The book is The Other Wes Moore. I will post files about formate and sources. 

Issues Paper (4-5 Pages)

For this (final!) essay you will be picking an issue that is depicted in the book The Other Wes Moore. This can range from drug use, rehab, inner-city, education, bootleg shoe sales…anything! You will then do research on this topic and write a compelling and persuasive essay about why we should care about this issue and what can be done to fix it. 

The requirements for this essay are:

· Needs to incorporate research from a reputable source (like a newspaper, academic journal, or government website) and examples from The Other Wes Moore.

· Use 2-3 outside sources and at least THREE (3) quotes from The Other Wes Moore.

· Use the tenets of persuasive writing that we talked about in the beginning of the semester:

o Emotional appeal- Make your audience feel something! (Happy, sad, angry, motivated, etc.)

o Statistics- How can we quantify this issue? (How many people are affected? What areas is this happening in?)

o Credibility- Do enough research so that you come across as an “expert” on this issue. 

· MLA Formatting

We will be brainstorming topic ideas and creating an outline in class. You will also be turning in a bibliography (a document that says which sources you will be using and what quotes).

Issue: Single Parent Homes and Incarceration Rates

Thesis: Research shows that children who live in single parent homes are incarcerated at a higher rate than children who live with both parents. There needs to be more organized support for children from single-parent homes to ensure that these incarceration rates decrease. 

Outline:

I. Introduction- Context and how it relates to The Other Wes Moore.

II. Scope of the issue- What are the main statistics (how many people are affected?)

III. How is the issue represented in The Other Wes Moore.

IV. More statistical context- Where is this issue most prevalent? Anecdotal evidence. 

V. Anecdotal evidence from The Other Wes Moore.

VI. Organizations in place to help solve this issue.

VII. Other organizations or systems in place.

VIII. What YOU think is missing. What else can be done?

IX. More of your own ideas.

X. How the problem resolves in The Other Wes Moore.

XI. Call-to-action- What can your readers do?