a draft of your topic (a draft means that it may change as your argument evolves)
A general idea of how you will support your topic.
In other words, what point will you make in each of your body paragraphs?
How will you support each of those points?
What evidence will you use? (If you don’t know specific quotes right now, that’s okay. Instead, just include what texts you think you will use.)
– Chapters 3, 4, 5 of Blindspot
– “The New Jim Crow” law article by Michelle Alexander, Ohio State Journal of Criminal Law
– “The Danger of a Single Story” – TedTalk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
– “How Microaggressions Relate To Systemic Biases” by Paolo Gaudiano
Introduction Section (2 paragraphs)
Provide an overview of the problem of racial bias in the criminal justice system, with a few key data highlights, specific examples, and quote(s) from authorities on the subject
Provide readers an overview of the different solutions being proposed for this problem and then a more detailed introduction of the solution you’re writing about,
Provide a topic statement in which you sum up your argument about whether and how your chosen solution will reduce or eliminate racial bias in the criminal justice system
Body Section (5-8 paragraphs)
Discuss in more detail the solution you’re examining and how it would work
Evaluate the strengths you see in this solution why you think it would help address the problem of bias
Evaluate the limitations/challenges of the solution e.g., the parts of the problem it would not address, or thing that would make it hard for the solution to work
Conclusion Section (1-2 paragraphs)
Discuss whether the solution you’ve examined is sufficient to address the problems of racial bias in criminal justice system and any additional steps/solutions that you think would be needed