Point/Counterpoint Outline Instructions
Point/Counterpoint Outline Instructions
You will use this outline to write your Point/Counterpoint essay in Week 4. Submit this outline in Week 3 (one week before your Point/Counterpoint essay is due) so I can provide feedback to help you write your final essay.
This outline will not be graded but your on-time submission will guarantee an automatic 10 points if you follow all the instructions and include everything. Late submissions will be accepted but will not receive any points.
Select one of the issues from the list provided below. If you want to use a topic that is not on the list you must contact me for approval of your topic before you write your outline and essay. TOPICS THAT ARE NOT ON THIS LIST OR ARE NOT PRE-APPROVED WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
Topics
The topic you choose will also be the title of your outline and essay, word for word.
· Are sober living homes effective or ineffective?
· Is addiction a disease or a choice?
· Do addicts have to hit “rock bottom” to get help?
· Should the government fund and promote needle exchange programs?
· Should pregnant women who are addicted to drugs be criminally culpable for the state of their children at birth?
· Should participation in a drug treatment program that has a religious basis be mandated by a Court?
· Which works better – a harm-reduction strategy or abstinence in the treatment of intravenous drug users?
· Is it better to punish or is it better to treat addicts?
· Are doctors responsible for prescription drug overdoses?
· Can tighter regulation of prescription drugs reduce prescription drug abuse?
· Should medication-assisted treatment for drug addiction be more widely used?
· Should medical marijuana be legalized in all 50 states?
· Is marijuana a gateway drug that leads users to try more dangerous drugs like cocaine?
· Should we raise the drinking age to 25 in California?
· Should we lower the drinking age to 18 in California?
· Does the culture of children drinking wine with meals with their families (like in Europe) create a healthier relationship with alcohol later in life for them?
· Would raising alcohol taxes reduce abuse?
· Should liquor commercials be banned from television?
You may choose one of the following five Point/Counterpoint debate topics from your textbook: 1) Should we legalize drugs in general? 2) Should cognitive performance-enhancement drugs be used by healthy people? 3) Should alcoholism be viewed as a disease? 4) Should prescription drugs be advertised to the general public? If you choose to write about 1 of these 5 topics, you must include new and different arguments and also different sources than the textbook provides.
FORMAT:
Use the Outline Template to construct your outline. Type the following information into the boxes provided inside the template. READ THE SAMPLE OUTLINE BEFORE YOU BEGIN WRITING AND COMPARE YOUR OUTLINE TO THE SAMPLE OUTLINE BEFORE YOU SUBMIT IT.
· A title that clearly states the issue as a question. Take your title from the list of approved topics and just copy what it says there word for word.
· An interesting introductory paragraph that clearly introduces the question to be discussed with the point (argument for) and counterpoint (argument against). Do not include your opinion (do not say “I think, I believe, in my opinion.”)
· Briefly list 3 strong arguments FOR the issue (the point). ***Each of the 3 arguments must cite a source.
· Briefly list 3 strong arguments AGAINST the issue (counterpoint). ***Each of the 3 arguments must cite a source.
· Briefly state your opinion on the issue in the closing paragraph.
Writing Style and Format
· Use spell check to catch spelling, punctuation and grammatical mistakes. Then proofread your outline at least one time. Take pride in your work and strive to be mistake-free.
· Do NOT use any quotations. Instead, paraphrase (write in your own words) the ideas or information and cite the source.
· Type in Times New Roman, Size 12 font, 1-inch margins all around.
· At the top of the outline, write your name, course (COH 318), assignment (Point/Counterpoint Outline) and date.
· You are not required to use in-text citations for this assignment.
You are strongly urged to make a half hour appointment with the Writing Center WritingCenter@nu.edu to help you write your essay next week. Their appointments fill up quickly so reserve a place as soon as you can.
References
Use at least 4 total sources for your arguments. Each of the 2 arguments for and the 2 arguments against must have at least one source.
At least 2 of the sources must support your point (for). They must come from peer-reviewed journal articles, government reports or textbooks.
At least 2 of the sources must support your counterpoint argument (against). They must come from peer-reviewed journal articles, government reports or textbooks.
Information from the course textbook is allowed, but does not count as one of your four required sources above. Other additional sources are allowed, but they also do not count toward your four required sources. Sources must be recent (e.g., published within the past 5-10 years).
You can use the National University Library database to search for sources.
URL: http://library.nu.edu
Contact the Library – RefDesk@nu.edu or (858) 541-7900
1-866-NU ACCESS x 7900 (toll free)
This class also has a special NU library page that was created to help you do research http://nu.libguides.com/coh318
***To find the pro and con of substance abuse issues, click on:
Ø Public Health Advocacy
Ø Federal
Ø CQ Press Library (SAGE)
Ø CQ Researcher Plus Archive
Ø Browse Topics
Ø Health
Ø Substance Abuse
Select one of the titles
Click Pro/Con on the left side to view the arguments for and against.
Use APA 6th edition format for your References list.
NOTE: If you are new to APA, you can use an online citation builder such as http://www.citationmachine.net/apa to ensure your references are in the correct format.
APA Resources
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/06/ 1-page instruction on Reference List format
· http://nu.libguides.com/ld.php?content_id=8766101 2-page handout on APA
· www.apastyle.com
· http://apastylecentral.apa.org.nuls.idm.oclc.org/learn/browse/QG-29
· http://library.nu.edu/assets/resources/pageResources/APA.pdf
· http://library.nu.edu/FindResources/ReferenceTools/citations.html
thanks,
- PointCounterpointOutlinesample.docx
- PointCounterpointOutlineinstructions2.docx
- PointCounterpointOutlinetemplate1