History of War on Drugs Description RESEARCH PROJECT INSTRUCTIONS The Research Project is the culmination of all the tools, historical knowledge, and critical thinking skills you will gain from this course. Each of the other components of the course are the small building blocks that will help build the skills necessary to successfully complete the Research Project. The overall point of any research project is to discover more information about a particular topic; and then the overall point of writing a research paper is to organize your new knowledge about that topic and explain it in a clear and coherent manner for other readers. But in order for you to successfully accomplish either the research component or the writing component of this project, you must first develop and practice some essential skills. Below are the four stages you will move through during the project in order to get to the final product: your Research Paper. Each stage focuses on a particular skill (for 2 of the stages you are required to turn in a check-up assignment worth 25 points each). Before you start writing your Research Paper, we will learn about and practice each of these skills in our daily reading assignments, in our classroom discussions, lectures, and other activities. Each time we practice these skills early in the semester, think about how you will transfer the skills to the Research Project. The Four Stages 1. Choosing a Topic: (25 points) -Write 2-3 pages total, label each step below (“a,” “b,” “c”) as you answer it—you might need to write more for some steps than others, just keep it to 2-3 pages combined. Type your responses, double spaced. Due date is on the syllabus. a. Identify a controversial topic that Americans are currently debating that has important social implications. Choose something that is interesting and relevant to you. Explain three different perspectives or opinions on the topic (these do not have to be your own, they can be the opinions of anyone you’ve heard talk about the subject). There are two restrictions on the topic you choose: first, it cannot be a topic that we have extensively discussed together in class and second, it has to be a topic that has important social implications for a broad group of Americans. I will give you good and bad examples in class, but if you are in doubt, please check with me before you progress into the next stages. b. Explain why you are interested in this topic—tell me why it matters to you, and as you do this, explain your initial opinion on the topic.

Similar Posts