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Cause And Effect Essay

Cause or Effect Essay
Introduction
You will spend the next two essays (Essays 3 & 4) exploring an issue that you find important.

For Essay 3, you will write a cause or effect essay about this topic. For Essay 4, you will then write a proposal essay for that same topic. Cause essays look at the roots of a particular issue, what made something happen. Effect essays look at what outcomes came from or will come from some issue or event. Proposal essays explore these same issues, but they go a couple of steps further, first convincing the reader that something is an issue, and then proposing a solution to the issue.

Sequencing these essays will reduce the amount of time and research needed to complete both papers; the research can be shared between the essays. In addition, you will have the feedback from your third essay when you write your last essay. In fact, you may want to use parts of Essay 3 when writing Essay 4, which is encouraged.

When thinking about this topic, be sure to keep in mind how you plan to tackle both essays. You want to be sure to select a topic that you can identify a problem and propose a solution.

Here’s an example of how this might play out with the topic of climate change:

· Cause Essay: If I wanted to talk about the causes of climate change, I might research and write about how carbon emissions, pollution, and overpopulation have led to negative climate change. Within the cause essay, I might need to define climate change and mention some of the effects, but the focus of my essay will be to explain the causes.

· Effect Essay: If I wanted to talk about the effects of climate change, I might research and write about changing weather patterns, loss of natural resources, and the impending extinction of certain types of wildlife. Again, I might need to show general reasons for climate change, but the focus will be on the effects.

· Proposal Essay: In my proposal essay, I would take my previous research and writing on climate change, and I would then research and propose a solution (or solutions) that could help solve the issue. I might propose a mandatory carbon emissions cap and more strict guidelines concerning natural wildlife habitat protection.

Directions
In 750-900 words, write a cause essay or an effect essay that discusses a topic important to you. Remember, the topic needs to be a debatable issue in which you see a problem. Then you decide whether you want to analyze causes (reasons) for the problem or effects (results/outcomes) related to the problem. With Essay 4 you will have to propose a solution to the problem.

Selecting a Topic

You may choose any topic of interest as long as it aligns with cause or effect and presents a problem for which you can propose a solution. You may want to use the topic list in Opposing Viewpoints or use the “Arguments” section of the textbook (p. 507 – 791) to find a topic that interests you.

· Pop culture and stereotypes

· Globalization and language

· Sustainability and food supply

· Campus diversity

Sources
You must have at least two sources. The selection from the textbook and the YTC databases sources are best (the Opposing Viewpoints database would be great for these essays).

Some web-based sources may also be acceptable on a case-by-case basis. If you would like to use a non-YTC database web-source, please email me the link to the source so that I can approve it. Anything from sources like Wikipedia, Ask.com, ProCon.org, or Quora will not be approved. All sources should be properly formatted following MLA guidelines for in-text citation and the works cited page.

MLA Format
Your essay should be properly formatted according to the most up-to-date MLA standards found in the supplement provided in your textbook. If you do not have access to that supplement, please follow the guidelines found at the Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab) https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/

Proper formatting includes the following criteria:

· MLA General Format

· In-text citations

· Works Cited page that follows all MLA guidelines

Submission Guidelines
Your essay should be submitted as a .doc, .docx, .pdf, or .rtf file via the D2L Dropbox before the date and time listed in the course calendar.

Rough Drafts
You are required to produce a rough draft for this essay. Your draft will be reviewed for major structural issues, content development, and overall language use.

In addition to the review you will receive from me and classmates, I highly recommend using an ACT Center writing coach or utilize the Upswing online tutoring system (https://yorktech.upswing.io/).

Outlining the Cause/Effect Essay

I. Introduction

· Introduce the topic to the reader – determine how you will gain the reader’s attention and create interest. Consider using one of the traditional introduction methods: pose a question, tell a brief story, present background, present a contrasting situation, use a quote, etc.

· Establish the importance of the issue

· Identify the problem that is to be analyzed and whether you are analyzing causes or effects

· End with thesis statement

II. Body – a paragraph for each cause or effect

· Topic sentence that identifies the topic for the paragraph

· Several sentences that describes the causal relationship

· Evidence from outside sources that corroborates your claim that the causal relationship exists

· MLA formatted in-text citations indicating which source listed on the Works Cited page has provided the evidence

· Quotation marks placed around any information taken verbatim (word-for-word) from the source

· Summary sentence(s) that draws conclusions from the evidence

· Be sure and use transitions or bridge sentences between paragraphs.

· Remember: information from outside sources should be sandwiched: set-up for the source information >give the information>follow with comment. You should not open a body paragraph or close a body paragraph with source information (direct quote or paraphrase).

III. Conclusion

· Draw final conclusions from the key points and evidence provided in the paper

· Tie in the introduction by relating the lead-in method you used

· Reinforce the importance of the analysis of the problem and the thesis

IV. Works Cited page

· Follow MLA 8th ed. guidelines for providing the bibliographic information for each source used

· Remember to alphabetize each entry and format with hanging indent and double space