Controversial Topics – Pathfinder for Research Park City High School Library Here is a list of resources that will help when you have to do a class project dealing with current controversial issues such as abortion, euthanasia, global warming or others. Books in Our Library There are several series that provide titles on just such issues. In our catalog look for any of these series: • At Issue • Opposing Viewpoints • Contemporary Issues • Current Issues Sample titles are: ⇒ Gun Control ⇒ Censorship ⇒ Cloning Databases You have access to several databases that are perfect for this kind of research. They provide authoritative and credible resources and should be used before turning to Google or Wikipedia for information. They are: • Sirs Knowledge Source -­‐ part of the Pioneer Library at http://pioneer.uen.org/k12/ NOTE: the leading issues on the main page. Any of these topics would be good possibilities for research. • Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center -­‐ access from our library website at http://pchs.pcschools.us/index.php?page=288 NOTE: Click on the Issues tab on the home page t access a list of potential topics. • Global Issus in Context – access from our library website at http://pchs.pcschools.us/index.php?page=288 NOTE: Click on the Browse Issues and Topics tab on the home page to access a list of potential topics. *** The passwords to access these resources from home are on a bookmark available in our library. Websites Social Issues Multnomah County Library http://www.multcolib.org/homework/sochc.html Internet Public Library Social Issues http://www.ipl.org/IPLBrowse/GetSubject?vid=13&cid=1&tid=7197&parent=6687 Public Agenda – Public Agenda is a nonpartisan, nonprofit public opinion research and citizen education organization. Click on “issue guides” for topic ideas. http://www.publicagenda.org/ ProCon.org – ProCon presents research on controversial issues in a nonpartisan primarily pro-­‐con format. http://www.procon.org/ IDEA Debatabase – Debatabase contains arguments for and against hundreds of debate topics, written by expert debaters, judges and coaches. Also included are background summaries and links to Web sites of interest. http://www.idebate.org/debatabase/topic_index.php ABooher 1/11