1) What the assignment is asking for
Part 1 – Presenter Defense: respond to at least 3 questions or rebuttals from Week 11, and those responses must come from at least 2 different classmates.
- Your responses should show that you understand your policy, your research, and the challenges to your argument.
- Your responses should be clear, concise, and written in your own voice.
- You should apply course ideas about argumentation and persuasion in your defense.
Part 2 – Final Reflection: write an individual reflection of about 150-200 words about the whole Policy Project experience (essay, video pitch, and Q&A defense).
- What was the biggest insight you gained about argumentation?
- What was most challenging about defending your own argument?
- What was most challenging about questioning a classmate’s argument?
- What did you learn about effective communication from this project or from the course as a whole?
2) My project discussion from last time
Single-use plastics are everywhere in campus dining at Foothill-De Anza. Every day, students grab food or drinks between classes and end up using plastic cups, lids, straws, utensils, and containers that get thrown away almost immediately. It might not seem like a big deal at first, but when you think about how many students are doing this every day, it adds up to a huge amount of waste. Right now, the school doesnt really have strong policies to deal with this issue in a consistent way.
This problem matters because most of these plastics are not recycled and end up in landfills, contributing to long-term environmental damage. Over time, it also affects student habits. Using disposable plastic becomes normal, and people continue that behavior outside of campus without really thinking about it.
The issue continues mainly because plastic is convenient and always available. Students are usually in a rush, so they choose whatever is fastest and easiest. At the same time, reusable options are still limited or not as accessible, so people just stick with disposables.
To improve this, the school should expand reusable containers, give utensils and straws only when requested, and improve recycling systems. These changes can make a real difference by reducing waste and helping students build better habits over time. After feedback, I made my idea clearer and more realistic, and I focused more on connecting it to everyday student life so it feels more relevant and practical.
3) Questions you already received and can respond to
Classmate 1
- Question 1: How much of a budget would you assign to use compostable materials, since they are often more expensive than plastic?
- Question 2: Would you suggest extra programs to reduce plastic waste, such as removing trash cans or creating a stronger disposal system?
Classmate 2
- Question 1: What does expanding reusable container options look like in practice?
- Question 2: Would students bring their own containers, would the school provide them, or would there be some kind of checkout system?
- Question 3: How would this work for students who are rushing between classes and may not have time to return or clean containers?
4) What this means for the final
- You already have enough material for Part 1 because you have more than 3 questions/rebuttals total and they come from at least 2 different classmates.
- You do not need to answer every single question if the assignment minimum is 3, but it is safer if you answer the strongest 3 or 4.
- A good strategy is to answer both questions from Classmate 1 and at least 1 or 2 questions from Classmate 2.
5) Checklist for what you still need to do
- Write at least 3 defense responses using your own voice.
- Make sure those responses are spread across at least 2 classmates.
- In each response, connect back to your policy, feasibility, student habits, convenience, and why your proposal is realistic.
- Use examples from campus life when possible so your answers feel grounded and practical.
- Write your 150-200 word final reflection separately.
- Before submitting, reread everything once to make sure it sounds like you and not too polished.
6) Simple response planner
|
Who asked |
Question |
Main point to answer |
Done? |
|
Classmate 1 |
Budget for compostable materials |
Say the school can start small: pilot in dining hotspots, bulk purchasing, phased rollout, and long-term waste reduction benefits. |
|
|
Classmate 1 |
Extra programs / disposal system |
Say the goal is not to make campus inconvenient. Better approach: clearer bins, request-only utensils, and more realistic disposal systems. |
|
|
Classmate 2 |
How reusable containers would work |
Explain the practical model clearly. |
|
|
Classmate 2 |
Bring-your-own vs school-provided vs checkout |
Choose the option that seems most realistic and explain why. |
|
|
Classmate 2 |
Students rushing between classes |
Show how your plan stays convenient for busy students. |
|
7) Reflection planner (150-200 words)
- Insight about argumentation: what did this project teach you about building a persuasive case?
- Hardest part of defending your own argument: what criticism or weak point was hardest to answer?
- Hardest part of questioning someone else’s argument: what made that difficult?
- Lesson about communication: what made arguments stronger, clearer, or more convincing in this class?
8) Suggested order when you actually write
- Answer the 3 strongest questions first.
- Then write the 150-200 word reflection.
- Then do one final read-through for tone, clarity, and word count.