English 1A: Reading and Composition
Spring 2017
Essay # 4
Food
The difference between ethics and morality lies in action; the ethical person knows they should not steal and the moral
person will not steal. The world we live in faces us with ethical dilemmas: cheating, lying, betraying confidence,
marriage equality, and uses for technology. While it is fairly easy to identify these ethical dilemmas it can be much more
difficult to behave in ways that speak to our moral characters. When we make a choice we are behaving in a moral
manner; most individuals, it seems, would like to think of themselves as behaving in a positive, moral, manner. So, this
begs the question; if our morality is dictated by the choices we make, and most people want to be good, do we, as a
society have a moral obligation to sacrifice a bit of our comfort so that the burdens of others can be alleviated?
For this assignment, I will be asked to develop an essay that supports the validity of the solution to a
problem. I can choose to base my essay on the following:
The problem is…
1. The exploitation of farm workers in the United States
2. The use of slave labor to produce American food goods (i.e. chocolate)
3. Cruel and inhumane treatment of animals for food consumption
4. Food deserts in urban and disenfranchised communities
For this Essay I must make sure to:
 Follow ALL MLA guidelines (each error will result in a 1 point deduction)
 Provide a full, 3 page discussion on my selected topic, this does not include the Works Cited page
 I must include an introduction that opens with a statement of the problem, offers sufficient
background information on the topic, and ends with a thesis statement that identifies the potential
solution to the problem.
 I must include a they say paragraph that summarizes the four sources I will use: I can use the ICE
strategy here.
 Each of my body paragraphs must begin with a topic sentence that relates back to and/or supports the
thesis statement. I must include citations and/or supporting details that effectively develop the main
idea of this paragraph
 I must include a naysayer paragraph that presents an opposing viewpoint to my argument; as always, I
must refrain from including research in this section
 My conclusion will be a reflection of the ideas presented in my introduction: I will offer an ending,
review the background information significant to my essay, and remind my reader of my thesis
 I will include a Works Cited page that accurately lists my sources and is formatted according to MLA
 I will edit my work so that the essay, in its entirety, is modeled after MLA standards
Writing Requirements
 I will refrain from using I, we, and you and instead will use language that is specific and clear and
presents my ideas with clarity
 I will include citations from 4 sources. I can use a combination of the following sources:
 Any food article from the course syllabus
 CQ Researcher database
 A scholarly and/or peer-reviewed article (Academic Search Premiere or ProQuest Research
Library)
 Scholarly Website (TEDTalk)und in the syllabus regarding the topic of technology
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I can include up to 4 in-text quotes
I can include up to 2 block quotes
I must be mindful to reference my citations well so that it is clear which author is receiving credit
More than 7 grammar, sentence-level errors will result in a “D”
Assignment Due Date
 A final draft of my essay is due to turnitin.com before 1:50 pm on Tuesday, April 25, 2017
 A typed copy of my final draft is due at the start of class on Tuesday, April 25, 2017
Completing this essay allows me to meet the following Course Objectives:
1) Recognize and revise sentence-level grammar and usage errors
2) Read and apply critical-thinking skills to numerous published articles and to college-level, book-length
works for the purpose of writing and discussion
3) Apply appropriate strategies in the writing process including prewriting, composing, revising and
editing techniques
4) Compose multi-paragraph, thesis-driven essays with logical and appropriate supporting ideas, and with
unity and coherence
5) Demonstrate my ability to locate and utilize a variety of academic databases
6) Utilize MLA guidelines to format essays, cite sources in the texts of essays, and compile Works Cited
lists