Our assignment is to find a contemporary political issue that you want to research. You will be writing a 5 page paper on the topic. The initial rules for writing the paper are as follows:
Follow the best practices of research found in the handout: "Standards and Practices of Good Internet Research."
"I went to google," is not an acceptable citation. You must go to specific web sites relevant to your issue.
ALWAYS find out who the source is for your data. That is, who made the web site? Who are the people or what is the organization that has written it? You often have to, in Deeno's words, "google what you google." That means, once you find a web site, google the site's authors, before you decide it is a reputable source.
If a web site's information is too complicated for you to understand, do not use it. Do not write down or use information that you do not comprehend at all. I am referring to web sites that are highly technical or written with a very large number of "vocabulary words" that you do not understand. However, if you find a web site in which there are simply a few words that you do not know, please feel free to ask me to clarify those meanings. On the other hand, do not just pick the easiest, most elementary-level web sites. Find information that is relevant, detailed, and well-written.
The topic must be one having to do with the political and social issues facing Americans today. Once you decide on a general topic, say "Abortion," then you must decide what EXACTLY you are researching. Are you researching scientific data about an embryo? Are you looking at different groups in society and what they believe? Are you looking at data about increases or decreases in abortion rates? Are you trying to determine why teenagers do or don't have abortions? All those are different topics, and would lead you to different research sources. So, once again: first pick your general topic, and then, with my help, narrow it down. You must write down your general topic and the narrowed down questions in your notebook. Your notebook must remain in your folder in the classroom, for this part of the class.
Students have brainstormed general topics that could be researched.
MTA budget issues
Iraq war
Afghanistan war
Education
Health care
Poverty
Free Tibet
Palestine
Global Warming
Recession
Is teen “Sexting” criminal?
How does the law define prostitution?
Rights to privacy
Safety at nuclear power plants in China
Power of China in the world
Teen pregnancy: abortion laws
Teen pregnancy: societal causes
China and the US: Financial relationship
The causes of poverty in the US
Abuse in the foster care system in NYC
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