Problem solution essay

Problems. Unfortunately, there is no shortage of them in our modern world. A quick glance at any media outlet at any time of the day will confirm this reality. From homelessness to water pollution to mass shootings, they are everywhere. And like a fast-growing bacteria (or virus, as we have seen during this pandemic), they are spreading quicker than they can seemingly be solved. Someone or some group of someones will HAVE to solve them eventually, however, if our species hopes to solidify its existence moving forward. 
This is where the pen truly does become mightier than the sword. You know about the problems, and likely you have given thought to how YOU would solve them if given the opportunity. But who is willing to listen to your solutions? An email to a politician’s office usually garners nothing more than a mass-produced assurance that your voice matters. Screaming at others through social media usually garners nothing more than eye rolls and muttered concerns about the state of your well being. There is a group of people willing to listen, though. You have the attention of your audience, and these individuals would like nothing more than for you to offer a sound, practical, and implementable solution to an existing problem they can get behind. Persuade others to accept your proposed solution and watch a snowball movement toward action take effect. 
For your final essay of the semester you will choose a single problem and propose a solution or set of solutions for fixing it. You have free choice of topic selection with two exceptions—the obesity problem in America and the overuse of technology in the modern world. Writing about either of these problems will result in automatic failure of the assignment! You are free to solve any other problem. In the event no single problem stands out, consider creating a list of problems from various levels of society: local problems (those evident within your neighborhood or county), state problems (each state faces unique sets of problems), national problems (those we read about in the daily national news), and global problems (those that threaten the security of all the world’s inhabitants). Likewise, consult the link to 100 topic suggestions found in this module. 
At the heart of this assignment is you demonstrating critical thinking skills. The ‘A’ paper will do more than just regurgitate common-sense solutions that any arm-chair quarterback can spout off at will. It will offer REAL solutions, and maybe some out-of-the-box ideas. Take for instance the growing problem that is the island of plastic trash floating in the Pacific Ocean. Common-sense solutions are the obvious ones: recycle more and throw away less, ban the use of plastic bags in grocery stores, yadda, yadda, yadda. But in April of 2019 a group of scientists announced the development of a mutant enzyme that can slowly eat the plastic into evaporation. Now that is a solution worth advocating if what has been tested in labs proves viable in the field. A solution such as this is most widely discussed in credible research, so it will be important, like always, to provide sound evidence for support of your solution(s).
Remember, you CANNOT write about America’s obesity problem or the overuse of technology in our modern world. Working with either of these topics will result in automatic failure of the assignment!
At the bottom of this folder you will find a copy of the rubric for this essay. Rather than commenting directly on your submitted paper, I will provide general feedback through the various components of the essay listed on this sheet. View this rubric for a better understanding of what is expected of you as a writer and how grading will be handled for this assignment.  
Your final draft should consist of four COMPLETE pages of text (three and a half pages does not equate to four) minimum using a 12pt. font. It should also present a minimum of three CREDIBLE outside sources located by completing ACADEMIC research. Make sure to include a counterargument. Demonstration of those skills learned over the course of this semester should appear consistently throughout your submission. 
The problem/solution essay is due by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, November 28.