Introduction: The goal of this assignment is to explore, understand, and analyse a current world issue in great detail. A scholarly book will be your primary source of information, but you should also gather news stories and academic journal articles related to your topic. You will write a formal research paper and lead a seminar to educate your classmates on the issue you've investigated.
Evaluation & Breakdown: This assignment will be worth 20% of your overall grade for the course and have three main components:
Chapter Summaries, Interviews = 15% of term 1 work
Research Paper = 25% of term 2 work
Seminar = 15% of term 2 work
Tentative Dates and Deadlines:
Topic Proposed and Book Obtained:September 27
Chapter Summaries for 1st Half of Book:October 31
1st Meeting with Mr. Vant Erve:November 13-17
Completed Chapter Summaries/Notes: December 14
Outline of Essay:January 15
2nd Meeting with Mr. Vant Erve:January 15-19
Research Essay Rough Draft & Peer Review:March 6
Research Essay Final Draft:April 12
Seminars:May 2-16
Topic and Book Selection: Finding a relevant and engaging topic and book is the first important part of the research process. Your topic needs to meet the criteria of a world issue (Pg. 6 of textbook). Considering which topic/topics are interesting to you, look through the book list I gave you and browse and to find a book that looks engaging and thought provoking. If it is not on the booklist handed out in class you must get it approved by Mr. Vant Erve. You may not choose a book that you have already read and you may not use this book as your primary source for a project in another class.
The Paper: You will write a formal research paper with a focused thesis (not necessarily in agreement with the author of your primary source). The goal of the paper is both to inform your readers on a particular world issue and to clearly state your perspective on it, inviting your audience to consider it for themselves. You will develop a thesis, prepare an essay outline, meet with Mr. Vant Erve to discuss both, then write a rough and final draft adhering to all academic protocol for formal written work. The rough draft will be formally edited by a peer. Target length: 2000 words
Chapter Summaries + Notes (1st half due October 31, 2nd half due December 14):
These will be used as a way to fully utilize and process the information in the book you read. They can be formatted however you wish – a table, point form, paragraphs, a colour-coded graphic organizer, whatever works best for you. Regardless of format, they must have two major components:
A record of the highlights and important themes of each chapter. Use your own words. As much as possible, look for highlights and themes that connect with the thesis you are developing.
Quotations from each chapter which will help you to prove your thesis (include the page number!). Aim to collect 10 quotes for every 100 pages of your book (or 1 for every 10 pages). These will not necessarily be evenly spaced, but should address different parts of your thesis.
1st Meeting with Mr. Vant Erve: During class time, in the week of November 13th, we will discuss what you have discovered so far, including your 1st half chapter summaries (these will be evaluated and returned to you before your meeting time) and the development of your thesis.
2nd Meeting with Mr. Vant Erve: During class time, in in the week of January 15th, we will discuss your essay outline, which is due at the beginning of interview week. You might not have all the specifics, but you should be able to summarize the main points you wish to present.
Gerenal Research Essay Tips:
The final submission must adhere fully to the MLA guidelines and the North Toronto Christian School Academic Protocol Handbook. Plagiarism will not be tolerated in any form and will result in a grade of zero. The peer review process should catch any possible errors of this kind before the final draft, but it is ultimately the responsibility of the writer.
Expose both or all sides of the issue to prevent bias and add authority to your perspective.
Follow this rough structure outline:
Introduce the topic without giving any opinion on it. Make it exciting or emotional enough to make your audience want to read the rest of the paper. Tell an amazing story and/or show some unbelievable facts & figures you've discovered.
Clearly state your thesis and how you are going to go about proving it. Outline the main body points you are about to make so the audience can anticipate the rest of the ride!
Present your research and your perspective in a focussed and clearly organized progression of main body points. Each point should contribute to the thesis.
Wrap it up, drive home your thesis, and ensure that you leave a lasting impression on your audience. Don't let them leave without making a decision to act on what they've just read.
Use lots of quotations and references, particularly in your main body points and spend lots of time ensuring that you are doing it correctly. It will make your research paper more credible and professional! Note: long quotations do not contribute to the word count of your paper.
Include images, diagrams, charts, graphs, maps – as long as they do not take away from the focus of the paper, these are welcomed and encouraged.
Seminar: Stay tuned! We'll address this in greater depth, with another document, at a later date. For now, it will suffice to know that the goal of the seminars is primarily to ensure that you and your classmates do not graduate high school without being well-informed about as many world issues as possible. We can't individually study every world issue at great depth in the time we have, but collectively, we can come a lot closer to this goal!
Your seminar will require the following:
the use of electronic presentation software
the development and inclusion of at least one ArcGIS map
opportunities for the class to engage with the topic interactively
a 1-page handout which summarizes the issue for your classmates
An important note: attendance and participation in classmates' seminars will be tracked and included in your evaluation, and knowledge of the content of classmates' seminars will be included as part of the final exam.