1. Writing a Position Paper A Guide to Writing a Social Studies 10-1 Position Paper

2. What is a position paper? A position paper presents an arguable opinion about an issue. The goal of a position paper is to convince the audience that your position is valid & educated. Ideas that you are considering need to be carefully examined in developing your argument, using thoughtful and appropriate evidence and organizing your paper. ◦ It is very important to ensure that you are addressing the ideological perspective of the source and presenting it in a manner that is easy for your audience to understand.

3. What do you need to do? Your job is to take a side of the issue and persuade your audience that you have well-founded knowledge of the topic being presented. It is important to support your argument with evidence to ensure the validity of your claims, as well as to address the counterclaims to show that you are well informed about both sides.

4. Final Exam Position Paper Question

5. FIRST THING TO DO… Figure out the perspective(s) of globalization of the source…. How is globalization portrayed in the source? Explain the opportunities and challenges of globalization of the source and additional information ◦ Supporters of the perspective(s) of globalization (politicians, corporations, leaders, groups, etc.)

6. 2 ND THING TO DO… Figure out the position you are going to take regarding the source and the perspective of globalization in the source. Do you agree or disagree? Why or why not? What will be your arguments to support your opinion?

7. Analyzing an Issue and Developing an Argument Determine the perspective regarding globalization first and foremost of the source! While you may already have an opinion on your topic and an idea about which side of the argument you want to take, you need to ensure that your position is well supported. Helpful tip: Listing out the pro and con sides of the topic will help you examine your ability to support your counterclaims, along with a list of supporting evidence for both sides.

8. 3RD MAIN THING TO DO… Find your evidence that you will use to support your position and your arguments Evidence demonstrates knowledge of the content and proof of learning. ◦ Note: You CAN study for a written response… Know your evidence!

9. Supporting evidence includes the following: Factual Knowledge - Information that is verifiable and agreed upon by almost everyone. Statistical Inferences - Interpretation and examples of an accumulation of facts. Informed Opinion - Opinion developed through research and/or expertise of the claim. Personal Testimony - Personal experience related by a knowledgeable party.

10. Organization Your introduction should lead up to a thesis that organizes the rest of your paper. There are three advantages to leading with the thesis: 1. The audience knows where you stand. 2. The thesis is located in the two strongest places, first and last. 3. It is the most common form of academic argument used.

11. Thesis Statement A thesis statement is a short passage - usually only a single sentence - summarizing the fundamental argument & position of a position paper. Typically, the thesis statement will appear near the end of your introductory paragraph.

12. I. Introduction A. Introduce the topic B. Show the ideological perspective of the topic and explain it clearly C. Assert the thesis (your position of the issue)

13. II. Your Argument A. Assert point #1 of position 1. Give the argument 2. Provide support/evidence B. Assert point #2 of position 1. Give the argument 2. Provide support/evidence C. Assert point #3 of position 1. Give the argument 2. Provide support/evidence Tip: You may choose to show a counter-argument to demonstrate your knowledge of both sides of the ideological perspective

14. III. Conclusion A. Re-state the thesis (preferably in a another way) B. Restate your argument & key evidence in a summary

15. AVOID Personal Words ◦ Examples: I, me, mine, you, we, ◦ DO NOT: “I think that the issue presented is...” ◦ DO: “This issue presented is…”  State your opinion as a fact. Use evidence to back it up. Rhetorical Questions ◦ Examples DO NOT: “Is it true that the issue presented is... ?” ◦ DO: “It is true (or not true) that the issue presented is…”  Do not ask the reader their opinion. It is your job to portray your position in a convincing way

16. RI2 Example #1…. What is the ideology of the source? -Explain it -Supporters of it -Origins #2… What is your position towards the source? -Agree or disagree? -Give 2 arguments #3… What evidence supports your arguments? - Give examples Imperialism had a positive impact in the development of Canada.