1) Choose a topic that we have discussed this semester that you find compelling.
2) Read about your topic. Appropriate materials include course readings, relevant powerpoint slides, scholarly articles and books, government and institutional reports, and popular writing such as newspaper articles and other online sources (not Wikipedia).
3) Write a 1500-word paper on your topic of choice. Your paper should draw from at least 1 course reading, 2 additional scholarly sources, and 2 popular sources. This is the minimum number of sources that you will be required to use and cite – a strong paper will draw from more than five sources.
Some points to keep in mind as you plan and write your paper:
· Your paper topic and argument should engage with the material and arguments that we’ve discussed throughout the semester.
· A good paper will be clear and concise. Avoid repetitive filler sentences, typos, fragments, and sloppy grammar — and don’t use long block quotes. Your paper should not exceed 2000 words. More is not always better.
· Balance your use of sources. A strong paper won’t draw primarily from one or two sources but will instead use all of the sources to craft a strong discussion.
· Be sure to use your own words and to cite your sources! As long as you are consistent you may choose any citation style, but you must cite your sources properly. You may not use ChatGPT for this paper – doing so will result in a 0 for this paper.
· Draw from the reading and cite evidence from the text to make your argument.
· Finally, make an overarching argument. Your paper should not be a summary of a general topic or a series of disconnected paragraphs summarizing individual readings. Your argument does not need to be original or profound – keep it simple!