Assignment:
PURPOSE
One goal of this course is to help you understand and apply basic economic concepts to daily life. Part of your role as an informed citizen involves making sound arguments about economic issues that matter to you and communicating these arguments effectively to others. This assignment will give you practice developing a convincing written argument about an economic issue for a general audience.
TASKS
1. On the Quercus module How to (Re-)Write an Op-Ed, watch the video How to (Re-)Write an Op-Ed, which builds on the videos you must have watched already - How To Read Critically and How to (Re-)Write an Abstract.
2. Your assignment is to write an Op-Ed, which refers to the section of a print newspaper that is opposite the editorial page and devoted to opinion and commentary rather than straight news.
3. Choose an article, editorial or opinion piece in a recent (published since 1 September 2019) online publication that involves a controversial microeconomic issue that interests you. [You may NOT use any article discussed in lectures or Economics Out There.] The economic issue can be Canadian or international.
4. In response, write your own commentary in which you take a position on the issue, supporting your position by making an argument based on sound economic reasoning.
• Provide feedback to classmates about their Op-Eds by the 2nd Deadline.
• Incorporate your classmates' feedback and submit a final draft on Quercus to both turnitin and peerScholar. On peerScholar, also include your reflection on what you learned from the writing and assessment process. Submit all by the 3rd Deadline.
FORMAT
• Your commentary must be 300 to 500 words or you will lose marks.
• Include right after your Op-Ed a word count (not including title) in parentheses,e.g. "(490 words)."