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To prepare for this assignment, read: -Chapter 1: Concept 1.2, Rhetoric -Chapter 2: Exploring Problems, Making Claims -Chapter 10: Writing an Exploratory Essay or Annotated Bibliography -Quick Start Guide 537: 1-7, MLA Documentation Style Major Assignment: Writing an Exploratory Essay ENC 1102 involves working on a series of steps to developing a scholarly argument, the capstone project for the course, due at the end of the semester. You will choose a topic (to be approved by the instructor) and proceed through the phases of developing the argument over time, which consists of the solution to an urgent, pressing problem that significantly affects our society. First, however, you must begin with a problem that you think about and contemplate–through a series of writing projects–before reaching a solution or position about what should be done to improve or solve the problem. This is not a casual argument, one that you would discuss over coffee with your friends, which would be based more on opinion. -“Opinions” are purely personal and don’t have to be justified in any way. -You can express your opinion regarding just about anything without having to say why you feel or think that way. However, while studying at a university, the arguments you make are more formal and are always based on what others have written or said (research), based on studies and experiments that provide factual information. =And even then, those facts must be verified and validated, which is why we will only use sources that have been published in reliable academic sources. In preparing a major project, scholars examine and explore alternative points of view prior to reaching a consensus (a position). You will learn more about what it means to take an objective stance–looking at all sides of the issue–and to defer reaching a position until you’ve had a chance to explore a research question and to think about what that research shows or demonstrates. Too often, we abbreviate this process and reach a position too quickly before we’ve had a chance to really examine research (beyond Wikipedia), to think about what that research means. For this assignment: “Choose a research problem that genuinely perplexes you.” -Begin the essay by summarizing what got you interested in the topic, and then discuss alternate points of view that come from research. -At some point in your discussion, be sure to discuss your interaction with—and reactions to—sources. You cannot know the answers before you ask the questions! Our aim is to keep an open mind while exploring a variety of perspectives about the problem, so you can gain a well-rounded understanding of the academic considerations, before you reach a position. You are not writing to explain the problem itself, but will survey what the sources have to say, to wrestle with and contemplate the points of view they offer in their articles. You’re using the academic sources as the lens through which you view the problem. -Include two images in the piece along with captions explaining what each image is meant to convey and an MLA citation to acknowledge the source. •All images used within your writing must have this caption and parenthetical citation, formatted to MLA guidelines -Also, add some secondary research and be sure to cite your sources at the end—you must include three scholarly sources (do not use popular