Video That Needs to be Referenced: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icEarC1TFl0&feature=youtu.be
Course Relevance Paper Instructions Purpose The purpose of this assignment is to challenge students to consider carefully what you think about some content (e.g. video, articles, etc.) assigned for the week in relation to the material being presented in the text book and slides. Instructions An article, video, or some other content will be provided by me and you will be responsible for evaluating it using the guidelines below. The paper should be very structured and demonstrate careful thought with regard to relating the content to the course material. You should have a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Students should write a two to three page reaction paper. Each paper should: 1. Use Headings (such as Introduction and conclusion, body paragraphs should include meaningful heading that demonstrates what is to come). 2. Begin with an introduction! Your introduction should be a short synopsis of the content of the video or article. What the video or article was about, what was the message it was trying to convey and what did they argue? This should not be a play by play of what happened. Look up the definition of the word summary. Make sure to have a Thesis statement!!!!! 3. The body of the paper should be comprised of multiple paragraphs addressing, a. Why you think this work is relevant in the context of the course specifically regarding the current week’s chapter, specifically explain carefully the concept, theory, ideas in the Chapter then show how it connects to the article you chose. b. What was your initial reaction to the information in the video, c. What about the video was interesting to you? What impact did the material have on you or your way of thinking, d. Critical thought will be important throughout; your paper should demonstrate the product of critical thought not simply talking through your opinion on the topic. 4. Things you should not do include simply saying that the material relates to the course because this is a class about social problems and the material was about a social problem in some form or just pointing out that it relates to the current chapter which is likely why it was assigned that particular week. I am asking you to be creative and demonstrate a mastery of the course content by relating it to the material presented intellectually. 5. End with a conclusion, summarize. Conclude by discussing what impact the content of the video had on you and what you feel like you learned from it. 6. Papers that do all of these well will receive the highest grade. Format Each paper should begin with the student’s name and the title of the topic. Do not use a cover page. Each paper should be typed and double spaced; the font size should be 12, Times New Roman; the paper should have one inch margins, and finally, pages should be numbered. Quoting Students normally ask how much of the paper should be direct quoting as opposed to their own wording. The general rule is that quotes should be used only when the language is distinctive enough to enhance the writers point or when paraphrasing would lessen the impact of the quoted statement. Quotes should only contain those words necessary to make the writers point – don’t over-quote. Using too many quotes suggests that the writer was merely pasting together passages from the source without thoroughly understanding them. Since students are graded on their understanding students may want to avoid quoting altogether. Papers that are string quoted will receive a zero. Flow Each sentence in the paper should be well written and should make sense; each sentence should be logically connected to the sentences around it, each paragraph to the paragraphs around it, and each section to the sections around it, and all of them to the theme of the paper. In other words, the paper should be easy to read and structured in such a manner that it guides the reader through the logical steps of the paper’s format. One way to help guide the reader through these important areas is divide the paper into paragraphs and to provide transition sentences or phases that inform readers where the paper has gone and where it is going. These transitions indicate how sentences, paragraphs, and sections logically fit together. HELP! If you need help, I am available to discuss your ideas. I do not read drafts so do not send them. I am always available by phone and/or email. Due Dates: Refer to the syllabus Grading Rubric: Each paper should demonstrate 5 clear sections that will each be assessed a total of 20 points each for a total of 100 points. Please read carefully! A. The introduction will be worth 20 points if it follows directions and provide an accurate assessment of what the article or video is about, no discussion of your opinion should be present here, points will be deducted for adding opinion in this section. A reasonable Intro should be at least 5 sentences. This should be the easiest part of the paper, but many students overlook accurately setting up the rest of the paper. The intro should end with a clear statement of what will be discussed forth coming in the paper. For example, this paper will demonstration how this newspaper article relates to both sociological concepts ____ and _____. B. Accurately identifying the content in the course that relates to the material can receive a possible 20 points in this section. Points are deducted for unclear connections, not including the specific Chapter the material came from, drawing an incorrect connection, lacking clarity, etc. C. Demonstrating critical thought is key; therefore the most obvious assessments cannot receive the full 20 points. For example, giving me an article about suicide and saying it relates to our discussion about suicide this week and I thought it was interesting shows no critical thought and cannot to be assessed the full 20 points. Points will also be deducted for demonstrating a lack of understanding the material. You should even show critical thought in what interest you about the article. D. Another 20 points will be assessed for discussing how the content impacted you, so making sure you answer all areas presented in the instructions above. E. Lastly, 20 points will go towards having a clear conclusion. Papers that end without a clear conclusion will automatically lose 20 points. A conclusion should be at least 5 sentences and both summarize and bring closure to your work.