Annotated bibliography As you research your topic, keep a reading journal in which you record the complete citation of your work; you will need these citations as you work on your bibliography. You are researching two sides of an issue, so I expect your bibliography to include at least two quality sources on each side. Statement of the issue at hand, or exposito, (2 or so pages) which expresses your understanding of the context in which this issue is situated Dialogue For this part of the assignment, imagine yourself inside each of the two major conflicting sides of your topic. Write a 1-1.5 page position statement for each side of the debate, drawing from and quoting your research, and imagine them in dialogue, trying to anticipate the other’s argument and prove them wrong. This is not the place for synthesis; save that for your persuasive essay. Your peroratio (persuasive essay) After your research is complete, your bibliography done, and your dialogue written, you will have achieved your own point of view about this issue. In this 1-2 page section of your essay, create a strong, narrow argument and defend your position, explaining how seeing both sides of the argument has helped you come to your own conclusion. This writing will provide a way for you to connect the other positions into your longer essay and offer a proposed solution to the problem you’ve explored. Final research essay This 5-7 page (1000+ words not including the bibliography) paper has an introduction and conclusion, focuses on your own strong point of view with a carefully considered thesis, explores the major debates on this topic, and uses research to establish the context within which you situate your thesis and a strong concluding call to action (what should be done if this matters so much?). Research Topics Your assignment for this research essay is to analyze a current social or political issue and provide a recommendation for action. These topics are quite broad; for this essay project you will choose a topic and narrow it sufficiently to create a compelling, researchable, and arguable thesis. Food Security in Alabama (focusing on one county also works) The right to housing (and housing insecurity) in Alabama (focusing on one county also works) For each of these topics, literally millions of pages have already been written. What I want from you is an exploration of the topic that gets several layers beneath the surface. What is the biggest debate in your topic area? Explore it in your dialogue mini-essays. Then decide for yourself what matters, what people need to know, and what needs to happen. You might argue for SNAP or WIC increases; you might argue for (or against) urban and/or rural community gardens; you might argue that providing free food or housing hurts more people than it helps, or that shifts need to happen beyond what stop-gap solutions like food pantries and transitional shelters provide. Whatever it is, drill down, get the meaty information, and see what seems to matter. Your sources for this paper must be very fresh. You can use only two sources (at most) that are more than 18 months old. For the rest of your research, you can quote ONLY from sources no more than 18 months old (you need at least three very recent articles). If you cannot verify the age of your source (it’s an undated blog rather than a dated article, for instance), you cannot use it unless it is an “extra” source (not one of the five). You’ll need at least five sources for this essay. You have a topic choice, but you cannot shift after our second Essay 6-focused class meeting on April 9. This approach ensures that researchers have adequate time to engage with each topic, research results sharing, and workshopping. Metaletter After you’ve written your section drafts as well as your final draft, write a letter to yourself (that includes your instructor as your audience) explaining what the process of writing the essay has been like. Reflect on specific issues about the process that worked or did not work for you as a writer. Take a full typed page to reflect and share what you’ve learned, and where you still need to grow. What from this process might you use in future assignments? What will you instantly drop from your process? Use the metaletter as a way of seeing, and reporting on, your evolving approach to process. *initial resources a poverty-focused photoessay: https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/photographer-matt-black-the-geography-of-poverty/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. The Right to Adequate Food RP2D1RightToAdequateFood.pdfPreview the document USDA (definition of food security) https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-us/definitions-of-food-security/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. Food Insecurity in Alabama http://map.feedingamerica.org/county/2014/overall/alabama (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. Feeding America (hunger and poverty facts) http://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/hunger-and-poverty-facts.html (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. Map the Meal Gap https://spotlightonpoverty.org/news/map-meal-gap-2016/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. “UN poverty official touring Alabama’s Black Belt: ‘I haven’t seen this’ in the First World” http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2017/12/un_poverty_official_touring_al.html (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. Alabama Possible http://alabamapossible.org/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. Arise Citizens’ Policy Project https://arisecitizens.org/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. VOICES for Alabama’s Children http://www.alavoices.org (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. Hunger in Alabama (Alabama Food Bank Association) https://alfba.org/hunger-in-alabama/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. End Child Hunger in Alabama (from Auburn University) https://wp.auburn.edu/endchildhungeral/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. NIH article: “Families Experiencing Housing Instability: The Effects of Housing Programs on Family Routines and Rituals” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4089513/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. Housing Insecurity http://www.housinginsecurity.org/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. CDC article: “Housing Insecurity and the Association With Health Outcomes and Unhealthy Behaviors, Washington State, 2011” https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2015/14_0511.htm (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. the Kids Count Data Center https://datacenter.kidscount.org/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. Economic Justice work at the Southern Poverty Law Center https://www.splcenter.org/our-issues/economic-justice (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. TANF Funds for low-income persons being spent on college scholarships https://www.cbpp.org/sites/default/files/atoms/files/tanf_spending_al.pdf (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. Report: “The Effects of Housing Insecurity on Health Outcomes and Costs” https://www.healthify.us/healthify-insights/the-effects-of-housing-instability-on-health-outcomes-and-costs (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. “Here’s how the standard of living in your Alabama county compares to countries around the world” (applying the UN HDI indicator to Alabama counties) http://yellowhammernews.com/countrys-standard-living-matches-county-zip-code/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. A great resource for web literacy (how to tell “real” information from “fake” information) Links to an external site. https://webliteracy.pressbooks.com/