select a term that is controversial and/or ambiguous and define what it means to you, using outside research to support your argument/definition. Examples of such terms are American, heroism, terrorism, Christian, happiness, role model, the American Dream, beauty, patriotism, etc. In your argument, you may use numerous methods to develop your definition – analogy, cause and effect, comparison and contrast – or simply use examples to make your argument. In addition to defining your term, you should also specify what your term is not, differentiating it from similar terms. This essay should include outside research – such as news stories, interviews, and/or scholarly articles – to support your argument.
