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472

To Write a Problem- Solution Essay

  1. Question the situation.
    • Subject: What specific problem would you like to solve?
    • Purpose: Why are you writing—to change a policy, to reveal a problem, to propose an effective solution?
    • Audience: Who will read this essay? What action do you want them to take?
  2. Plan your essay.
  3. Research your topic.
    • Searching: Investigate to learn as much as you can about the problem.
    • Examining: Consider many possible solutions to the problem.
    • Focusing: Form a thesis statement about the problem and solution.

      Topic: Child warriors

      Thought: International intervention is needed

      Thesis statement: Warlords who force children to fight as soldiers will not be stopped until the international community intervenes.

    • Shaping: Arrange details about the problem and solution in an outline or other graphic organizer.
  4. Create the first draft of your essay.
    • Begin with an opening paragraph that introduces the problem and offers a solution in a thesis statement.
    • Follow with middle paragraphs that offer supporting details to explain or defend the solution.
    • End with a closing paragraph that revisits the problem and tells why your solution is important and will work.
  5. Improve your first draft.
    • Evaluate your first draft.

      Purpose: Does the essay effectively fulfill your purpose?

      Audience: Will the essay hold the reader’s interest?

    • Revise your writing.

      Rewrite any passages that sound too emotional. Use a knowledgeable and firm voice.

      Add connecting words or transitions.

    • Edit your revised writing.

      Check your writing for accuracy.

  6. Present the final copy of your essay to a classroom blog.
473

Problem-Solution Essay

The beginning grabs the reader’s attention and leads to the thesis statement (underlined).

Fighting Dogfighting

In 2007, NFL quarterback Michael Vick was charged for running an illegal dogfighting ring. On Vick’s property, pit bull dogs were housed and trained to fight each other, sometimes to the death. At least eight dogs were executed for poor training. This grisly picture exposed a major problem gripping both urban and rural America. Dogfighting is a widespread problem that must be solved through education and awareness measures in schools and communities.

This middle paragraph analyzes the problem.

Dogfighting is an illegal blood sport that pits two dogs against each other. Owners and spectators gamble high stakes on the outcomes. Though the practice is illegal in all 50 states, an estimated 40,000 people are involved in dogfighting. The Humane Society of the United States estimates that another 100,000 people are involved in “streetfighting,” or informal dogfights. While most outsiders can see the moral and ethical problems surrounding the sport, participants and spectators see dollar signs. They become desensitized to the violence, and such callousness spreads beyond the ring into schools and communities.

The remaining middle paragraphs outline three solutions to the problem.

Prevention of dogfighting begins with education and awareness. Schools and youth centers ought to implement programs that discuss the horrors of dogfighting and teach participants how to treat dogs humanely. One program that could serve as a model is a nonprofit organization called Knock Out Dog Fighting. Knock Out reaches out to community centers, schools, and juvenile detention centers in California to raise awareness about dogfighting and provide healthy alternatives for dealing with aggression.

Another way to raise awareness of dogfighting is to produce Public Service Announcements (PSAs). Communities can urge local radio stations to air anti-dogfighting PSAs like the ones offered for free at the Humane Society Web site. Concerned citizens can also create their own PSAs and publish them through social media. Spreading important anti-dogfighting messages on local radio programs and through social media would get the word out to many people and build empathy for animals.

Lastly, people need to report any signs of dogfighting to their local police departments. It is imperative that we do not ignore dogfighting in our own neighborhoods. Anyone fearful of retribution for speaking out can report anonymously. Doing so can save dogs’ lives.

The ending paragraph recaps the problem and solutions and promotes action.

Dogfighting is violent and cruel and must be stopped. It treats dogs inhumanely and endangers communities. Education and awareness programs can sensitize youth and adults to animal cruelty. Citizens can help by speaking out against dog violence. Dogs—and our communities—deserve better.

 
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