Writing Project I: Corporate Food in America


Assigned: February 16

Peer Review Draft Due: February 28 (via Paper Forum on Canvas)

Final Draft Due: March 7 (via Assignment link on Canvas)

Style/Format: MLA, Argumentative Research Paper

Length: ~1,000 words (4+ pages)



We have examined seven different texts about the influence of corporations on the American food system. In our first Writing Project, I want you to expand on your ideas from Short Response 1 and argue for your perspective on what influence, if any, corporations should have on the American food system.



If you had the chance to redesign the role of corporations in how we eat, shop for, and think about food (and you had to make that case to an audience that has not been in class with us) what would you choose to do? Change nothing. Change everything. Most important is your explanation and defense of your ideas and your evidence.



Your paper should address the following prompt and requirements:



What is the appropriate role for corporations to play in the food system of the United States?



Requirements:

The paper must be written in MLA Style, including appropriate formatting and in-text and end-of-text citations. See the Purdue OWL on MLA for more details. (Links to an external site.)
At minimum, it must include four references to credible general audience periodicals to provide support, evidence, and enhance your credibility.
The references should come from mainstream news articles accessible either through a general search engine or, preferably, through our Hudson Library databases (Links to an external site.). You may not use tabloid writing, opinion pieces, op-eds, or editorials in this essay. Examples of acceptable outlets include The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, Guardian. Examples of questionable sources include The Daily Mail, CNBC, the New York Post, or CNN. Examples of unacceptable sources include any academic or medical journals, all tabloids, or any sensationalized or advocacy journalism.


Your outside sources should be used as support to lend evidence, data, or explanation to your argument. They should not be used to provide argument; the core argument must reflect your perspective.



If it helps you to review models for writing, consider the essays from Rachel Laudan (Links to an external site.) or Gustavo Arellano (Links to an external site.) as the best examples of this sort of writing we’ve encountered so far. Keep in mind that neither is writing in MLA Style (but you must).



Rhetorically, consider first your purpose for writing: What do you want corporations to do, why, and what is your vision for an improved food system? What evidence will help you make your argument? How will you demonstrate your vision’s credibility and viability to your readers?



Include, with your final draft (after your Works Cited page), two additional documents (both will be explained in Week Five of class):

A peer review summary (150-200 words) in which you summarize the feedback you received from each of your peers in the drafting process, how you understood their feedback overall, and how both impacted revisions of your paper.
A post-drafting reflection letter (150-200 words) in which you explain your complete process for planning and drafting of the paper in each stage and any difficulties you encountered. Finally, explain in this letter what grade you think you earned and why.