using a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the assignment criteria and expectations.

Sources

• Include in-text citations and a references page in GCU Style for FIVE to SEVEN scholarly sources outside of class texts.

• These sources should be used to support any claims you make and should be present in the text of the essay.

• Use the GCU Library to help you find sources.

• Include this research in the paper in a scholarly manner.

Format

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the GCU Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

Turnitin

• You are required to submit this assignment to Turnitin. Refer to the directions in the Student Success Center.

• Please be sure your Turnitin score is at an acceptable level before submitting the draft to your instructor.

Submit the rough draft of this assignment to your instructor AND post this draft as an attachment in the Module 2 Peer Review Forum: Definition by Day 3 of Week 2.

Week 3 assignment

Definition Essay Final Draft

Revise the draft you wrote in Topic 2, utilizing the feedback from your peer review. Complete your revision in conjunction with the guidelines for the first draft assignment given in Topic 2.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for a successful completion.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the GCU Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

You are required to submit this assignment to Turnitin. Refer to the directions in the Student Success Center.

Week 4 assignment

Benchmark – Cause/Effect Argument First Draft

Cause and Effect Argument Essay Assignment

Goal

Choose a trend or phenomenon related to the sale, trade, or donation of human organs. The trend or phenomenon should have a definable set of causes and effects. Write a 1,500–1,750-word argument using five to seven academic resources that persuades an audience to accept your explanation of the causes and effects of your chosen trend or phenomenon related to the sale, trade, or donation of human organs.

Directions

Imagine your issue either as a puzzle or as a disagreement. If your issue is like a puzzle that needs to be put together, your task will be to create a convincing case for an audience that does not have an answer to your cause and effect question already in mind. If your issue is like a disagreement that needs to be resolved, your argument must be overtly persuasive because your goal will be to change your audience’s views.

Be sure to examine alternative hypotheses or opposing views and explain your reasons for rejecting them.

This essay is NOT a CASUAL essay. Instead, it is a cause and effect essay. A cause and effect essay explains the causes and effects of a trend or phenomenon involving the sale, trade, or donation of human organs.

First Draft Grading

• You will receive completion points for the first draft based upon the successful submission of a complete draft.

• Because your first draft is a completion grade, do not assume that this grade reflects or predicts the final grade. If you do not consider your instructor’s comments, you may be deducted points on your final draft.

Final Draft Grading

The essay will be graded using a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the assignment criteria and expectations.

Sources

• Include in-text citations and a references page in GCU Style for FIVE to SEVEN scholarly sources outside of class texts.

• These sources should be used to support any claims you make and should be present in the text of the essay.

• Use the GCU Library to help you find sources.

• Include this research in the paper in a scholarly manner.

Format

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the GCU Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

Turnitin

• You are required to submit this assignment to Turnitin. Refer to the directions in the Student Success Center.

• Please be sure your Turnitin score is at an acceptable level before submitting the draft to your instructor.

Submit the rough draft of this assignment to your instructor in the assignment drop box AND post this draft as an attachment in the Module 4 Peer Review Forum: Cause and Effect by Day 3 of Week 4.

Week 5 assignment

Benchmark – Cause and Effect Argument Final Draft

Revise the draft you wrote in Topic 4 utilizing the feedback from your peer review. Complete your revision in conjunction with the guidelines for the first draft assignment given in Topic 4.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the GCU Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

The final draft of this assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to Turnitin. Refer to the directions in the Student Success Center.

Week 8 assignment

Proposal Argument Essay Assignment

Assignment adapted from Chapter 7 of the textbook.

A Policy Proposal as a Guest Editorial

Write a 1,500-1,750-word policy proposal related to the sale, trade, or donation of human organs using five to seven academic resources. The policy proposal should be suitable for publication as an editorial in a college or city newspaper or in a publication associated with a particular group, such as a church newsletter or employee bulletin. The voice and style of your argument should be aimed at readers of your chosen publication. Remember to not use first person pronouns (I, me, us, we, our, my, mine) or second person pronouns (you, your, yours) in this guest editorial writing, unless given permission by your instructor.

Your editorial should have the following features:

1. Identify the problem related to the sale, trade, or donation of human organs.

2. Persuade the audience that you have selected that this is a problem that needs solving; give it presence.

3. Propose action offering specific details to show how the actions will help alleviate the problem.

4. Justify your solution; the reasons why your audience should accept your proposal and act on it.

This essay is NOT simply a persuasive essay on organ sale, trade, or donation. It is an argumentative proposal that offers a practical and justifiable solution to a problem related to organ donation.

First Draft Grading

• You will receive completion points for the first draft based upon the successful submission of a complete draft.

• Because your first draft is a completion grade, do not assume that this grade reflects or predicts the final grade. If you do not consider your instructor’s comments, you may be deducted points on your final draft.

Final Draft Grading

The essay will be graded using a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the assignment criteria and expectations.

Sources

• Include in-text citations and a references page in GCU Style for FIVE to SEVEN scholarly sources outside of class texts.

• These sources should be used to support any claims you make and should be present in the text of the essay.

• Use the GCU Library to help you find sources.

• Include this research in the paper in a scholarly manner.

Format

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the GCU Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

Turnitin

• You are required to submit this assignment to Turnitin. Refer to the directions in the Student Success Center.

• Please be sure your Turnitin score is at an acceptable level before submitting the draft to your instructor.

Submit this assignment to your instructor AND post this draft as an attachment in the Module 6 Peer Review Forum: Proposal by Day 3 of Week 6.

Week 9 assignment

Proposal Argument Final Draft

Revise the draft you wrote in Topic 6 utilizing the feedback from your peer review. Complete your revision in conjunction with the guidelines for the first draft assignment given in Topic 6.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the GCU Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

The final draft of this assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to Turnitin. Refer to the directions in the Student Success Center.

Week 2 Peer Review Forum: Definition

Please follow these steps:

Review the “Rubric Peer Review” media piece for information on effective peer reviews.

Begin by posting your Definition Argument Rough Draft by the deadline to TWO places: the Week 2 Peer Review Forum: Definition AND the Week 2 Definition Argument First Draft assignment box.

Perform a peer review of the draft of the classmate who posted his/her response directly below yours in the Week 2 Peer Review forum. If your draft is the last posted, review the first draft posted. Then, complete the “Peer Review Worksheet: Definition” (see attachment in assignment box) to guide your review of a classmate’s paper.

You will then need to post your completed Peer Review Worksheet to TWO places: the Week 2 Peer Review Forum: Definition for your peer to view AND the Week 2 Peer Review Assignment for the Definition Argument Essay assignment box, so the instructor can grade your work.

Attach the file with your completed Peer Review Worksheet to the Peer Review Forum: Definition as a “reply” to the initial post of your peer’s first draft.

Please note that to participate in the peer review process you must post your essay by 11:59 pm (AZ time) on Wednesday of Week 2.

If you do not submit the First Draft or Peer Review Worksheet to both places or if you review the wrong person, you may not receive full credit for this assignment.

Week 4 Peer Review Forum: Cause/Effect

Please follow these steps:

Review the “Rubric Peer Review” media piece for information on effective peer reviews.

Begin by posting your Cause/Effect Rough Draft by the deadline to TWO places: the Week 4 Peer Review Forum: Cause/Effect AND the Week 4 Cause/Effect Argument First Draft assignment box.

Perform a peer review of the draft of the classmate who posted his/her response directly below yours in the Week 4 Peer Review forum. If your draft is the last posted, review the first draft posted. Then, complete the “Peer Review Worksheet: Cause/Effect” (see the attachment in the Week 4 Argument First Draft Assignment box) to guide your review of a classmate’s paper.

You will then need to post your completed Peer Review Worksheet to TWO places: the Week 4 Peer Review Forum: Cause/Effect for your peer to view AND the Week 4 Peer Review Assignment for the Cause/Effect Essay assignment box, so the instructor can grade your work.

Attach the file with your completed Peer Review Worksheet to the Peer Review Forum: Cause/Effect as a “reply” to the initial post of your peer’s first draft.

Please note that to participate in the peer review process you must post your essay by 11:59 pm (AZ time) on Wednesday of Week 4.

If you do not submit the First Draft or Peer Review Worksheet to both places or if you review the wrong person, you may not receive full credit for this assignment.

Week 8 Peer Review Forum: Proposal

Please follow these steps:

Review the “Rubric Peer Review” media piece for information on effective peer reviews.

Begin by posting your Proposal Argument Assignment Rough Draft by the deadline to TWO places: the Week 6 Peer Review Forum: Proposal AND the Week 6 Proposal Argument First Draft assignment box.

Perform a peer review of the draft of the classmate who posted his/her response directly below yours in the Week 6 Peer Review forum. If your draft is the last posted, review the first draft posted. Then, complete the “Peer Review Worksheet: Proposal” (see attachment in the Proposal Argument Assignment box) to guide your review of a classmate’s paper.

You will then need to post your completed Peer Review Worksheet to TWO places: the Week 6 Peer Review Forum: Proposal for your peer to view AND the Week 6 Peer Review Assignment for the Proposal Argument Essay assignment box, so the instructor can grade your work.

Attach the file with your completed Peer Review Worksheet to the Peer Review Forum: Proposal as a “reply” to the initial post of your peer’s first draft.

Please note that to participate in the peer review process you must post your essay by 11:59 pm (AZ time) on Wednesday of Week 6.

If you do not submit the First Draft or Peer Review Worksheet to both places or if you review the wrong person, you may not receive full credit for this assignment.