Before beginning this Competency Assessment, review the instructions, linked below, for the next essay you will be writing:
Essay #2 Instructions (Google Doc)
Competency Assessment: Generate a Claim
Read the assignment sheet for your second essay and begin to consider what you might like to write about. Choose a question that you’d like to research in some depth.
This should be a topic of interest to you that meets the following criteria:
Choose only a topic in which you have enough knowledge to make a reasonable and informed argument. Your major field of study may provide a good starting place. Once you’ve generated a question, do some research to begin narrowing your topic or to inform yourself further about the current debates in that field. When you’ve completed some research, generate a one-sentence answer to your question that takes the form of a claim. The claim should state your answer and your major evidence (reason) for having that answer. For example, "my town should impose water restrictions for lawn-watering because it will contribute to saving our reservoir."