Short essay assignment

This assignment asks you to explore one topic related to evolutionary theory in 3 - 5 pages. The topic may be in your area of study, or simply in an area of interest. Unlike the initial position statement, this essay will discuss on topic in detail. Some possibilities include

Evolutionary models of antibiotic resistance
Evolutionary models in computer programming (AI and A-Life)
Reduction of a complex process into simpler parts (Can the mind be analyzed as a biological process? Can social systems be reduced to the actions of individuals?)

Research is not required, but if you use any sources (including textbooks) you must cite them. This essay is primarily exploratory; you should use this essay to test out ideas for your major research project.

In this essay you're not trying to change anyone's mind; you're simply explaining something. But explanation, like all forms of expository writing, must have an audience, a topic, and a purpose:

To whom are you writing? (audience; the interested non-expert is a good audience for many topics)
What are you telling them? (topic; the topic is the specific subject of the essay)
Why are you telling them this? (purpose; in this case, your purpose is primarily explanatory)

Audience, topic, and purpose combine to form your thesis: this subject is important to your audience because. . .

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