For this assignment, you need the Pierce College library, which you can access without needing a student number.

These sources are for argumentative essay, so the sources should be selected according to the topic.

Topic:

Great choice! You’ve chosen the topic of love for your argumentative essay. Here are some potential sides to argue:

*Side 1: Love is a fundamental human need and essential for our well-being.*

– Argument: Love is a basic human requirement, and its presence or absence significantly impacts our mental and emotional health.

– Potential supporting points:

– Love releases oxytocin, a hormone that promotes feelings of happiness and bonding.

– Studies have shown that people in loving relationships tend to have better mental health and longevity.

– Love provides a sense of belonging and acceptance, which is vital for our self-esteem and confidence.

*Side 2: Love is an overrated and fleeting emotion that can lead to hurt and disappointment.*

– Argument: Love is an intense but temporary feeling that often ends in heartache and pain.

– Potential supporting points:

– The chemical highs associated with love can wear off, leaving us feeling unfulfilled and disconnected.

– The risk of heartbreak and rejection is high, and the emotional scars can be long-lasting.

– Love can blind us to the flaws and imperfections in our partners, leading to unhealthy relationships.

*Side 3: Love is a social construct, and its meaning and importance vary across cultures and individuals.*

– Argument: Love is a culturally and personally relative concept, and its significance should not be universally assumed.

– Potential supporting points:

– Different cultures have unique definitions and expressions of love.

– Personal experiences and preferences shape our understanding of love.

– The emphasis on romantic love in modern society can lead to unrealistic expectations and neglect of other forms of love (e.g., familial, platonic).

Feel free to pick the side that resonates with you the most or mix and match points from multiple sides to create your argument! Good luck with your essay!

1 Before we build a Working Bibliography, we MUST commit to a topic. When we commit to a topic, then we CANNOT change it. (If you do change it without my expressed permission, I reserve the right to take points away from the Working Bibliography and subsequent assignments since those points would be going to a topic with which you are no longer exploring. — What is my advice? Choose your topic wisely!) You do not have to know your thesis yet, but you need to explicitly state the topic. I will not give points to this assignment until I have a record of your topic. (Most of you have already chosen good topics. I am open to you changing UNTIL we turn in the Working Bibliography; by that time, we have committed to a topic.)

This is what I want: The title of this assignment will be your TOPIC. Your topic will be clearly stated as the title of the page for this assignment: This means it will be centered and below your name, my name, class name, and date.

2 Below the topic you will type these words: Working Bibliography. (What is a Working Bibliography? I will define it. (I expect you to read the definition.) A Working Bibliography is an MLA formatted list of the sources (eBooks from the school databases, database articles, websites) that you have found at this point in your research. These sources might be used in the paper; perhaps, they might not be used in the paper; some of them may be used; others will not be used. Later, it will be your choice whether or not the sources you find now or sources you find later will be used in the paper. But the list shows that you are actively looking for sources NOW and have found sources, and the Working Bibliography shows that you know how to put those sources in MLA format. (I expect excellent MLA format: It is merely following a model; it is easy to do if you train your eye and mind to see in detail.) In other words, this assignment gets you started on your paper by finding sources NOW and documenting that search NOW, instead of waiting until the last minute. (Remember, writing is a process.)

3 What sources and how many? You are required to find 10 sources! You must find 2 eBooks, 5 database articles or essays, 3 websites. They will be listed in MLA format which also means they will be listed alphabetically. (Yes, that is more than the eight sources needed for the final draft of the research paper. As it should be — so that you have options and choices.) Points off for MLA formatting errors. This is an opportunity to practice getting the MLA format correct. If you don’t list eBooks from the school databases, expect a very bad grade. (To be clear, you are restricted by the Working Bibliography. If later, you find other or even better sources, you are free to use them.)

4 The assignment will look something like this:

Your name

My name

Class name

Date