Chapter 13 Wrap Up Exercises

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EXERCISE 13.8

Working with two or three of your classmates, discuss your feelings about mandatory vaccination. Do you believe exemptions should be granted only for medical reasons or for personal or religious reasons as well? Write a paragraph that summarizes your group’s conclusions.

EXERCISE 13.9

Write a cause-and-effect argument on the topic, “Should Vaccination Be Required for All Children?” Begin by considering all possible problems associated with the increase in unvaccinated children and with mandatory vaccination. Then, consider whether stricter requirements and fewer exemptions are indicated—and whether such changes would have a positive effect on these problems. (If you like you may incorporate material you developed for Exercise 13.8 and the templated argument into your essay.) Cite the readings in this chapter where necessary, and be sure to document the sources you use and to include a works-cited page. (See Chapter 10 for information on documenting sources.)

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EXERCISE 13.10

Review the four pillars of argument discussed in Chapter 1. Does your essay include all four elements of an effective argument? Add anything that is missing. Then, label the key elements of your essay.

WRITING ASSIGNMENTS: CAUSE-AND-EFFECT ARGUMENTS

  1. What could your school do to encourage students to adopt healthier lifestyles? Write an editorial for your college newspaper in the form of a cause-and-effect argument. In your editorial, take one of these two positions:

    • If the university takes steps to encourage healthier lifestyles, students will benefit greatly.

    • If the university does not take steps to encourage students to adopt healthier lifestyles, the consequences could be serious.

  2. Look at pictures of female celebrities online, and consider the likely effects of these images on teenage girls. Then, write an essay arguing for or against the charge that images such as these help to encourage poor self-esteem, risky behavior, or eating disorders. Include some of the images in your essay, and analyze the impact of their visual elements as well as the effect of the words in the accompanying articles or captions.

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  3. In recent years, young children’s lives have become more and more structured. Instead of the free play that their parents enjoyed, many of today’s children are busy with scheduled sports, lessons, and play dates. Write an essay structured as a causal chain that traces the probable causes of this change as well as its likely effects on children and on their families. In your thesis statement, indicate whether you consider the effects positive or negative.