Order 1067284: What is the best way respond to mass violence in educational institutions to limit the numbers of casualties within such institutions?
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APLangresearchessayinstructions2018.pdf
AP Lang – Argumentative Research Project – 2018 Objectives
● Conduct in-depth research on a problem facing a community ● Use several sources to support an argument in a way that is relevant, logical, and effective ● Create and sustain a logical argument based on extensive research and reading
Project Overview
• Phase 1: Read widely; learn all you can about a variety of topics that interest you. • Phase 2: Narrow your research to a specific unsolved problem facing a specific community. • Phase 3: Conduct in-depth research on your question. • Phase 4: Defend a claim of policy in a well written, thoroughly researched essay that proposes
a solution to the unsolved problem. Essay requirements
• Argumentative • 1200 – 2000 words (4 – 7 pages) • Introduction with clear, well-worded thesis statement that argues a claim of policy • Several body paragraphs with support from a minimum of five sources • Conclusion • MLA format (8th Ed) – in-text citations and works cited page
(typed, 1 inch margins, 12 pt font, Times New Roman) • Appropriate and creative title • Original work – take strict precautions to avoid plagiarism
Annotated Bibliography requirements • 10 sources, minimum of 1 source in each of the five categories:
o Print – academic, peer reviewed, journal o Print – popular (magazine, newspaper, etc.) o Web o Video o Audio (radio program, podcast, etc.)
• Only 5 formal annotations are required – one in each category. Additional sources in the category should be cited but a written annotation isn’t necessary.
Assignments & due dates:
• Annotated bibliography draft [one source]……...............March 15 o Check for appropriate style/organization on a single source.
• Annotated bibliography & Research conference.........April 9 – 12 o Formal conference one-on-one with your annotated
bibliography – walk through the development of your topic, the research that contributed to your research question, the sources you have gathered, and the plan to locate any remaining sources. Any time before spring break.
• First draft of essay..........................................................April 16 – May 4 o Conference one-on-one over first draft and writing progress in
general. Students will sign up for a specific day after concluding the research conference.
• Final Draft......................................................................May 21
Detailed overview of research project: You will research an unsolved problem facing a community, and write an argumentative essay that proposes a solution. Phase 1: Read widely; learn all you can about a variety of topics that interest you. Keep an eye out for unsolved problems facing specific communities. The terms “problem” and “community” can be defined broadly, but ensure that a particular problem and/or community is worthy of your time and research. Solving a particular problem for a particular community should result in a net benefit for society. Phase 2: Narrow your research to a specific unsolved problem facing a specific community. As your research grows more focused on a specific community and a specific problem, you will develop an appropriate research question that would produce a claim of policy. Examples:
How can coastal communities in the Pacific Northwest safeguard infrastructure against rising sea levels? How can the gender imbalance in the American dentistry profession be made more equitable? What can rural high schools do to increase the level of graduates that go on to enroll in college?
Phase 3: Conduct in-depth research on your question. In this phase of the research, acquire a firm grasp of anything that helps you understand your question in more depth, from a wide variety of sources and types of sources. Specifically,
● The history and the causes that contribute to the problem
● The solutions that have been attempted, and their levels of success
● Other communities that are currently or have before faced a similar problem, and how the communities responded
● The most important factors the community must consider when developing a solution to the
problem
You will complete an annotated bibliography during this phase that demonstrates your acquired learning from the most significant sources in your research, and will conference with your teacher before moving on to starting the essay. Phase 4: Defend a claim of policy in a well written, thoroughly researched essay that proposes a solution to the unsolved problem. Develop a claim of policy by researching and proposing your own solution to the problem, or by proposing a modified version of a yet unimplemented solution.
Consider types of claims: Claim of fact: “There are many factors threatening to jeopardize the privacy of American citizens.” ● These claims assert that a
condition has existed, exists, or will exist – based on facts or data the audience will accept as being objectively verifiable.
● Useful for establishing/identifying problems, needs, existing solutions, various positions, etc.
● Not useful as thesis for an
argumentative essay. (expository OK)
Claim of value: “The right to privacy is more important than the need to increase security at airports.” ● These claims attempt to
prove that some things are more or less desirable than others, and express approval or disapproval of standards of taste and morality.
● Useful for establishing writer’s ethos/position.
● May be less useful as
thesis for an argumentative essay – depends on subject. (may be challenging to prove)
Claim of policy: “Attempts at making air travel more secure must not put in jeopardy the passengers’ right to privacy.” ● These claims assert that
specific policies should be instituted as solutions to problems. They also rely on compelling language (should, must, etc.) Policy claims call for analysis of both fact and value.
● Thesis statement in argumentative essay should probably be based on a claim of policy.
The wording of a research question can produce different types of claims: “How does a changing climate impact farmers in the Walla Walla valley?”
● Will produce a claim of fact
(thus, insufficient for an argumentative essay)
“How can farmers in the Walla Walla valley remain competitive in a global market affected by climate change?”
● Will produce a claim of value/policy (appropriate for an argumentative essay)
Analyzing sources
1. Scrutinize each source as a fact checker BEFORE closely reading
Reputation? (Does the author or source have a credible reputation? Do you have any reason to be suspect of the author or source? Is there an apparent bias demonstrated in the writing that interferes with its credibility?)
Organization? (Is the writing coherently organized? Is the form, style, and content sufficient for its purpose?)
Accuracy? (Is the evidence accurate? Are sources cited? Do you have reason to be suspect of the accuracy of the evidence? Can it be corroborated by other credible sources?)
2. Evaluate the role this text plays in the academic conversation of this topic ● Consider the basics: speaker, audience, purpose, context, etc.
● What is the impact of this text on or within the academic conversation? Is this text
referenced, cited, challenged, or addressed in any other significant way by prominent voices? OR does this text itself reference, cite, challenge, or otherwise address prominent voices?
● Seek out the most significant or impactful voices in the conversation, but don’t shy away
from new voices that are adequately cognizant of the conversation.
● Can you answer, “why this source?” in an informed, well-reasoned way? Ensure that you develop a rationale for each source that will play a role in your research project.
3. Analyze the text and summarize the content ● Consider a “say/do” analysis – annotate for content/information, as well as analysis of
craft, structure, process, etc. ● Write a summary for the article – long and short versions
Annotated bibliography vs. works cited page A works cited page is a documentation of the sources cited in a written work. You will include a works cited page with your research essay. The sources listed in your works cited page will not necessarily be the same sources cited in your annotated bibliography. Only include a source in a works cited page if it has been directly cited in the essay. Similarly, all sources cited in an essay must be listed on the works cited page.
An annotated bibliography represents documentation of the learning acquired through research – in addition to documenting the bibliographic information, the sources researched are summarized, evaluated, and reflected upon. The sources listed in your annotated bibliography should represent the key sources that played an important role in the development of your research question. You do not need to document sources you researched if they did not play a significant role in your learning or development of the topic.
Works cited page example:
Works Cited
Dean, Cornelia. "Executive on a Mission: Saving the Planet." The New York Times, 22 May 2007,
www.nytimes.com/2007/05/22/science/earth/22ander.html?_r=0. Accessed 12 May 2016.
Ebert, Roger. Review of An Inconvenient Truth, directed by Davis Guggenheim. rogerebert.com, 1 June 2006,
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/an-inconvenient-truth-2006. Accessed 15 June 2016.
Gowdy, John. "Avoiding Self-organized Extinction: Toward a Co-evolutionary Economics of Sustainability."
International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology, vol. 14, no. 1, 2007, pp. 27-36.
Leroux, Marcel. Global Warming: Myth Or Reality?: The Erring Ways of Climatology. Springer, 2005.
Milken, Michael, et al. "On Global Warming and Financial Imbalances." New Perspectives Quarterly, vol. 23,
no. 4, 2006, p. 63.
Nordhaus, William D. "After Kyoto: Alternative Mechanisms to Control Global Warming." American
Economic Review, vol. 96, no. 2, 2006, pp. 31-34.
Regas, Diane. “Three Key Energy Policies That Can Help Us Turn the Corner on Climate.” Environmental
Defense Fund, 1 June 2016,
www.edf.org/blog/2016/06/01/3-key-energy-policies-can-help-us-turn-corner-climate. Accessed 19 July
2016.
Writing annotations You will write a total of 5 annotations for your annotated bibliography. An annotation should include three main components. Write a few sentences for each step: Summary
● Paraphrase the central claim and any additional claims. ● Paraphrase the primary supporting evidence.
Evaluation
● Consider fact-checker analysis – reputation, organization, accuracy, etc. Reflection
● Consider: o What did I learn from this source? o How does this source contribute to my research and/or argument?
Annotated bibliography example:
King, Peter. “Unparalleled Fascination with Richard Sherman.” The MMQB, 21 Jan. 2014,
mmqb.si.com/2014/01/21/richard-sherman-fascination. Accessed 16 March 2017.
In this article written by the editor of The MMQB, Peter King, he responds to the unprecedented
popularity of an earlier article published on the same site. Interviewed are an expert on fan behavior and a
professor of psychology – Dr. Annemarie Farrell and Dr. Christian End, respectively – who speculate why the
response has been so overwhelmingly negative to both Richard Sherman’s article, “To Those Who Would Call
Me A Thug or Worse…” and an earlier interview Sherman gave on national television with Erin Andrews. The
article offers three possible theories for the popularity of the aforementioned Sherman article and interview:
jealousy of other fans, breaking the unwritten rules of sportsmanship, and racism. The theories alone make this
article worth the unfounded assertion by King that the negative reaction to Sherman is due to a combination of
jealousy and violation of the sportsman’s code. I have revised my research question to focus on the hypothesis
that racism could be to blame for the outbreak of negative tweets. This, in turn, will lead to reading on the
various types and definitions of racism and an investigation into the policies of various social media providers
on hate speech and its consequences.
