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 (8​th​ 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 s ...

1. 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

2. • 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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.

6. ● 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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.

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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.