Assignment:
Problem-Solution Essay
-examine a domestic or international problem
-evaluate solutions
-recommend (argue for) a course of action that will alleviate or solve the problem
-persuade your audience that the problem exists and needs to be solved
im not sure how to start this paper my professor wants us to define the topic with a rough definition but im not sure if i should start with a statistic or what? im just so tired of writing papers i cant think of how to do this one. i know its going to be about the poverty in Africa i need help!! i just need to be pointed in some kind of direction.thanks!
hmmm...
Since you have chosen the subject and you have the instructions the rest is easy, I think. :)
You can first explain the poverty in Africa, by all its contents; how people suffer there etc. And then you can explain the cause of it, what causes the poverty in Africa although the continent is very rich with diamonds, rice and many more and people are very wise about nature.
Then, as your teacher asks you, evaluate other existing solutions (which apparently do not contribute)
And stage is yours, talk about your own solution, mine would be, NO COLONY! and to let those people work for themselves not for others. (remember the film of Leonardo di caprio?? or zeitgeist addendum can help you for to have an idea, try them.)
You can persuade your reader, how miserable those people are and how wasting we are, and by such things...
I like your subject. It is sad to talk about it but it is something people should do, and hopefully not only talking.
I know how you feel! Take a break, and after resting drink a coffee; that's what I do.
Also, consider dividing this into a few sections so that it is not overwhelming. The first section defines the issue; the second section describes one option for a solution; the third section describes another option; the fourth section describes another option; the fifth section argues for one of the three options; the sixth section acknowledges an argument that is different from yours and shows how your argument is better; the seventh section is a conclusion in which you repeat your important points.
Poverty in Africa? What is an example of a solution you would choose over another solution? This problem is too complex, I think! If you are feeling burnt out, try a topic with some clear possibilities for solutions -- you might want to write about a specific African country, so that it is more manageable.
Write about something for which you can think of at least 3 different solutions -- and choose one.
Kevin is right, narrowing down your topic might make the assignment more manageable. In addition to picking a specific country, maybe you can look at a single poverty-related issue in that country, rather than trying to discuss poverty in general. So, you might look at the issue of overpopulation, how people so poor they can barely feed themselves are having more kids, on average, than people living in the more affluent areas of the world, because they view the kids as the equivalent of a retirement fund. Or you could look issues of malnutrition, or disease, or political instability, or lack of access to education. Each of these problems relates to an effect and/or cause of poverty, and so is on-topic. And each has a variety of solutions you could discuss. So, for instance, to fight malnutrition, Africans could plant GE crops with extra vitamins, or aid programs could be established to provide Africans with a more varied diet. Neither of these solutions would end poverty in Africa itself, but either might alleviate one of poverty's symptoms.