Position papers give you the opportunity to practice framing an argument according to a particular critical methodology. You cannot write a fullly argued, well-supported essay, but you can lay out the key points and moments of support for a particular approach.

Assignment: Prepare a 500 word (one single spaced page) position paper using the critical methodology designated in the Vista assignment. Use Lynn (Texts and Contexts) as well as in class discussion to guide your application of the method.

Format: Use the MLA Handbook for formatting guidelines; include a Works Cited page.

Contents: These guidelines are not a recipe. They are designed only to tell you what rhetorical "work" the paper must do. You should organize the material so that it is as effective as you can make it. The critical method will be apparent, if not explicit, in your argument, choice of supporting evidence, and so on:

I. Opening Paragraphs

• Identify the object of study by author and title
• Identify the critical problem you are addressing
• State clearly the major claim you are making

• Delineate the arguments of the article logically
• Offer, in the course of delineating the argument, examples of your data and warrants

• Explain the capacity of this critical methodology to resolve the critical problem
• Note what further work you might do with this method to resolve this critical problem