4. Essay #4: Proposing a
Solution
Essay #4 Assignment: (175 points) Write an essay from 4-6 pages
in length, that addresses the topic below. Use a minimum of two
credible secondary sources to support your argument. These are in
addition to The Hunger Games.
Prompt : Write an essay proposing a solution to a well-defined
problem faced by a community or group to which you may belong.
Address your proposal to your audience: one or more members of
the group, its leadership, or to outsiders who may be able to
contribute to solving the problem.
5. Your completed chart should look
like this:
Groups and
organizations
1. De Anza College
2. Your Neighborhood
3. Karate Club
4. Community
Recreation Center
Problems
1. Lack of Parking
2. Commercial parking
problem
3. No commitment
4. Not enough safe
places for kids to
play
Solutions
1. Reorganize lots
2. Apply to city for
resident permit parking
only
3. Organize activities to
include more members
4. Start a volunteer
parents group to offer
after school activities at
local schools.
6. Choose two problems from
your chart; for each of these:
Write one paragraph describing
the problem.
Write another paragraph
describing a solution.
Post #12 and #13: In Class Writing
7. You should now have four
paragraphs:
Look at what you have; choose one of the
problem/solution pairs to explore.
Write another paragraph describing the problem in
more detail.
Be as specific and vivid in your explanation as
possible given the information you currently have.
8. Work in your groups:
Share your explanation of your problem and
your potential solutions with at least one
member of your group.
Ask each other questions so that you can
identify the most promising solution.
If it becomes obvious that you don’t have a
working solution, go back one space and start
again!
9. It usually helps to consider several possible
solutions before focusing on one solution;
problem solving requires creativity. Answer
the following questions to help you make a list
of creative solutions you could consider for
your problem:
Can you adapt a solution that has already been
tried or proposed for related problems? Which?
How?
What smaller, more manageable aspect of the
larger problem could you solve? How might you do
so?
Could re-imagining the goal help you make
fundamental changes?
Could the problem be solved from the bottom up
instead of from the top down?
Could an ongoing process help solve the problem?
Listing Multiple Possible
Solutions to your Problem
10. Choosing the Most Promising
Solution
In a sentence or two, describe the
solution you want to explore further.
You cannot know for certain whether
you will be able to construct a
convincing argument to support this
solution, but you should choose a
solution that you feel motivated to
pursue. This will be your working
thesis!
11. Explain Why Your Solution
Would Solve the Problem.
Write for a few minutes explaining why
you think this solution could solve the
problem. For example, would it
eliminate one or more causes?
change people’s attitudes?
re-imagine the objective?
reduce anxiety and tension?
12. Show Why Your Solution Is
Possible.
Write for a few minutes
explaining why people could
agree to put the solution into
effect. For example, what would
it cost them in time or money?
13. Explain How It Could Be
Implemented.
Write down the major stages
or steps necessary to carry out
your solution. This list of steps
will provide an early test of
whether your solution can, in
fact, be implemented.
14. Plan Follow-Up Research.
Add notes about the kinds of information you
think would help make your argument convincing
for your readers and where you think you can find
this information.
15. How do I find
out how much
will this cost?
Who will
know how much
time will it take
to do this?
Who has tried
this solution in
the past?
What do I still need to
know and how can I find
the information?
Are there
statistics that
support this as a
good idea?
16. Post #14 should include these four parts:
1.Your revised and developed description of your problem. This should be two to
four good paragraphs, taken from Posts #12 and #13.
2.Write one or more sentences to serve as your tentative thesis statement. In most
essays proposing solutions to problems, the thesis statement is a concise
announcement of the solution. Think about how emphatic you should make the
thesis and whether you should forecast your reasons.
3.Write a paragraph explaining why your solution would solve the problem.
4.Make a list of the steps needed to implement your solution.
Post #15 should include these two parts:
1.First, use the library databases to find at least two different solutions that others
have proposed.
2.Second, write one or two paragraphs that address different potential solutions to
your problem.
Review the readings in this chapter to see how other writers construct their
thesis statements.
Bring SMG and a copy of your essay draft.
Next Class: Vocabulary Game, Chapter 19-27
Homework
