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For this assignment, you’ll undertake a research project that emerges from your Argumentative Essay. The project culminates in a research paper of at least 1500 words, which MUST include proper citations and a works cited page in MLA format.  You have had access to a sample paper for formatting purposes since Module 1.
You will use your response (agreement/disagreement) to the text you chose for your argumentative essay as a starting point for your own argument about some aspect about the topic – a question within the topic you feel the text leaves unexplored or unanswered (or just not answered satisfactorily).  So, for example, you might point out a perspective or question the text problematically leaves unexplored, and your paper would then try to fill in that gap by making a case for its significance.  To make your argument, you will synthesize scholarly secondary sources – bring various secondary sources into conversation with one another so that each one fills in a part of the puzzle as you piece together the answer to your central question.
Not all of the sources you find will be useful, so you’ll undergo a process of evaluating each and restarting your search as needed. Once you’ve settled on a few sources, you’ll analyze them, engage them critically, annotate them, and put them into conversation with each other. After all this searching and note-taking and questioning and rethinking your ideas, you’ll be ready to compose a draft of your research essay.
The task may sound daunting, which is why we’re doing this in steps. You’ve already done the first part of the work by having spent time thinking and writing about the text to which you’ve responded.  This will help give you direction in terms of the kinds of sources to look for.  As we move forward, you will submit a list of potential sources and an annotated bibliography. You are required to use at least four scholarly secondary sources in the final draft of your research paper. More specifically, the four scholarly secondary sources must be scholarly journal articles.

What Is It?
• A short, timed, ungraded writing assessment: No points based on writing skill because you have not yet benefitted from instruction. You will receive points for completion.
• Administered to students on the first day or during the first week of classes.
• Designed to give the writing professor a sense of what students can do upon entering the classroom.
• Helps “diagnose” any areas of concern.
• Provides feedback and allows for interventions to improve student performance.
Instructions
Choose one of the topics (prompts) below and draft the best essay that you can in the time allowed. You should finish the essay in no more than 1.5 hours. Your goal is to produce a well-organized, well-supported, grammatically, mechanically, and stylistically correct essay that utilizes all that you know about writing and the writing process.
Please submit all drafts; type your name, and section number on all pages.
Approximate Length: 500 words.
Writing Prompts (Choose One)
1. What Are You Good At (doing)? Identify and discuss ONE thing you are good at doing. HOW did you get good at doing that one thing (the process), and how might you apply that process of “getting good” to being a student in this class and/or in college?
That “one thing” can be anything–acting, writing, hair and makeup, cooking, sports, listening, math, or taking care of animals.
2. College Ready? What does it mean to be “college ready”? Do you think you are ready for college? If so, how? If not, what might you be able to do now that you are here? What are you prepared to do that will help you succeed in ENG 101? In college?
3. Three Words: Choose three (3) words that best describe you as a writer. Think about how you feel about writing, your strengths as a writer, what you experience (emotionally and mentally) as you write, your performance in writing academically, and/or what worries/concerns you have about writing in general.
4. VUU (QEP) Motto: Virginia Union’s Quality Enhancement Plan motto is “Tomorrow Starts Today.” What does this mean to you? How do going to college–and doing well–fit into your definition? Feel free to include ways that this class can help prepare you for tomorrow.