Sample 14: Argument
Model Persuasive / Argumentative Essay
Topic Prompt: Should recycling be mandatory?
Title: Recycling Renewed
According to Chief Seattle, an Indian who lived in the western part of North America in the
1800s, “Man does not weave this web of life. He is merely a strand of it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.” This statement illustrates the importance of taking care of the earth, not merely to avoid global warming, but to preserve the natural balance of the planet. Some of the most pressing problems are the destruction of natural habitats, the depletion of natural resources, and the polluting of rivers, lakes, and oceans. One idea now debated is whether or not the government should require communities to participate in recycling programs. Although some argue that individual communities are free to choose if they take part, many people believe that due to the interconnectedness of the planet, governments have an obligation to encourage and require communities to participate in the recycling effort.
Some overly optimistic people contend that natural resources are for the most part replaceable, such as trees, or too abundant to worry about, such as oil. However, the fact is that currently trees are being cut down faster than it is possible to repopulate the forests. Furthermore, water is a finite resource that is polluted from oil refining and the creation of many modern products, for example plastic. In fact water shortages and water pollution are both problems affecting most every country around the world. Certainly, without clean, fresh water, life would not be possible. Some people assert that it is too difficult or complicated for citizens to recycle. However,
logistically recycling requires only a separate trash bin for tossing in plastic, glass, aluminum and steel products. Newspaper, cardboard and office paper can be collected in another box. Once set up, recycling is as easy as throwing away materials in one trash can. The communities set up
collection to coincide with the trash pick up days, so it can be as easy as when not recycling. Once people realize the importance and ease of recycling, they get involved and change their trash habits. In fact, community members feel a sense of pride when contributing to the betterment of the world.
A few naysayers have argued that products will be recycled naturally by the earth over time. Even though recycling does happen naturally over time, some products never do, such as batteries. Also, with the tremendous rise in global population and use of natural resources, humans have to effectively combat these increases by recycling goods. In addition, recycling saves not only the resources that go into creating products but also landfill space when the products are tossed out. Some of the chemicals and materials that are put into the ocean are poisoning the fish, for
example. Since fish are part of the human food chain, people are further poisoning themselves by eating polluted food.
Recycling is only a part of the solution, but it is an easy and important first step to fight pollution. Recycling aids in maintaining limited resources and is not too difficult to implement. People are
happy to lend a hand in the deceleration of the global warming process. Overall, recycling
supports the earth and supports life. Chief Seattle said the world is interconnected, so taking care of the earth is like taking care of our home.
Sample 15: Logical division of ideas
At the Movies
You Are Where You Sit: Seating Choice Can Tell a Lot about a Person!
1 When he goes to the movies, Ravel Centeno likes to sit on the aisle and stretch his feet out-a fact that by itself speaks volumes about his personality, according to a new study. The study, commissioned by the British movie theater company Odeon, examined how theater seating habits reflect personality. And as the summer movie season reaches its zenith, the research says you are where you sit. Psychologist Donna Dawson divided moviegoers into four different personality types based on their seating preferences and cited examples of movie characters who fit those types.
2 Those who sit on the aisle, like Centeno, are \have their own space, who are observers and tend to be quieter. \I'm a writer,\AI. at the Cineplex Odeon at Universal CityWalk. \detached observer, said Dawson, is Jack Nicholson's Melvin Udall character in As Good as It Gets.
3 Other personality types, according to Dawson:
4 The \who like to see movies with others, not on their own. An example from the movies might be Mike Meyers's Austin Powers or Julia Roberts's Erin Brockovich.
5 The\They are people who are flexible and try to get along with others, such as Gwyneth
Paltrow's Emma. Gloria and Tom Candelaria of Redlands say that seems to fit them. \like the middle because it's not too far back and not too close to the front,\Candelaria said as she scanned the marquee at CityWalk. Tom Candelaria said the \
6 The \like excitement but don't necessary seek the limelight, the study said. A typical example is Clint Eastwood's Man with No Name and Sigourney Weaver's Lt. Ripley in the Alien films. \
passionate smooching,\are rebellious.\
7 For some people, though, sometimes a chair is just a chair. \there's an empty seat,\where he likes to sit. \
About the Organization
1. What kind of introduction does this newspaper article have? a. It is a funnel introduction-it begins with a general statement and narrows down to the thesis statement.
b. It begins with an example and ends with the thesis statement.
c. It explains the reasons for the study and ends with the thesis statement. 2. What kind of conclusion does it have?
a. It summarizes the four main personality types. b. It gives the writer's opinion on the study.
c. It gives an example that contrasts with the main points.
3. What words in the thesis statement indicate that the article uses logical division of ideas as a pattern of organization? About the Support
4. What two kinds of supporting details are used in this article? ______ and _
5. The psychologist who made the study used one kind of support, and the writer of the article reporting the results of the study used another kind. Which person used which kind? a. The psychologist used _ b. The writer used _
About the Content
6. How do we know if the psychologist is correct? Does the article mention the methods she used in her study to match seating preference and personality type, or does it report only the results?
1. Do you agree or disagree with the author? Is there a connection between a person's choice of seats in a movie theater (or anywhere else) and his or her personality type? Think of other places where people choose a seat-a bus, a classroom, an airplane. Is there a connection between personality type and seat choice in these locations?
2. Brainstorm ideas and examples for an essay on one of the following topics. ? You Are Where You Sit (in the classroom) ? You Are What You Wear (fashion styles) ? You Are What You Drive (automobiles)
Sample 16: Cause and Effect
Background: Wolves are predators. They kill cattle, sheep, chickens, and other animals that are farmers' and ranchers' source of income. In 1914, the United States Congress provided money to eradicate wolves. The government paid hunters to help ranchers protect their livestock by killing the wolves. Sixty years later, wolves had disappeared from the western United States. Then in 1973, Congress enacted the Endangered Species Act, and the Wolf Recovery Program was started to reintroduce wolves in some areas. Currently about 160 wolves have been reintroduced to central Idaho and Yellowstone National Park. Farmers and ranchers are strongly opposed to this program and have filed lawsuits to stop it. The author of the following essay favors the program. As you read, look for the reasons she gives for supporting the wolves' return. The model essay at the beginning of this chapter focused on causes, but this essay focuses on effects: What were the effects of the wolves' absence? What are the effects of the wolves' return? Welcoming Back the Top Dog
1 In our homes, on our beds, and deep within our hearts lie creatures for whom the wild is more than a whisper-domesticated versions of animals long reviled by humankind.
Forebears of our beloved dogs and cats, wolves and mountain lions have shared a fate far removed from that of their tamer cousins. Feared for their intelligence and physical prowess, wolves and mountain lions were nearly eradicated. It is only recently that we have begun to understand the vital role these predators play in keeping nature in balance. Only recently have we stopped persecuting and started appreciating the wonders of these wild beings.
2 Just in the nick of time. Luckily, when given political protection from trigger-happy humans and habitat with sufficient prey, wolves and mountain lions thrive and their populations quickly revive. While mountain lions hav.§ always eked out an existence in California, wolves were exterminated decades ago. But now, the potential exists for
wolves to move naturally into the far reaches of northern California and Oregon from the northern Rockies.
3 Wolves were extinct in the lower 48 states for more than half a century. Their restoration to the wildlands of Montana, Idaho, and Yellowstone National Park in the mid-1990s created virtual laboratories for wildlife biologists-and people like you and me-to observe the species in its natural element. We began to see almost immediately that wolves generate a ripple effect throughout the ecosystem for which many other species, some endangered themselves, benefit.
4 Making a living in the wild is hard. As a top predator, wolves make life easier by putting food on the ground for scavengers. Grizzly bears, bald eagles, gold eagles, ravens,
coyotes, mountain lions, magpies, wolverines, and beetles all enjoy feasting on wolf kills. Thanks to the wolves, the endangered grizzly bear is enjoying a renaissance and its numbers have taken a turn for the better in parts of the West. In Yellowstone, individual grizzly pears are taking advantage of a good thing: They've been seen following wolf packs, waiting for them to make a kill and then stealing the carcass before the
hard-working wolves have had a chance to take even a bite! Ninety-pound wolves are no match for one-thousand-pound grizzlies.
5 The dance of life and death between predator and prey makes many of us
uncomfortable, yet prey species are also benefiting from the return of the wolf. Unlike
human hunters, who target healthy adult animals, wolves cull the sick and elderly from elk, deer, moose, and bison herds, reducing the spread of disease and keeping the prey