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English 101
Essay 3: Problem-Solution
In-class project: Imitation
Schedule
Mon 5/23:
Tue 5/24:
Wed 5/25:
Thu 5/26:
Fri 5/27:
Background on “A Modest Proposal.” Begin Essay 3: Problem-Solution.
Brainstorm ideas for Essay 3.
Seminar paper due on “A Modest Proposal” (387-395)
Analyze “A Modest Proposal” further. Bring 50 Essays.
Look at sample forms for Problem-Solution essay. Last day to withdraw.
Mon 5/30:
Tue 5/31:
Wed 6/1:
Thu 6/2:
Fri 6/3:
Memorial Day Holiday
Worksheet due for Problem-solution essay. Develop counterarguments.
Work on imitations: Bring 50 Essays.
Work on imitations: Bring 50 Essays.
Seminar paper due on “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” by Martin Luther
King (203-220)
Mon 6/6: Problem-Solution essay due in writing groups. Bring 3 copies.
Tue 6/7 More brainstorming about The Gift assignment. Work on imitations or
Problem-Solution essay. Bring 50 Essays.
Wed 6/8: Work on imitations: Bring 50 Essays.
Thu 6/9: Read aloud from imitations.
Fri 6/10: Revision of Problem-Solution essay due. Portfolio includes the finished
essay, the first
version you turned in, the teacher’s comment sheet, and all other
notes and drafts. Write cover sheet. Course evaluation.
.
Essay 3: Problem-Solution
Mon June 6: Due in class, in groups. Bring 3 copies
Fri 6/10: Revision due
Length: Usually about 750-1000 words, or 3-4 pages
Format: word-processed and double-spaced
Grading: 100 points
The Assignment: Think of a problem that affects a community you are part of, think of a
solution to that problem, and write, for a public audience, a proposal introducing your
solution, saying why it’s a good one, meeting counterarguments, and generally arguing
that your solution be adopted.
Thinking of the problem: Do not write about a huge national or international problem.
Do not write of a problem that many have discussed and written articles about. Think of a
problem that is local and that affects a particular community. This needs to be a
community that you are part of, so you can speak with credibility, and it needs to be a
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problem you have personal experience with, so that you have a lot of information about
the topic and do not have to do research. Here are two approaches to thinking of a topic:
1.
Brainstorm problems, then think of the affected community. For example:
Problem
Raw milk no longer available at PCC
Monday-night Tractor dances too crowded
Seattle Arts & Lectures Poetry Series
is under-attended; it’s only full when
famous poets come.
Community
Raw milk drinkers
Old-time music community
The SAL organization and people in
Seattle
2. Brainstorm communities that you are part of, then think of the problems that
affect them:
3.
Community
Problem
Families
Kids don’t do their chores
A company
The boss is unfair
A team
Not everyone shows up for practice.
A Church organization
Not enough people volunteer
Form: Who you pick for your audience will determine what form your writing will be in.
For example, if you choose “Residents of Seattle” for your audience, you might write
your piece as a letter to the editor of The Seattle Times or another local paper. If your
audience is “The NSCC Community,” you might write a letter to the school paper (well,
we used to have a school paper, but we don’t anymore). or for the school website.
Perhaps your audience is a more widespread community, such as fans of a particular team
or band, or people who use a particular park. In those cases, a letter to the editor might be
appropriate, or perhaps an article in a newsletter or letter to an online forum that goes out
to a particular community.
You can imagine any form you wish. The only requirement is that this writing be
intended for a public audience—you’re writing something that anyone will be able to see
or run across, so you want it to reflect well on you and to show your earnest effort to help
solve the problem.
The writing must clearly be in that form: For example, if it’s a letter, you’ll begin it
“Dear _____,” and address the recipient as “you.”
Voice and audience: Address your essay specifically to your exact audience. Remember
that you want to persuade them that your solution is a good one, so appeal to their
specific concerns and interests. Remember that even though you may be criticizing
something about them or their behavior, if they are to accept your solution, you cannot
offend them or accuse them. Write your piece in a way you think they will welcome and
accept. This essay probably won’t look or read like what you think of as an Essay for
English Class. It will look and read exactly like whatever you’ve chosen: A letter, an
article, a blog entry, a newsletter post, etc.
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Establish credibility: Your piece needs to establish your credibility as a writer and
problem-solver. It does this throughout, by means of your tone, your presentation of the
information, your recognition of opposing ideas, your connection with and understanding
of the problem, and your ability to understand all sides. It might also do it specifically,
early on in the essay, saying something about your qualifications as a solver of this
problem—your past experience, your expertise, etc.
Structure: Follow this exact structure in creating your essay.
1. Introduce the problem: You need to convince your audience that the problem or
situation you are discussing does indeed need attention. Explain what the problem is,
what may have caused it, and why it matters. Your audience needs to care about the
problem before it can consider your proposed solution.
2. Present the solution: State your idea for a solution to your problem. The length of
this part of the essay, the description and development of the solution, will vary
depending on the subject matter. Your solution may be a fairly simple suggestion or
may consist of a series of steps.
3. Argue for the proposed solution: You will need to convince your readers that your
solution is reasonable and will be effective. You can use personal experience,
observation, hypothetical scenarios, examples, and/or speculations to support your
proposal. You may talk with and interview people in the community. You will not be
doing library or internet research, and you will not need to supply statistics or data.
Make sure you have chosen a topic that will provide you with vivid examples from
your own observation and experience.
4. Consider the counterarguments: Consider the objections or questions your audience
may have, and recognize that they may have other ideas about how to solve the
problem. In your essay, show that you understand what the objections are, and meet
those objections, showing why your proposed solution is reasonable. Imagine that
your readers are right there, telling you that they have better solutions than yours.
Point out the good and bad points of these other solutions and show why yours makes
sense.
5. Revisit the solution: Maybe you still believe that your solution, as originally
proposed, is the best one. Or maybe, after discussing counterarguments, you want to
adjust your solution a bit.
6. Close: As Trimble advises, end with a twist and with emotional impact. This might be
a place to consider the larger ramifications of your solution, the effects it could have
on this community or on a wider group.
Grading of the Problem-Solution essay: 100 points total
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1. Explanation and example, 20 points: The essay supports its point with plenty of
detail and vivid example, giving plenty of information, explaining background
where necessary, following clear logic, and addressing counterarguments where
necessary or (if the imitation) where the original does.
2. Organization, 20 points: The problem-solution essay follows the assigned
structure, is easy to follow, is organized to emphasize the main points, and
anticipates the responses of the intended audience. The imitation essay imitates
the organizational pattern of the original.
3. Audience, 20 points: The problem-solution essay speaks clearly and specifically
to a specific public audience, in a way that that audience will understand and
accept. The imitation also has considered its audience, in the same way that the
original has. For example, some of the essays we’ve read are for a general
audience, and some, such as King’s and Swift’s, were originally for a specific
audience.
4. Style and Voice (20 points): For either essay, the writing should be clear and
fluid. Verbs should be strong and active. Word choice should be accurate and
specific, and the words should be used correctly. Clutter has been eliminated.
Additionally, the imitation shows that it has analyzed and made decisions about
taking on some of the sentence patterns or techniques of the original.
5. Grammar and proofreading (20 points): The essay is free of distracting
grammar errors, and has been carefully proofread.
The Imitation: Our in-class project for these last days
Thu 6/9: On this day you’ll read aloud from the Imitation you’ve been working on.
There won’t be time for you to read the whole thing. Choose a passage or two.
Format: This is in-class writing that you will develop in class and read aloud from
on Thu 6/9. So the format is hand-written, or if you’ve brought a computer to
class, you might have a printout. This essay is not turned in.
Grade: 25 points, based on
 your participation over the days that we work on it;
 your reading aloud on 6/9;
 and on the accuracy of your imitation.
The Assignment: Write an essay of your own which imitates the sentences, the structure,
and the of any of the essays we’ve read for class. Examples:
“The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me”: Your essay will probably tell
about your own childhood experience of learning something, and will follow the same
structure and approach as Alexie’s essay.
“Sex, Drugs, Disasters, and the Extinction of the Dinosaurs”: Write about a situation in
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which you’re trying to evaluate three things, and you want to show why one is best.
Follow the same structure and approach as Gould’s essay.
“Letter From Birmingham Jail”: You want to persuade some people that your approach to
something is the right one. You need to reason very carefully, and be very polite, because
you need these people to be on your side. Follow the same structure and approach as
King’s essay.
“Shooting an Elephant”: You have a strong opinion about something in culture or
society. Write an essay in which you express this opinion by telling a symbolic story, as
Orwell does.
“A Modest Proposal”: You have a strong opinion about an issue in culture or society.
Like Swift, write an ironic essay in which you propose a ridiculous solution and argue for
it in such a way that highlights the issue and supports your opinion. Follow the same
structure and approach as Swift’s essay.
How to write this? We’ll do a lot of practicing in class, of imitating sentences and
imitating structure. We’ll spend class time working on it, and I’ll be able to come around
and help you. On the days we are working in-class, you are welcome to bring a computer
to work on if you’d rather do that than handwriting.