Compare the scientific essay “Health and Behavioral Consequences of Binge Drinking in College” to a piece of non-scientific writing.

you’ll write the final draft of an essay comparing the scientific essay “Health and Behavioral Consequences of Binge Drinking in College” to a piece of non-scientific writing about the same topic: “Too Many Colleges Are Still in Denial About Alcohol Abuse.”

 

Directions

 

  1. Read the essay prompts below.
  2. Read “Health and Behavioral Consequences of Binge Drinking in College,” by Wechsler et al., and “Too Many Colleges Are Still in Denial about Alcohol Abuse,” by Wechsler, Deutsch, and Dowdall.
  3. Look for ways you could respond to the prompt and mark passages you could use as evidence in support of a thesis.
  4. Brainstorm a thesis and evidence for your essay. Use all prewriting techniques you find helpful.
  5. Narrow your thesis and organize your evidence.
  6. Write your rough draft.
  7. Revise your draft for content and clarity.

8.    Write a final draft. It should be 2-4 pages (double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font).

 

 

Things to keep in mind

 

  • Come up with a thesis and the evidence you need to support it, before you begin writing.

 

  • This thesis must be specific and arguable: don’t state the obvious.

 

  • Support your thesis with a close reading and analysis of the texts. Refer to and quote the texts when presenting your evidence.

 

  • Organize your evidence into paragraphs that each have one controlling idea. Sum up this idea with a topic sentence.

 

  • Make sure your sentences are linked with clear transitions.

 

  • Make sure your summary recounts your thesis and your supporting arguments.

 

 

Essay Question

 

Write an essay addressing the following prompt.

 

Though these two essays about binge drinking address the same topic, they’re very different. One is a scientific article published in a medical journal, and the other is a persuasive essay published in an educator’s journal. Analyze the differences between the two, and show how these differences reflect the purpose and intended audience of each piece. Consider tone, the types of evidence used, the proportion between evidence and persuasive devices, and which rhetorical strategies each piece relies on most.