Organization

1. Organization Because Every Time You Write a Five Paragraph Essay You Let the Terrorists Win

2. The 5PE: Review • The problem is not the number • You can have an essay of five paragraphs that is perfectly strong • You can have a 20 paragraph essay that is technically a “FPE”

3. The 5PE is: • An essay where the individual claims are in no particular order • An essay where a claim is discussed but never ever brought up again in connection with the other claims • In short, no consideration has been given to the organization at all

4. Your New Mantras 1. Have a transparent and clear reason for the order that you discuss your points in. 2. Exploit that order by making connections back and forth between the points as you write your essay AND by telegraphing the reasoning behind your order in your writing.

5. Common Organizational Patterns • Chronological Order (by time) • Comparison and Contrast • Cause and Effect • Definition and Example (or class>features>specifics) • Problem to Solution • Order of Importance (define that importance) • From General to Specific

6. Legalization of Marijuana • Marijuana has been proven to be a fairly harmless drug, especially compared to other currently illegal drugs • Marijuana has been proven to have medical benefits. • Legalizing marijuana would have a strong impact on our currently flailing economy.

7. Point #1 I. Marijuana is a fairly harmless drug compared to other illegal drugs a. Discuss what makes a drug a “drug” b. Discuss the bodily harm done by drugs such as cocaine, heroin, speed, etc. c. Show studies that suggest marijuana is relatively harmless d. Acknowledge (concession) that there are potential lung problems with the breathing in of heated smoke (this acknowledges a counterargument but can be refuted by showing how pot is not smoked as frequently as cigarettes, the methods used to smoke it often cool the smoke, and as a natural herb it does not have the poisonous additives that come with cigarettes)

8. Why This Point First? I begin with this topic because the word “drug” often makes people leap to conclusions of dangerousness . . . even though all kinds of legal drugs come with health drawbacks too. Starting here also allows me to incorporate a brief discussion of what qualifies as a “drug.” Showing early on that we have a fairly arbitrary method of defining what makes a drug illegal lays the groundwork for future points.

9. Point 2 II. Marijuana has been proven to have medical benefits. a. Show studies and data that prove this (while doing so, keep making explicit references back to the previous point about how if it’s not completely harmless- the hot smoke aspect- the positives outweigh the negatives) b. Discuss how current medical marijuana programs work -i.e. in California (doing so will allow me to reconnect with the previous point’s notion of what is a “drug.” By discussing current doctors who prescribe it, I will be able to expand upon the idea that what is legal or illegal is often arbitrary.) c. Point out that although cocaine and heroin have been used medically in the past, there use has been long suspended. (This again allows me to connect back with the previous point where I acknowledged that many drugs are dangerous)

10. Why This Point Next? I discuss this point second for fairly obvious reasons. If I’m going to suggest that it has medicinal benefits I had to first prove that it’s relatively safe. So I’ve gone from foundation to emergent point. I’ve also moved from the general to the more specific by discussing drugs in a general safety/harm sense towards the specific practices happening now.

11. Point 3 III. Legalized marijuana would have economic benefits a. If it really is helpful medically, then health care costs will go down since money won’t be wasted on alternative and expensive treatments that don’t work. (connection to previous point is pretty obvious) b. People are already using it . . . A LOT … provide the statistics of current use and hypothesize how many more people would do it if it weren’t illegal and easier to get. Once pot becomes a marketable product, all the money that currently goes to drug dealers will go to the companies who market and sell it legally. c. Having medical producers and business producers in charge of quality control, we eliminate the possibility of marijuana that is poorly grown or mixed with other dangerous substances (this acts as a small concession that marijuana can be dangerous despite the claim of point one if it’s not grown and handled properly).

12. Why This Point Next? I end with this point because it heavily incorporates both of the previous points; in other words, I couldn’t even make it without doing the other two first. It also helps the paper move from general- to current- towards the future- providing a nice chronological organization that also provides a problem/solutionorganization

13. Counterarguments A. Selling weed is linked to criminal activity i. Well, it wouldn’t be if it were legal, now would it? ii. And not really true. Stats will show that pot related crime is almost non-existent. (This just helps expand on point one.) B. There are other drugs (or pills that synthesize the THC found in pot into pill form) i. Studies show that these pills are not as effective as actually smoking the substance (Reconnect with point two- if the pills worked, then doctors would prescribe them. Almost none do. Draw upon the ethos of doctors to not only counter this argument but also build upon point two)

14. Thesis: • Because half of all American elementary school children consume nine times the recommended daily allowance of sugar, schools should be required to replace the beverages in soda machines with healthy alternatives. • Claim 1: Too much sugar has detrimental effects on children’s physical development • Claim 2: Since the cafeteria food is often of poor nutrition, at least offering healthy drinks and eliminating soda is a step in the right direction. • Claim 3: Healthy beverages given at a young age by authority figures sets a child up for a lifetime of healthy choices. • Claim 4: Too much sugar affects a child’s attention span, which leads to poor performance in the classroom