Researching a Social Issue

We have now entered into our argumentative unit which is the final unit of this course.

Although you may not realize it, you have been doing exactly this in your papers throughout this course. You have posed judgments and have provided supporting reasons to defend them; you have made claims and used visual texts as evidence to support your claims. For this essay you will pick a social issue and conduct research on the issue. Specifically, you will consider a social issue that interests you and build an argument around that issue. Your job is to pose an effective argument on the topic of your choosing using the research you conduct to support your argument.

When considering the social issue you wish to write about, I suggest you choose a topic you have experience with or a great interest in. You may argue about any topic of your choice. However, please note that if you choose a highly controversial topic it will be difficult to effectively present your side within the span of a 4-6 page paper. Additionally, choose a topic that is relevant within the last two years, the more recent the research is, the more credible your argument will be. If you choose a topic that is outdated, chances are the research will be too.

Essay Requirements:

A strong, clearly stated thesis

1-2 counterarguments

At least 3 academic sources

4-6 pages (At least 4 spilling onto 5)

MLA format (DO NOT forget to include a Works Cited Page)

Additional due Dates & Paper Requirements:

Proposal due

You will write a short proposal (about 300 words) that states: the topic of your choice, why you have decided to write about it, a working thesis statement, and why this issue is important to explore.

 Annotated bibliographies

An annotated bibliography is an evaluation of your sources for your essay. It is similar to a Works Cited page, but you will also add a short summary (at least 3 sentences) for each source and explain how it relates to your argument.) You will need to cite 5 sources in your annotated bibliography. Although only three are required for this essay, having at least two more sources gives you more choices, and will be helpful if you decide one of your sources does not strongly support your argument once you begin to write the paper.