Essay Assignment: For your second major assignment, you’ll communicate your exploration, research, and reflection as you listen to, evaluate, and record the conversation surrounding the course theme’s research questions regarding what constitutes a good controversy. What is another perspective to understanding a good controversy? And, so what? What counts as a “good” controversy? Why is it important to be aware of this definition? Review your Definition Essay on what makes a good controversy.
To test your definition of a “good” controversy, you will:
· Identify a controversial issue from higher education (explore www.InsideHighered.com);
· Describe why you have chosen this issue; and
· Discuss what you know and why you are interested in this issue.
This assignment won’t be a formal essay but a document that demonstrates your engagement with the research process. At its completion your assignment will consist of three (3) parts, each of them recording the steps you’ve taken in researching your position on this course’s research questions, understanding your sources, and evaluating the direction you’ll take for the final research-supported argumentative essay. This assignment will tell your research story from inquiry (exploration of a research question) to claim (tentative thesis).
Refer to these sources for additional help: For guidance in successfully completing this assignment, consult the following references:
· “ Annotated BibliographyLinks to an external site. ” (HCC Library Guide)
· “ Annotated Bibliographies (Links to an external site.) ” (LumenLearning) (video)
· “ Annotated Bibliography Samples (Links to an external site.) ” (Purdue OWL)
· “ Evaluating Sources (Links to an external site.) ” (WAC Clearinghouse)
· “ Summarizing a Text (Links to an external site.) ” (The Word on College Reading and Writing)
· “ Critiquing a Text (Links to an external site.) ” (The Word on College Reading and Writing)
· “ Using Sources Correctly (Links to an external site.) ” (The Word on College Reading Writing; make sure to go through each chapter section)
· “ APA and MLA Documentation (Links to an external site.) ” (Writing for Success, 13.1-13.5; make sure to go through each chapter section)
The most important thing to understand is that this is not an assignment you can write in one sitting from beginning to end. It’s a construction project that, in many ways, builds from the inside out.
Think of the finished product in terms of the following general outline:
Part I: Research Narrative (500+ words)
The first section of the assignment will be a 1st person narrative that tells the story of your intellectual journey, beginning with your answers to the research questions. This portion of the assignment will let the reader know how your process began and progressed, what sources you found, what they were saying, and where they led you. I’m interested here in the chronological path of your process. By “chronological,” I mean for you to describe how you developed and followed through on our search strategy and how that strategy evolved as one source or insight led you to others. As you can imagine, you can be drafting this section throughout the process. Consider also that books, articles, database materials, and websites are not the only relevant sources available. Detail what is shown by the research you’ve done and what issues remain for you to investigate. How thoroughly do your sources help you in answering the course’s research questions? Will you need additional information in order to adequately support your claims?
As for your tentative thesis, consider how you might respond to this question: “To what extent does the controversial issue offer a way to advance, detract, or stall structured and meaningful dialogue or plan of action? What beliefs or value assumptions might shape the reasoning on each side of the controversial issue in higher education?”
Before answering this question, consider reflecting on these prompts to guide your thinking.
· What personal story, values, or “curious questions” underlie your interest in the controversial issue?
· How might you be pulled in opposing directions on the issue?
· Which side speaks to your own values? Why?

You will refine the tentative thesis in Major Assignment #3.

Part II: Annotated Bibliography (minimum of 5 entries – 150+ words each). At least 2 sources should be accessed using HCC library’s databases. Use a variety of sources such as documentaries, newspaper articles, films, political cartoons. You are not limited to only alphabetic or print sources.
An annotated bibliography is like an expanded Works Cited (MLA) or References (APA) page where your reader sees not only the formal citation but a paragraph containing a summary and explanation of each source. You’ll list your sources alphabetically according to MLA or APA citation style as you would in a Works Cited or References page. Each formal citation will be followed by a short paragraph containing description and summary, an indication of the credibility, authority, or bias of the source, and a statement of how the source might fight into an argument.

Seek out sources that voice a variety of perspectives, not just those that support opinions you already hold about your topic. Collect a variety of sources to provide a greater understanding to a particular side of the controversial issue. (NOTE: You are not taking or defending your position on the controversial issue.)

NOTE: At least two of your sources should be found using the HCC library databases.

Types of sources should include:
· Scholarly journal articles
· from JSTOR, Academic Search Complete, EBSCO, ProjectMuse, ERIC, Education Source, Language & Literacy;

· Statistical resources, such as data from an official government resource or reputable organization
· (for example: Pew Research Center, S. Department of Education, Texas Higher Education Data, National Center for Education Statistics, Census; for general topics related to higher education, consider the following agencies: Migration Policy Institute, Limited English Proficiency (lep.gov), Center for American Progress, UN, Statistical Abstract of the United States, etc.);

· Magazine or newspaper articles from high quality sources such as Business Week, National Geographic, NY Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune;

· Broadcast media such as NPR, PBS, BBC;

· Political cartoons from high quality sources such as Business Week, National Geographic, NY Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune;

· Documentaries, films, op-eds

· Do NOT cite: Wikipedia, general knowledge encyclopedias, general dictionaries, Opposing Viewpoints, Pro/Con, Current Controversies, etc.