Research (as a group) the focused topic area. Locate at least three articles related to the topic that hold varying perspectives (at least one of the articles should be pro and at least one con). Read and annotate the articles, perform any written analysis on the articles you feel is necessary to understand them (i.e. the Toulmin method), do group discussions on the articles, summarize all three articles, do a four-column log on the articles and your position, do a short group presentation on the perspectives you've found, draft the essay, workshop the essay. You may also want to consult the articles in Aims on Race Relations as a means of generating ideas for topics and for different perspectives on your issue.