The second paper is an Argument-Based Research essay. Here you will be trying to persuade the reader (again, me) of a particular point of view you have taken. In other words, you are going to make an argument.
I’m pretty sure you must’ve written an essay like this in a previous English class, but if not, just let me know, and I will be happy to lead you through the process of writing such a paper.
You can make an argument about anything you like, although I would advise staying away from topics that are either 1) two large to discuss in a 4 and a half page paper, double spaced (for example, I would stay away from political issues that are so complex they still are being argued on Capitol Hill, or 2) topics that require the reader to be of a certain religious faith, creed, or color.
My favorite papers for this second essay usually deal with topics the writer is familiar with—how would you improve for example your experience at GTCC? Is there anything about the school, and your program, that, if you were in charge, you would change? This is a great point of departure for this paper topic. Or maybe there is something in your neighborhood that you would like to see changed/improved. I suggest keeping it local, just to make it easier to write, in the confines of a brief essay for this class.
Again, if you have ideas, or questions about topics, just talk to me before or after class. And if this isn’t enough time, let’s set up office conferences! Minimum three outside sources for this paper (in other words, I’ll need a Works Cited page, and in-text citations for this paper–you’ll bring in outside sources to back up your argument. We will have a “refresher” class on how to do this very soon)