Summarize the problem you’re writing about for Essay #3. Remember–this is a problem/solution essay, and you’re only focusing on the problem right now.

Don’t worry so much about solutions yet; instead, focus on clarifying the problem you’d like to write about. This also means you’re essentially locking yourself into this topic, and you’ll be able to move forward with your research from here! It’s all very exciting. I’ll give you feedback to help clarify or adjust as needed.

Guidelines

Answer the following questions. Aim for a short paragraph as relevant.

1. Summarize the problem you’re writing about for Essay #3. Remember–this is a problem/solution essay, and you’re only focusing on the problem right now.

2. For whom is this a problem?
3. For whom is this not a problem?
4. Why is it a problem?
5. Where is it a problem?
6. When is it a problem?
7. List at least one possible academic/scholarly or popular/serious source you might use. Format it in MLA style! Here’s a link to the SOCC library research help: https://www.socc.edu/wp-content/uploads/Writing-Research-Guide.pdfLinks to an external site.
You could also check The New York Times or other national newspapers. Google Scholar is another good resource! https://scholar.google.com/Links to an external site.
8. This last question isn’t a short paragraph. It’s a sentence! An important sentence.
Put your Essay #3 problem topic into this thesis template:
Someone should do X because…
It feels a lot like math, I know, but you’ll want to break this down even further. Who is the “someone” that needs to make a change to solve this problem? It might be more like an organization, a political party, or a collective of many people making meaningful changes, but figure out who needs to make the change.
What is the “X” that they should (or should not) do?
Why? (that’s the “because”).
Here’s an example. It’s a little clunky, but it’ll do the trick: Adoptive parents should not adopt children from foreign countries because there are too many kids in the US foster system that need loving homes.
The someone: Adoptive parents.
X: They should not adopt children from foreign countries.
Why?: Too many kids in the US foster system.
If you flip this around a bit more and said, as your thesis, “Children should be adopted from the US first…etc. etc.” it doesn’t quite work. The kids themselves can’t make this change and make this difference. It’s the adoptive parents who can change, though.
Create your own!

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