7. 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. Alternatively, you may address a well-defined
problem faced by one of the districts or communities in The
Hunger Games. 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.
8. Your completed chart should
look like this:
Groups and
organizations
1. The Hunger Games
2. De Anza College
3. Your Neighborhood
4. Karate Club
5. Community
Recreation Center
Problems
1. Not Enough Food
2. Lack of Parking
3. Commercial parking
problem
4. No commitment
5. Not enough safe
places for kids to
play
Solutions
1. Make hunting legal
2. Reorganize lots
3. Apply to city for
resident permit parking
only
4. Organize activities to
include more members
5. Start a volunteer parents
group to offer after
school activities at local
schools.
9. Now, Choose a new
problem from your chart:
Write one paragraph
describing the problem.
Write another paragraph
describing a solution.
If you did your homework, you should also
have four paragraphs written for two
different problems:
10. You should now have six
paragraphs written for three
different problems:
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.
11. 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
12. Exploring Potential Solutions
Now, take the answers to those
questions and write paragraphs
addressing one or more potential
solutions to your problem.
13. 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!
14. 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!
15. 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?
16. 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?
17. 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.
18. 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?
19. 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.
20. Post #13:
Your revised and developed description of your problem. This should be two
to four good paragraphs.
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.
Write a paragraph explaining why your solution would solve the problem.
Add a paragraph about why it is possible.
Make a list of the steps of implementation.
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 Test 4: 19-23
Homework
