4. Essay #4: Proposing a Solution:
See syllabus for due date
Essay #4 Assignment: (200 points) Write an essay from 4-6 pages
in length, that addresses the topic below. Use a minimum of two
credible secondary sources to support your argument. These are in
addition to The Hunger Games.
Prompt : Write an essay proposing a solution to a well-defined
problem faced by a community or group to which you may belong.
Alternatively, you may address a well-defined problem faced by one
of the districts or communities in The Hunger Games. Address your
proposal to your audience: one or more members of the group, its
leadership, or to outsiders who may be able to contribute to solving
the problem.
5. Refer to your prewriting (Post 21):
You should have at least four paragraphs
written for two different problems from your
earlier writing.
Look at what you have; Focus on the problem/solution
pair that seemed the most interesting to explore.
Write another paragraph describing the problem in
more detail. You should now have at least two
paragraphs describing the problem.
Be as specific and vivid in your explanation as
possible given the information you currently have.
6. It usually helps to consider several possible
solutions before focusing on one solution; problem
solving requires creativity. Answer the following
questions to help you make a list of creative
solutions you could consider for your problem:
Can you adapt a solution that has already been tried or
proposed for related problems? Which? How?
What smaller, more manageable aspect of the larger
problem could you solve? How might you do so?
Could re-imagining the goal help you make fundamental
changes?
Could the problem be solved from the bottom up instead
of from the top down?
Could an ongoing process help solve the problem?
Listing Multiple Possible
Solutions to your Problem
7. Exploring Potential Solutions
Now, take the answers to those
questions and write paragraphs
addressing one or more potential
solutions to your problem.
8. Choosing the Most Promising
Solution
In a sentence or two, describe the
solution you want to explore further.
You should choose a solution that you
feel motivated to pursue. This will be
your working thesis!
9. Explain Why Your Solution
Would Solve the Problem.
Write for a few minutes explaining why
you think this solution could solve the
problem. For example, would it
eliminate one or more causes?
change people’s attitudes?
re-imagine the objective?
reduce anxiety and tension?
10. Show Why Your Solution Is
Possible.
Write for a few minutes
explaining why people could
agree to put the solution into
effect. For example, what would
it cost them in time or money?
11. Explain How It Could Be
Implemented.
Write down the major stages
or steps necessary to carry out
your solution. This list of steps
will provide an early test of
whether your solution can, in
fact, be implemented.
12. Post #22:
1. Your revised and developed description of your problem: two to four good
paragraphs.
2. One or more sentences to serve as your tentative thesis statement. In most
essays proposing solutions to problems, the thesis statement is a concise
announcement of the solution..
3. A paragraph explaining why your solution would solve the problem.
4. A paragraph about why your solution is possible.
5. A list of the steps of implementation.
Bring SMG and a copy of your essay draft.
Homework
