CLN4U - INDEPENDENT STUDY UNIT
Table of Contents
1. ISU Intructions ……………………………………………………… page 1
2. Essay Topics ………………………………………………………... page 4
3. Focus and Bibliography …………………………………………... page 6
4. Annotated Bibliography …………………………………………... page 8
5. Essay Outline ……………………………………………………….. page 10
6. Focus and Bibliography Rubric………………………………….. page 11
7. Annotated Bibliography Rubric ………………………………….. page 12
8. Essay Rubric ………………………………………………………… page 13
CLN4U - INDEPENDENT STUDY UNIT
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this assignment is to develop your critical thinking skills, to enhance your understanding of a topic related to the law, and to develop your ability to write a concise, clear and grammatically correct paper.
You will use appropriate research methods to gather, organize, evaluate, and synthesize information.
CRITERIA:
You are required to research and investigate a Canadian / International legal issue.
· Your paper must be in the form of an ARGUMENTATIVE THESIS, which explains your position/side on the topic – therefore you cannot be neutral. You must take a side and provide counter arguments.
· You must support your position by expert opinions, quotes, facts etc. You must reference your sources using the Chicago style citation format.
· I will provide you with ongoing assistance and support will be available to help you with the planning of your essay and presentation.
· Specific required essay elements will be submitted by established due dates. Completing these formative steps is essential to your success writing this paper.
GUIDELINES: = 8-10 pages of content, typed (double-spaced), + title page and bibliography.
· The style should be formal; therefore, you should:
- write in the third person
- avoid slang and colloquial language
- write out numbers under twenty or if they begin a sentence
- do not refer to the paper (e.g. This paper will prove...)
· The paper should be written in proper manuscript form:
i. typewritten, double-spaced, font 12, Arial **
ii. on 8 1/2 x 11 unlined paper
iii. one inch margins **
iv. titles of books, newspapers and periodicals should be underlined; titles of articles should be in “quotation marks”; titles of cases should be either italicized or underlined, but not both (be consistent)
v. a complete title page that includes an interesting title, the course name (CLN4U - Canadian & International Law), teacher's name (Mr. P. Andrez), your name, and date
· A minimum of five (5) secondary sources should be consulted. Remember, a good variety of sources will make for a better, broader research base and thus a better paper.
· DO NOT USE THE INTERNET AS YOUR ONLY SOURCE OF RESEARCH (there is an abundance of misinformation out there). All sources in the bibliography should be cited in the paper.
· DO NOT pad the bibliography.
· DO NOT USE Wikipedia as a source. You may go there, but use it as a springboard to better, authoritative sources.
· WEIGHT: 15% of your final grade for the paper.
** do not manipulate margins, fonts, or devices such as the use of BOLD lettering to pad your paper. The only result is that it looks unprofessional. Please also note that Arial is my personal preference, especially for reading online. When you are in your post-secondary program, be sure to find out from your instructor which font is preferred.
PLAGIARISM is a serious academic offence. If you are not sure about what constitutes plagiarism, check out this interactive website: http://library.acadiau.ca/tutorials/plagiarism/. Please also note that handing in the same paper for two different courses is also an academic offence and will result in a mark of zero on that paper. Yes, your teachers do talk to each other. Similarly, you cannot hand in one paper to meet the requirements of two assignments in the same course.
THIS IS A COMPULSORY ASSIGNMENT – FAILURE TO SUBMIT AN ESSAY WILL RESULT IN AN INCOMPLETION OF THIS COURSE.
DATES TO REMEMBER:
Topic Submission / Thursday, April 17thSubmission of Focus and Bibliography / Thursday, April 24th
Submission of Annotated Bibliography / Thursday May 8th
Submission of Essay Outline / Friday May 23rd
Rough Copy and Peer Edit / Thursday June 5th
Essay Due Date- Submit to turnitin.com / Thursday June 12th
ESSAY TOPICS:
Refer to the suggestions on the attached sheet and select one that interests you. If you prefer to select a topic that is not listed, that should be fine, as long as you have it approved by me first.
Canadian and International Law ISU:
Potential Topics
Fundamental Rights and Freedoms: “How we define ‘Fundamental Justice’ in Canada?”
1. Sources of (or reasons for) discrimination in Canadian society.
2. “Freedoms are not absolute.” Build a case in support (or against) the view that civil liberties should be restricted based on circumstances or criteria.
3. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms: A legal triumph or disaster for contemporary Canada?
4. Should the 'notwithstanding clause' in the Charter of Rights be repealed?
5. George Orwell and others have portrayed visions of modern government as an obtrusive power to be struggled against by citizens. Research and build a position in regard to fears that governments hold far too much power in regard to information about citizens and their privacy.
6. “The greatest challenge to the North American democracies in the post-war world has been in the area of the preservation and extension of human rights. All in all they can be proud of their record.” Evaluate this statement in the context of women’s rights.
7. As in #6. Evaluate this statement in the context of civil rights.
8. As in #6. Evaluate this statement in the context of Native rights.
9. As in #6. Evaluate this statement in the context of political protest.
10. As in #6. Evaluate this statement in the context of separatism and the right to political self-determination for minorities.
11. Assisted Suicide. Build a case for or against making “death rights” legal in Canada.
12. Should “criminal” organizations such as the Hell’s Angels have their rights of free association limited to protect the greater good of our society? Investigate this issue and build an argument for legal reform.
13. Are affirmative action laws necessary or just discriminatory?
14. Is the judiciary too powerful?
15. Mandatory minimum sentences, are they necessary? Build an argument for or against them.
Criminal Justice System: “How can we maintain justice in an ever-changing world?: A case for legal reform.”
16. Research the rights of citizens on arrest and detention in one of the following countries: the United States of America, the People’s Republic of China, France, or Germany. Compare and contrast those rights with those of Canadians under the Charter. In your estimation, which system is superior?
17. Media in the courtroom. Should television and other electronic media by banned from court proceedings?
18. Investigate publication bans. How do we settle on a happy medium between the rights of victims and the accused to privacy and society’s right to know?
19. Prison reform: Research and make a case for a return to “hard time.”
20. Prison reform: Research and make a case for “humanitarian” approaches to treatment and reform of criminals.
21. Defining obscenity: How do we determine what is obscene in the context of the individual’s right to freedom of belief and speech?
22. Surrogate mothers (and associated “birth issues”). Should the state regulate the contracting out of birth and child production services?
23. Capital punishment: research issues associated to the debate over use of the death penalty. Make an argument for or against capital punishment based on this research.
24. How should our criminal justice system treat chronic offenders who appear to be beyond rehabilitation and are likely to re-offend upon release?
25. Jury trials: Are they the best method of determining a verdict?
26. Should drugs be legalized, decriminalized, or offenders treated differently? Investigate and build an argument related to legal reform of our narcotic laws.
27. The “battered-wife” defense. Doesn’t it simply excuse women for the murder of their husbands?
28. The Youth Criminal Justice Act: Is the law too soft on minors?
29. Research the systemic reasons for crime in Canadian society. What changes could be made to lower crime rates?
30. Should the federal government devise a national registry for DNA samples and other information about citizens that might help solve crimes?
31. Biological causes of Criminal Behaviour– Implications in Criminal Law. Should they mitigate punishments under the law?
32. How should governments regulate stem cell and other genetic research?
International Law: “Can there be such a thing as ‘International Law,’ and if so, what form(s) should it take?”
33. Is the UN still relevant?
34. Examine the justification and purpose of the Nuremberg Trials and show the role they played in the extension of human rights and international law as it relates to war.
35. Investigate the current work being done to establish a permanent International Court of Justice to deal with crimes against humanity and associated offences. What problems currently exist? Do they nullify the worth of this body?
36. Should there be a statute of limitations to the extradition of war criminals who have hidden for many years?
37. Should descendents of slaves be paid reparations for what their ancestors endured? Should western governments apologize for the actions that their predecessors did or did not take?
Economy and Labour: “Do our laws do enough to protect human rights and environmental standards?”
38. Environmental Law: Is self-Regulation superior to Government Regulation?
39. Kyoto: Path to a Cleaner Future or Meaningless Symbol?
40. Do environmental laws really promote a cleaner environment?
41. Drug testing in the workplace? Build a legal argument for or against it.
42. Public Sector Workers, should they have the right to strike?
* Alternative Topic: Note: This MUST be vetted by Mr. Andrez before you begin research.
CLN4U – Focus and Bibliography Name: ______
The Focus and Bibliography – Due: Thursday, April 24th
Objectives
The idea behind this Focus and Bibliography is to see whether you are able to identify outstanding issues related to your chosen topic that more research could help to clarify. Writing the focus will then help you achieve three important objectives:
1. to expand your knowledge by focusing on a topic that is of particular interest to you,
2. to further develop your skills as a critical reader of legal issues and research, and
3. to develop your analytical writing skills.
Your Focus must contain the following elements:
1) THE TOPIC
· Title: Must tell the reader the specific focus of the paper. Can also be clever.
· Introduction: The main purpose of the introduction is to provide the necessary background or context for your essay topic. Explain why this topic is interesting to you, and begin to show you why the reader ought to be interested in it as well. Be sure you provide context for all your key terms. REMEMBER: Write as if the reader understands nothing about your topic.
2) THE RESEARCH QUESTION (Clearly and In Detail)
· Narrow your focus from a broad interest. To try to ask six or more questions would be foolish. I need to see that you are already recognizing what is doable and what kinds of questions have information that is readily available that will enable you to answer them.
• “In this essay, I will explain . . . , I will answer . . . ” (and so on)
3) Significance
· What is the significance of your work? Too often students who are excited by a topic expect any other reader to be equally captivated; however, the reason for excitement, the significance of the project, is rarely self-evident. You must address the daunting questions: Why should others care? So what? Why is this topic a worthy enterprise and worth researching?
· After you do the preliminary research, discuss pertinent theories, controversies, arguments, divisions among scholars and ongoing debates about your topic. If possible (though it is not imperative at this stage), state your theory or argument (Possible or probable Thesis).
4) BIBLIOGRAPHY
· Indicate what you have read and cite the sources using the Chicago Style format for citation (minimum 5 sources)
Bibliography
Andrez, Mr. “Bibliography goes here.” Things that Drive Mr. Andrez Nuts. Oct 2005: 72.
Andrez, Mr. “Essay Formatting Rules to Follow.” Things that Drive Mr. Andrez Nuts. Nov 2005: 13 – 17.
“How did Hitler and the Nazi Party Take Power?” Schools History.7 November 2004. <http://www.schoolshistory.org.uk/hitlerssuccesses.htm>.
Johnson, Andrew. Economic Influence of Alexander Hamilton: an In Depth Examination of Early Nineteenth Century America. Toronto: McGraw-Hill, 1997.
Smith, George. “Hamilton’s Influence of America.” History Today. Sept 2003.
Note these important formatting aspects:
§ The page is labeled Bibliography.
§ Each individual entry is single-spaced.
§ There is a double space between entries.
§ Second and third lines of entries are indented.
§ If a URL must be broken at the end of a line, it is done at a punctuation mark.
§ The entries are alphabetized.
§ The overall formatting is the same as the rest of the essay.
§ The margins are 1 inch and the page number continues.
Mr. Andrez Name: ______
CLN4U – ISU Annotated Bibliography – Due: Thursday May 8th
Annotated Bibliography
“An annotated bibliography gives an account of the research that has been done on a given topic. Like any bibliography, an annotated bibliography is an alphabetical list of research sources. In addition to bibliographic data, an annotated bibliography provides a concise summary of each source and some assessment of its value or relevance.” (University of Toronto-Writing School. Feb. 17<http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/specific-types-of-writing/annotated-bibliography>.)
Requirements
· Students must research their ISU Topic using a combination of primary and secondary sources.
· Your Annotated Bibliography must be submitted that consists of five (5) sources (primary and secondary)
· Internet sources should be limited to university websites, official government websites, major newspapers, Academic journals or magazines websites and under specific circumstances online encyclopedia’s (students must get approval from me)