Sophia Pathways for College Credit – English Composition II
SAMPLE TOUCHSTONE AND SCORING
Nyeri Robison
Sophia Pathways
English Composition II
December 13, 2019
Eat More Greens!: Why Everyone Should Adopt More of a Plant-based Diet
For many people around the globe, meat is the highlight of the dinner plate. From gyros
to hamburgers, chicken shawarma to veal pie, people love their meat-based diets, and for good
reasons, too. It tastes good, it is versatile in many dishes, and it provides complete amino acids,
the building blocks of protein. However, there are also many people who choose to omit meat
from their diet completely and choose a plant-based diet instead. Vegetarians, for example, do
not eat meat, and vegans do not eat any animal products. People have a variety of reasons for
avoiding meat: religious, moral, or health-related. However, there are other reasons in recent
decades that have led more people to see the value of a meat-free, plant-based diet. As the effects
of climate change and the threats of overpopulation loom, more and more people are considering
vegetarianism as a simple, positive way to help reduce their carbon footprints and to encourage
stores, restaurants, and food suppliers to do the same. Although meat has been a longstanding
and important part of many balanced diets, cultures, and food industries around the world, I want
Comment [1]: Great summary of the pro-meat
argument. It gives many reasons why people like it and
find it an important part of their daily lives.
Comment [2]: This is another great summary of the
reasons why people do not eat meat. It gives a good
list of different reasons why a person wouldn’t want
meat as part of their diet.
Sophia Pathways for College Credit – English Composition II
SAMPLE TOUCHSTONE AND SCORING
to argue that everyone practices an informed and balanced diet of less meat and more greens for
the good not only of their health but for the well-being of the entire planet.
Everyone on both sides seem to agree that meat should not lightly be cut out of the
human diet or the economy. For example, everyone knows protein is an important part of human
health. Meat has historically played an important role both as a major source of complete
proteins (Bailey, 2018, para. 1). There are many amino acids that the body cannot produce on its
own, and meat provides all of them in readily available forms in a way that many other food
groups cannot, especially since the vegetarian diet requires a fair amount of knowledge and
planning to ensure one gets all nutritional needs met (para. 2). Additionally, meat is the reason
underlying many jobs, from farmers and ranchers to meat packers, butchers, and chefs (Abbot,
2018, para. 5). What would happen to those jobs if people suddenly stopped eating meat?
Finally, one does not need to do careful research to know that meat can be delicious, and almost
everyone around the world involves meat in some form as part of cultural or ethnic traditions.
Proponents of meat-based diets believe that animal proteins should continue to play a
crucial role in the health of our bodies and our economy. Roger Abbot (2018), for example, has
noted that aside from protein, meat is an important source of iron and many B-vitamins,
particularly B12 which is crucial for energy production (para. 7). He also argues that the meat
and poultry industries are pillars of U.S. agriculture, producing together nearly 100 billion
pounds of product and generating hundreds of thousands of jobs in 2017 (para. 5). Obviously,
these are important points, not to mention there are also many people who raise livestock for
consumption in sustainable ways, and many people also hunt for their food, which is also a
valuable way of culling otherwise-uncontrollable animal populations (para. 6). In other words,
many economies and food chains are very much dependent on people who seek out meat.
Comment [3]: Excellent Thesis! You do a great job of
showing the merit of both sides, and presenting an
argument that advocates for a compromise in each.
Comment [4]: Great use of the source to help
strengthen your essay.
Comment [5]: This is a good point!
Sophia Pathways for College Credit – English Composition II
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Nevertheless, advocates for plant-based diets argue that cutting out the majority of meat
one of the many steps we need to ensure good health for our bodies and the earth. First, it is
possible to get all of the required nutrients and sufficient protein without meat. As Jane Bailey
(2018) has pointed out, “You cannot just eat pizza and chips and call it vegetarian…You need to
educate yourself and do it right” (para. 2). According to Bailey, “A diverse, well-balanced diet of
beans, legumes, grains, fruits, and vegetables is more than enough to provide all of a typical
human’s dietary needs, and supplements exist to fill in any leftover gaps” (para. 2). Additionally,
a well-informed plant-based diet contains less saturated fat, cholesterol, and fewer carcinogens,
as well as more fiber and antioxidants (para. 3). As for taste, there are now more delicious meat
substitutes than ever, including the popular Impossible Burger and Beyond Meat (para. 4).
Individual health and taste aside, however, are the pressing problems of climate change. Bailey
catalogs the toll that meat production takes on our planet, naming everything from deforestation
of the Amazon and other regions (para. 9) to the massive amounts of water and energy it takes to
raise, transport, and prepare livestock for consumption (para. 10). Alternatively, most edible
plant products do not require the fraction of a fraction as much land, water, or energy per pound,
in addition to actively absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere (para. 11). Finally, there is
tons of economic, job-creating potential in green farming and green initiatives, including new
research looking into growing entirely new crops underwater (para. 13). We can begin to make
vegetables and veggie proteins more accessible and find new ways to fit them into our diets, our
cultures, and our lives.
There are so many good individual, national, and global reasons for everyone to begin
making the shift to a more plant-based diet, without having to completely omit meat. Although it
has been a longstanding part of our life and many people would be sad to see less of it, it is
Comment [6]: This is something that many people don’t
know about the meat industry. I’m glad you called
attention to it!
Sophia Pathways for College Credit – English Composition II
SAMPLE TOUCHSTONE AND SCORING
nothing compared to the losses and damages we will continue to witness as a part of climate
change. I admit that not all animal products need to disappear for this to happen. Also, hunting
certain animals such as deer probably has to continue unless we are willing to increase the
number of their natural predators. However, even small changes can have a big impact. For the
sake of our planet, the world’s population, and our health, I encourage everyone to eat meat a
little less, and eat green a little more!
References
Abbot, Roger (2018). “Why Meat Matters.” The Economist. June 17, 2018. Retrieved 29 October
2019 from http://www.theeconomist.com/articles/2018/june/195782.html.
Bailey, Jane (2018). “Why the World Needs a Meatless Diet.” The Atlantic. June 11, 2018.
Retrieved 29 October 2019 from http://www.theatlantic.com/articles/economy/
2019/846362.html.
Comment [7]: Wonderful concluding sentence. I like
that you’re taking both sides of the argument into
account, satisfying both sides.
Sophia Pathways for College Credit – English Composition II
SAMPLE TOUCHSTONE AND SCORING
Reflection Questions:
1. How does the Rogerian model of argument help you better understand the topic
that’s being discussed? Why is it a good practice to acknowledge both sides of the
argument?
The Rogerian model helps me put both sides of an argument into perspective. If I can put
myself in the shoes of anyone who is for and against a topic, I can better form my
argument to address their views and come up with a solution that can satisfy either side.
It helps me to be more objective instead of jumping to one conclusion right away.
2. Will you use the Rogerian approach in your own argumentative essay? Why or why
not?
I believe I’ll use the practice of putting each side into perspective, but I think in order to
be truly argumentative, I will want to take one side of the issue. I think it can be difficult
to stay in middle-ground for certain arguments, and I have a bit more passion for that
argument when it comes to my stance.
Sophia Pathways for College Credit – English Composition II
SAMPLE TOUCHSTONE AND SCORING
Rogerian Argument Essay Rubric and Feedback
Rubric
Category
Feedback Score
(acceptable, needs
improvement etc.)
Summary of
Positions
You have included a complete summary of
each argument. Don’t forget to introduce the
authors! 8/10
Claim Your claim is a great one. Instead of cutting
out meat completely, and in order to help
satisfy the movement against meat, you
propose a reduction in the amount of daily
meat consumption instead. You’ve used
many of the supports from both sides to
enhance your argument. Well done!
19/20
Organization You have a well-organized essay here.
Everything flows together nicely. 5/5
Style There are few, if any, major sentence-level
errors. 5/5
Conventions You adhere to the conventions of standard
written English throughout your paper. 5/5
Reflection You have complete and well thought out
responses to the questions provided. 5/5
Sophia Pathways for College Credit – English Composition II
SAMPLE TOUCHSTONE AND SCORING
Overall Score and Feedback: 47/50
I think you’ve done a great job in creating a Rogerian response to this argument.
You’ve got great supporting claims from each of the sources to help strengthen your
argument, and you have proposed a response that could help create a workable
solution to the issues. Excellent work!
