Essay Prompt
For this assignment, you will write a research-based argumentative essay for an academic audience while using secondary sources.
To prepare, you will read Harper Lee’s famous 1960 novel, To Kill a Mockingbird and watch the 1962 film of the same name, starring Gregory Peck with the intent of selecting a contemporary social issue that emerges from the texts that is still important in 2022–and perhaps even more so today than in the 1950s and 60s when the book and film arrived on the scene.
Next, you will engage in research that explores a specific aspect of your chosen issue. You will then determine what your personal stance on the issue is and use your previous research (and possibly new research) to support your stance. Your “stance” becomes your main statement.
Your research becomes your evidence. The process will be modeled for you in class. Unlike in Unit 3, your teacher won’t be providing you with sources for this essay: you get to find credible sources through your own research, since that’s something college writers do frequently.
