Introduction and Outline (for Peer Reviewer)

Step 1: Introduction Paragraph 

For this assignment, you will draft the introduction for your final paper. First, review the following resources on creating an effective introduction:

Excelsior OWL – Introduction paragraphs (Links to an external site.)

and

UNC Chapel Hill – Introductions (Links to an external site.)

Your introduction paragraph should be approximately 150-200 words. It should:

1. Grab the reader’s attention with an opening “hook” – this may be an interesting example, a quotation, an anecdote, or a question related to your topic
2. Include your thesis statement as the last sentence of the introduction and underline it to make it clear to your reader. It’s expected that your thesis statement has changed and improved since you last submitted it in Milestone 3 based on your instructor’s feedback.
3. Since you are drafting content that will become part of your final project, which is a formal academic writing assignment, you should avoid informal language (i.e. slang) and first-person pronouns (i.e. “I”, “me”, “my”)

Step 2: Outline  

Once you have drafted your introduction paragraph, below it, in the same document you will compose an outline of the body paragraphs and conclusion of your paper. First, review the following resource on outlines:

Excelsior OWL–Traditional Outlining. (Links to an external site.)

Your outline should include body paragraphs supporting your thesis statement, at least 1 body paragraph to refute opposing perspectives, and a conclusion that reiterates your thesis statement. Each body paragraph should include at least 3 supporting details with the source or sources you plan to use as evidence for that detail. This way you will determine if you have enough evidence for your points, which will make it much easier to draft your full paper in the coming weeks or find additional sources if necessary. In addition, after your supporting details, each body paragraph should include an explanation of the evidence that summarizes how the evidence relates to your thesis.

Follow the format in the

Milestone 5 Template

 to make sure your outline includes the necessary components.  

Step 3: Reference List

Since you are including source information in your outline, you need to include a list of references at the end for all of your sources. This should be formatted in APA style. 

———————————————————————————————-

 Submission Instructions

Your final submission should include:

1. Your introduction paragraph with your underlined thesis statement as the last sentence
2. Your outline with sources for each of your 3 supporting details per paragraph and an explanation of evidence
3. A list of references in APA style at the end of the document.

Put both of these components into one document using the Milestone 5 Template. 

IND301Course Project – Milestone 5 Grading Rubric
Criteria A+ (100) A (95) B (85) C (75) D (65) F (55) F (0)

Possible Points: 30 30 28.5 25.5 22.5 19.5 16.5 0

Introduction
Paragraph: The work
includes an
introduction
paragraph that starts
with a hook to grab
the reader’s
attention and ends
with a clear, concise
thesis statement.

The
introduction
starts with an
engaging,
unique hook
related to the
topic and ends
with a clear,
concise,
unique, and
argumentative
thesis
statement.

The
introduction
starts with an
engaging hook
related to the
topic and ends
with a clear,
concise thesis
statement.

The
introduction
starts with a
hook that is
mostly related
to the topic
and ends with
a clear thesis
statement.

The introduction
starts with some
information
about the topic
but may not grab
the reader’s
attention. A
thesis statement
is present, but
may not be clear
or concise.

The
introduction
lacks a starting
hook or it does
not relate to
the topic. The
thesis
statement is in
the wrong
location or
unclear.

The introduction
lacks information
about the topic
and a thesis
statement is not
present or totally
unrelated to the
topic.

No
introduction
paragraph or
no
submission.

Possible Points: 10 10 9.5 8.5 7.5 6.5 5.5 0

Outline: Paragraph
Organization and
Topic Sentences: The
outline includes at
least 3 body
paragraphs that all
relate clearly to the
thesis, 1 body
paragraph that
refutes the opposing
perspective, and
topic sentences that
aid in transition and
flow from point to
point.

All required
paragraphs are
included and
relate clearly to
and strengthen
the thesis.
Topic
sentences are
good
transitions, are
logical, and
flow naturally
from point to
point.

All required
paragraphs
are included
and relate
clearly to the
thesis. Topic
sentences are
logical and are
good
transitions.

All required
paragraphs are
included, and
most relate
clearly to the
thesis. Topic
sentences are
mostly good
transitions,
with a few that
are unclear or
abrupt.

All required
paragraphs are
included. Some
paragraphs do
not relate clearly
to the thesis.
Topic sentences
are sometimes
unclear and
abrupt.

Some required
paragraphs are
missing and
some
paragraphs do
not relate to
the thesis.
Topic
sentences may
be absent, or
when present
are unclear,
abrupt, and
illogical.

Many required
paragraphs are
missing. Most or
all paragraphs do
not relate to the
thesis. Topic
sentences are
absent.

No paragraphs
in outline or
no
submission.

Possible Points: 40 40 38 34 30 26 22 0

Outline Content:
Supporting Details,
Sources, and
Explanation of
Evidence:

Each body
paragraph
includes at
least 3
supporting

Each body
paragraph
includes at
least 3
supporting

Each body
paragraph
includes 3
supporting
details and an

Each body
paragraph
includes 3
supporting details
and an

Some body
paragraphs
include too few
supporting
details. Many

The work includes
few supporting
details or details
that are entirely
irrelevant to the

No outline or
no
submission.

Each body paragraph
includes at least 3
supporting details
with information
about the source
used to support each
point and an
explanation of
evidence which
summarizes the
information and
relates it to the
thesis.

details that are
specific,
relevant, and
greatly
strengthen the
thesis. Each
detail is backed
up by an
appropriate
source. The
explanations
provide a
relevant,
cohesive
summary of all
evidence in
each
paragraph.

details and an
explanation of
evidence that
is specific and
relevant to
the thesis.
Each detail is
backed up by
an
appropriate
source. The
explanations
provide a
relevant
summary of
all evidence in
the
paragraph.

explanation of
evidence.
Most content
is specific and
relevant to the
thesis. Most
details are
backed up by
appropriate
sources. The
explanation
provides a
basic summary
that is mostly
relevant to the
evidence.

explanation of
evidence, but
many
components are
not specific or
relevant to the
thesis. Many
details are not
backed up by an
appropriate
source. The
explanations are
somewhat
relevant to the
topic but do not
fully summarize
the evidence
provided.

components
are not
relevant to the
thesis. Most
details are not
backed up by
an appropriate
source. The
explanations of
evidence are
incomplete,
mostly
irrelevant, or
missing for
some
paragraphs.

thesis. Details
include no source
information. No
explanation of
evidence.

Possible Points: 20 20 19 17 15 13 11 0

Writing Skills:
Grammar, spelling,
and syntax are
appropriate for
college writing.

The work
contains no
errors in
spelling
or grammar;
choice of words
demonstrates a
deep
understanding
of the topic,
always using
relevant key
terms
appropriately.

The work
contains no
errors in
spelling or
grammar;
choice of
words
demonstrates
a good
understanding
of the topic,
using relevant
terms
appropriately.

The work
contains a few
spelling and/or
grammatical
errors; choice
of words
demonstrates
proficiency on
the topic using
relevant terms
for the most
part.

The work
contains a
few minor
spelling
and grammatical
errors; choice of
words
demonstrates
basic
understanding of
the topic,
sometimes using
relevant and
appropriate
terms.

The work
exhibits
consistently
poor spelling
and grammar;
choice of
words
demonstrates a
lack of
understanding
of the topic,
often using
irrelevant or
inappropriate
terms.

The work exhibits
extremely poor
writing skills;
incorrect spelling
and grammar
limits the reader’s
ability to follow
ideas or thoughts.
Choice of words
demonstrates a
lack of
understanding of
the topic, with
many irrelevant or
inappropriate
terms.

No
submission.

[Delete the examples in Red and fill in your own work.]

Student Name

IND301 Milestone 5 Template

Introduction paragraph (approx. 150–200 words):

In the year 2016, Americans purchased approximately 17.5 million vehicles; less than 1% of these sales were electric or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Meanwhile, other nations, like China and Norway, have eclipsed the United States in electric vehicle market share (Sperling, 2018). These is no doubt from the international scientific community that carbon emissions from traditional internal combustion engine vehicles contribute significantly to climate change, and that electric vehicles represent a viable strategy to curb the automotive industry’s negative impact on the environment. Why then do electric vehicle sales still lag in the United States and what can be done to increase sales? The US government should increase the incentives for the production and consumption of electric cars because the United States is falling behind other nations in market share of electric cars, they are still too expensive for most consumers, and research demonstrates that electric cars are effective at reducing carbon emissions, which contribute to climate change.

Outline:

I. Supporting Point 1

A. Topic sentence:

The United States, once a world leader in automotive innovation, is quickly falling behind other nations in electric vehicle market share.

B. Supporting detail:

“The United States currently has the largest number of electric vehicles on the road, with almost 43 percent of all EVs sold in the U.S. However, EVs only comprised less than 1% of new car sales in the U.S. as of 2014” (Noori & Tatari, 2016).

C. Supporting detail:

The largest EV market is China, with more than half of the world’s EV sales (Sperling, 2018).

D. Supporting detail:

European Parliament and EU set 2020 targets for EVs and charging stations in all EU member states (Noori & Tatari, 2016).

E. Explanation of evidence:

It is clear that if the United States wants to speed the transition from internal combustion to electric vehicles, the government needs to keep pace with the global market and look to leaders in the space, like China and the European Union.

II. Supporting Point 2

A. Topic sentence: However, the biggest hurdle to the United States keeping pace with global trends on electric vehicle consumption is the cost for consumers.

B. Supporting detail: [Continue adding paraphrased information or quotations from your sources as supporting details as in the examples above.]

C. Supporting detail:
D. Supporting detail:
E. Explanation of evidence:

III. Supporting Point 3

A. Topic sentence:
B. Supporting detail:
C. Supporting detail:
D. Supporting detail:
E. Explanation of evidence:

IV. Countering Opposing Perspectives

A. Topic sentence: Some researchers have argued that the shift from traditional vehicles to electric vehicles should be slowed, not quickened because of their potentially harmful effects on the environment.

B. Supporting detail: The manufacture of electric vehicles actually causes more pollution than traditional vehicles (Li et al., 2015).

C. Refuting detail: However, once they are on the road, the net benefits of EVs compared to traditional vehicles outweigh the increased costs in manufacturing. Li et al. (2015) argue that EVs produce less heat than traditional vehicles and thus “mitigate urban heat island effect (UHIE)” in large cities like Beijing, reducing summer heat island intensity by .94 degrees Celsius, reducing the energy consumption by air conditioners considerably.

D. Supporting detail: Electric vehicles are powered by batteries charged by electricity, so some argue that the benefits of EVs are mitigated by the pollution caused by the “dirty, coal-fired power plant” needed to create the energy (Sperling, 2018).

E. Refuting detail: However, as we move away from coal toward renewable energy like wind and solar power or nuclear energy, this negative effect is eliminated (Sperling, 2018). For example, “in France, where most electricity comes from nuclear power, the environmental benefits are enormous” (Sperling, 2018).

F. Explanation of evidence: The manufacture and powering of electric vehicles are not without some costs to the environment; however, research has shown that these costs do not outweigh the benefits of transitioning away from the much greater environmental damage caused by traditional vehicles.

V. Conclusion

A. Review central ideas presented in body and make connection to thesis: It is clear from the research that a transition to electric vehicles will significantly reduce carbon emissions and contribute positively toward the global fight against climate change. However, in order to facilitate this transition, the US government needs to increase production and consumption incentives for electric vehicles since the US is falling behind other nations in its market share of EVs, and American consumers are slow to shift from traditional vehicles because of the cost.

B. Transition to closing thoughts: With incentives, over time more American consumers will choose electric vehicles over traditional internal combustion engine vehicles each year, prompting major changes in the American auto industry and mitigating the harmful effects of carbon emissions on the environment.

C. Closing thoughts: Climate change is a serious, global challenge affecting all of humankind, and every step toward the transition to electric vehicles is a step in the right direction.

References

Li, C., Cao, Y., Zhang, M., Wang, J., Liu, J., Shi, H., & Geng, Y. (2015). Hidden benefits of electric vehicles for addressing climate change. Scientific Reports, 5, 9213. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep09213

National Research Council (U.S.). (2015). Overcoming barriers to deployment of plug-in electric vehicles. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/21725

Noori, M., & Tatari, O. (2016). Development of an agent-based model for regional market penetration projections of electric vehicles in the United States. Energy, 96, 215–230. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2015.12.018

Sperling, D. (2018). Electric vehicles: Approaching the tipping point. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 74(1), 11–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/00963402.2017.1413055

Zhang, X., Bai, X., & Shang, J. (2018). Is subsidized electric vehicles adoption sustainable: Consumers’ perceptions and motivation toward incentive policies, environmental benefits, and risks. Journal of Cleaner Production, 192, 7179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.04.252

Hector Rodriguez
IND301 Milestone 3 Template
 
            •           Thesis statement:  
The US government should have more financial aid as student loans and rising cost of college are affecting the individual in different aspects: professional development, financial burden, healthcare and ultimately the nationwide economy.
 
            •           Annotated bibliography:
 
Source 1 (not required to be in APA format, but must include author, date, title, and a link):
1. Akers, Beth, Princeton University Press. 2016. The Rhetoric and Reality of Student Debt, 50-60, 85-100, https://eds-a-ebscohost-com.vlib.excelsior.edu/eds/detail/detail?vid=1&sid=4ffa11b8-44a3-42bf-97ba-714caab3d579%40sdc-v-sessmgr02&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#AN=1223451&db=nlebk
 
This article highlights the consequences that exist between the individual and their student loans, and how these contribute  to their economic sustenance and contributions to the national economy. We can name a lot of second and third effects that can come from just having student loans, from symptoms of stress that can affect the promotion of the critical thinking to the earliest of decisions in one’s personal professional life that can subsequently affect series of decisions originally produced by the root reason, financial burden.
 
2. Tran Alisia, (2018). Student loan debt, debt stress, and racially/ethnically diverse college students’ perceived health.http://dx.doi.org.vlib.excelsior.edu/10.1037/cdp0000207 
 
This article highlights the consequences that exist between the student and financial stress caused by student loans, and how these contribute to one’s mental health, physical health, and how ethnicity also plays a role. As a Hispanic, I find it hard to believe that ethnicity /nationality is factored into student loans, but due given the evidence presented by the author, I can appreciate a perspective I had not considered before. The impact is demonstrated by the varying ways ethic groups respond to stress. These responses will fluctuate depending on your nationality or ethnic group. Furthermore, the author presents how much they are going to endure these consequences, as a result of a negative feedback loop that can be traced back to predatory student loan habits.
 
3. Barlow, T.J (2018). Forever in Debt: The Effects of Debt-Funded Education o Racial Disparities.
In this source we can appreciate some of the consequences of having large amount of student loans and examples presented in previous sources mentioned as financial issues and the components that can cause the student to reach this state can be more fully appreciated. The way in which these are presented, is based on studies in different colleges which opens the diversity of students. Also, as racial disparities it plays an important role that consequently influences and helps the student’s financial status and the increase with its effects.
            •           One source to omit and why:  
Barlow, T. J. (2018). Forever in Debt: The Effects of Debt-Funded Education on Racial Disparities. Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal in Psychology, 13(3), 1.
 
Taking in consideration the instructions I have chosen this to omit this source since I haven’t been able to find it again in the Excelsior library. There are other sources that are informative and easily accessible.
            •           Reflection:  
This process has proven  a difficult task for me, that is,  to find or create a very concise and informative thesis. I find the topic is a very interesting one and with plenty of sources to use. I struggled with summarizing all sources to a concise statement since there is so much information within. It is hard to determine which one is the most valuable or useful source, but I will have to say Akers, Beth, Princeton University Press. 2016. The Rhetoric and Reality of Student Debt, 50-60, 85-100, https://eds-a-ebscohost-com.vlib.excelsior.edu/eds/detail/detail?vid=1&sid=4ffa11b8-44a3-42bf-97ba-714caab3d579%40sdc-v-sessmgr02&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#AN=1223451&db=nlebk which is my source one above in my annotated bibliography.  For me, this article was easy to follow the author’s arguments. I will re-visit my list of sources and anticipate that I will most likely change most of them during the course to the final product, since I will continue to research and find more effective and informative sources in accordance with my thesis. It been hard for me to find a very specific source, but I’m working hard and dedicating time for it. Will my thesis change? Absolutely it will. I will continue to refine my thesis, by reading evidence that both supports and disproves it while also working on my ability to present a concise and logical arguments in support of my thesis.