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The Opinion Essay. Background Information. What is background information?. The background information explains what the issue is. It should define any words that the reader may not understand. It should give some general facts about the topic.
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The Opinion Essay Background Information
What is background information? • The background information explains what the issue is. • It should define any words that the reader may not understand. • It should give some general facts about the topic. • It should be informative and show that you have researched your topic.
Step 1: • Define what the topic is: • You may be writing about a topic which other people don’t know about OR you want to be more specific about your topic. • Puppy mills • Puppy mills are mass breeding facilities that produce puppies to sell for profit. • Seal hunting • Seal hunting is the large scale killing of seals for their skins which are sold commercially. • Gambling • Gambling is wagering of money or valuables on outcome of a game of chance, a sporting event or other contest. • Animal Research • Animal research is the use of non-human animals in experiments and projects.
Step 2: • Explain where and what is happening with the topic. • In the United States, there are thousands of licensed facilities producing over 500,000 puppies every year for sale in pet stores. Many more unlicensed mills operate selling directly to the public and via the internet. • You may give examples of where your topic is legal or illegal. • In Germany, where prostitution is legal, prostitutes pay taxes and belong to unions. • Recently, laws passed in Washington and Colorado making smoking marijuana legal.
Step 3: • Explain what the issue is? • Puppy mill dogs are treated not as “man’s best friend” but as livestock. The control of puppy mills is regulated by the Department of Agriculture, under the Animal Welfare Act of 1966; outdated legislation which sets minimal rules. Conditions in these mills are sickening; both for the poor dogs forced to endure them and for the animal advocates witness to them. • It doesn’t need to be a long explanation. You will go into more detail in later.
Step 4: • Put it all together: • Puppy mills are mass breeding facilities that produce puppies to sell for profit. In the United States, there are thousands of licensed facilities producing over 500,000 puppies every year for sale in pet stores. Many more unlicensed mills operate selling directly to the public and via the internet. Puppy mill dogs are treated not as “man’s best friend” but as livestock. The control of puppy mills is regulated by the Department of Agriculture, under the Animal Welfare Act of 1966; outdated legislation which sets minimal rules. Conditions in these mills are sickening; both for the poor dogs forced to endure them and for the animal advocates witness to them.
Another example: • Most people hate seal hunting because of animal rights group’s activism. They will put a sexy model in an advertisement and show a cute seal staring at the camera. What millions of people never see is face of a hardworking sealer (a seal hunter). Furthermore, they never hear the truth about a proud, centuries old practice.
Another example: • Corporal punishment and the physically striking of students is a controversial issue in Korea right now. Some educators feel that the “rod of love” is needed to get students to listen and behave in class. However, others feel any type of physical punishment is child abuse and must be stopped. Recent videos showing teachers beating students have raised a lot of concerns about the use and abuse of corporal punishment in the classroom.
