Assignment/Activity Title— Critical Thinking Paper Year— Freshman Skill— Writing and Research Portfolio Category— Critical Reasoning ‘The assignment was to chose a topic that required critical thinking, to research one side of that topic, and to write ‘a paper on that topic. My topic was Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), and I chose to argue from the standpoint of an observer, stating that the best solution was to build sanitary sewer lines to a waste treatment center. To start my project, | looked for information on CAFOs, and the effects of CAFOs on the environment. I was able to find out many harmful environmental facts about CAFOs, and I therefore argued many of my points with ‘environmental reasons. After researching all this information about CAFOs and the effects on the environment, as well as the treatment of animals, I began to question the value of animal farms such as CAFOs. Consumers get beef, pork, chicken, lamb, etc. from different types of farms, but the cheapest possibility is buying meat from CAFOs. Writing this paper helped clarify my thoughts on livestock farms because I had to research it, and once I began to read more about the issue, the more I began to care about the issue, ‘This assignment illustrated my strengths and weaknesses. It illustrated that I was able to translate my research into a paper that can be read without any prior knowledge of the topic, and that I was able to find all the necessary sources. It also illustrated how much I procrastinate, because I knew about the project for a while, but I didn’t actually write the majority of the paper until the day before it was due. If I could redo this assignment, I would begin to write it much sooner than the day before it was due. By doing this assignment, I leamed more about CAFOs and the environmental impact they have, and I learned that I am capable of really putting my research into my paper. While writing the paper, I faced a few different barriers. Finding all the right information was a hard task, but I was able to find many different sources. Another challenge was being able to translate what I had read to my paper and still get my points across. These struggles taught me that there is worth in beginning your research early, and in having multiple sources. Having multiple sources say the same thing in different ways helps when writing that same argument in your own words. ‘To complete this paper, I made multiple checklists of what needed to be done, but I wrote the paper in the order of which I found the information. This paper relates to my future because I will need to write more papers, especially research papers, and this paper helped prepare me for some of that. I will always need to be able to research topics, and skim through different articles to find what I need, When writing papers, I will also need to know how to take previous knowledge and research and combine them into a paper. ‘When writing this paper, I discovered that I enjoy writing about a topic that I’m passionate about, and researching. the topic about which I am passionate, Many people that | talked to complained about the paper, and it seemed like a big, challenge, but after finishing my research, | had fun taking my research and putting it into a paper, While I don’t exactly know how people would react to reading my paper, I think they would agree with me. 1 think that my belief in ethical treatment of animals, especially livestock, and my care for the environment. contributed to the quality of the paper. If I was’t passionate about keeping the environment safe and healthy, and saving the world’s health, the paper would have most likely been less interesting to read and to write. I am glad that I was able to write a good, passionate, and informative paper on an issue that matters a lot to me. jars 22 Bore Student Signature Date fs 5 ! Teacher Signature Date Aavigor Signature Date