Toulmin Essay

This essay should be between 900 and 1000 words, excluding the required annotated bibliography.  Choose a topic about railroads with two opposing sides.

This essay must include a minimum of five sources.  Three should be peer-reviewed sources. 

Consider your audience as laymen in the field with only general knowledge of your topic.  Make sure to include the following sections in the essay: an introduction and claim, background, body, and a conclusion. Within the body of your essay, make sure to include the following in any order: support for your claim, opposing or alternate views, the strengths and weaknesses of your opponents' claims, and your rebuttals of their claims. 

The Annotated Bibliography Using the MLA guide, list each source as it will appear on the Works Cited page of your essay. Summarize each source in two or three grammatically-correct  sentences.