Research, Argument, Counterargument, and Rebuttal

Two Prompts in One

Research an approved argument. Compile your Working (annotated) bibliography in MLA

format with at least 5 entries in an effort to keep track of your research materials. These should

include a print book, an academic journal article, and a reliable newspaper article. As you

workshop, you’ll encounter more helpful sources. Add them to your working bib, even after

you’ve turned it in.

Do not cite within the paper or on your working bib, or works cited, any encyclopedia. Use any

encyclopedia as a starting point; find the primary and secondary sources an encyclopedia cites

and use those sources for your research.

Write 5 to 7 pages in MLA format. Introduce your topic with two paragraphs. The first should

deal with the distant history, even the ancient history, of your topic. The second should inform

your audience of what’s happening in terms of your topic today, and all of this should raise your

level 3 question. Posit that question with a literal question mark (?). The answer to that question

is your thesis. Be sure to create/posit the sub-claims in your answer. Develop those sub-claims

throughout your paper, citing your research as necessary within the text. It’s best to rebut a

counter argument in each of your body paragraphs. If it’s more manageable, a counter argument

paragraph before your conclusion will suffice. Be sure to conclude by reiterating your thesis,

and end on discussing the significance of your topic/argument.