Resources for Controversial Issue
Click the Arrow next to the Step to see the resources available.
Watch this quick video for an overview!
Step 1: Understanding Bias, Misinformation and Disinformation
When researching controversial issues, there is always going to be information that contains bias, misinformation and disinformation in an attempt to sway the opinion and minds of the researcher. Therefore, it is important to understand the way information is presented in order to find the best sources available.
- How misinformation works on the brain, according to a psychologist 6 min video
- Credibility, Bias, and Building Strong Arguments Presentation
- Understanding Disinformation and Media Literacy Presentation
- Disinformation and Media Bias Playlist: Truth Decay, Deepfakes, AllSides and Lateral Reading Activities
- Lateral Reading Challenge Google Form (This is part of the playlist above too)
- Play a game to learn more
- Bad News to become a Fake News Tycoon and Complete this Worksheet to understand the 6 Tenants of Bad Information 30 min activity
- Spot the Troll to identify real life Trolls that spread disinformation.
- Play the Game:Should You Share It
Step 2: Understanding Argumentative v. Persuasive Writing
Use these resources to understand argumentative v. persuasive writing. While Controversial Issues may be written about in both types of writing, the stronger form (ie. more convincing form) of writing is argumentative.
- Watch this Argumentative v Persuasive quick video
- Review this handout: Argumentative v. Persuasive
- Review this: Argument v Persuasive Cheat Sheet
Step 3: Picking a Controversial Issue Topic and Creating a Working Thesis
Some topics work better for argumentative writing than others. For example, Climate Change has all the facts on one side. According to NASA, 98% of the world's climate scientists have factual evidence to show that climate change has increased and is a danger due to the planet due to man-made activity. However, it is arguable what to do about climate change. A strong argument could be made for outlawing the production of beef. Others believe electric cars are the answer. There are scientific studies to show the benefits of both.
The most important thing to remember is to pick a topic you are interested in researching.
- AllSide Red Blue Translator™
List of controversial topics explained from "red" (ie. conservative) and "blue" (ie. progressive) viewpoints. - ProQuest SIRS Issues Research
An educational database that provides background and analysis on over 360 social issues. - Review the following lists of possible topics: 50 Argumentative Topics
300 Questions and Images to Inspire Argument Writing - Use these handouts to help you write a thesis: SIRS Issue Researcher Writing a Thesis AND Thesis Statement Example
Step 4: Finding and Evaluating Credible Sources
Your entire argument rests on finding credible sources for your research. Use the following resources to learn how to evaluate sources and then where to find different types of resources.
Credible Source & Link |
Description of source |
ProQuest SIRS Issues Research AHS Library Databases Log-in Info |
ProQuest SIRS Issues Researcher is an educational database that provides background and analysis on over 360 social issues. It features curated content from thousands of global sources, presenting the pros, cons, and various perspectives on complex topics to help students and researchers develop critical thinking skills. |
| AllSide Red Blue Translator™ |
List of controversial topics explained from "red" (ie. conservative) and "blue" (ie. progressive) viewpoints.
"The AllSides Red Blue Translator™ cuts the confusion by revealing how people across the political spectrum think and feel differently about the same term or phrase."
"Understanding these terms from all sides gives you a broader understanding of the issues and helps you effectively communicate." |
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"Britannica School is trusted by students and teachers around the world as a go-to source of factual information. With hundreds of thousands of articles, images, videos, primary sources and websites on all subjects." Good source for background information. |
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ProQuest Central Student is a multidisciplinary research database designed for students in secondary education through university. It is useful because it provides access to a wide range of credible content, such as journals, magazines, newspapers, and videos, across many subjects including humanities, science, and social sciences, helping students develop essential research skills for academic success.
This comprehensive resource prepares students for higher education by exposing them to a similar user experience as professional academic platforms. |
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Find a book in the library.
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| Remember to laterally read about the webpage before you use it. |
Use the AllSides Media Bias site to check your information and/or source for bias. Use the Bias Checker link to check on a specific article. Use the Bias Rating link to check on a source. Avoid sources that are far left or far right.
Step 5: Creating a Works Cited
- Noodletools is a Citation Creator that will build your Annotated Bibliography. It is free to all students through their school Gmail accounts. Go here to access Noodletools and here to learn how to use it and cite different sources.
- OWL Purdue also has tips for citing sources
Step 6: Putting it all together in an Outline, Essay, or Speech