Government

Mr. Redito

GOVERNMENT: SEMESTER RESEARCH PROJECT

Directions: Your semester project is split up into 5 separate parts. Each part is due on different days. MAKE SURE you hand in the work ON TIME.

The First Step: Research, Citations, and Bibliography

You will research one topic for this project. Select a topic from the list provided (instructions for topic selection will be given in class). In order to gain a full understanding of the complex topic you must use several diverse and reliable sources. You must have at least SIX SOURCES; two of those sources must be BOOKS. This means you may have to get a library card! Your final paper must have parenthetical citations and a BIBLIOGRAPHY. These should be in APA format. Please follow the Official Edward R. Murrow Guidelines for bibliographies. For internet sources you may use academic journals (see scholar.google.com). Make sure that your sources are related to your topic, it will be necessary for part two of your project Items that MUST BE CITED: * You must a. direct quotes, both entire sentences and phrases also hand in b. paraphrases (rephrased or summarized material) copies of the c. words or terminology specific to your topic or the authors research, theories, or ideas Cover and d. use of an authors argument or line of thinking copyright e. historical, statistical, or scientific facts page for each f. graphs, drawings, or other such aggregations of information or data book source g. articles or studies you refer to within your text you use* Once you have gathered your sources you use them to write an annotated bibliography!

Part 1: Gather Useful Sources - Annotated Bibliography AND Book Copies (30 pts.)
* You must bring in a copy of the cover page and copyright page of the TWO book sources you use. I will NOT collect this part of your project without these copies. An annotated bibliography provides specific information about each source you use. As a researcher, you become knowledgeable about your topic and must be able to explain the content of your sources, assess their usefulness, and share this information with others who may be less familiar with the sources. The annotated bibliography allows you to provide reasoning and commentary on the sources you have chosen so that you can assess the usefulness of the source in your paper. Please give an annotated bibliography for EACH of your sources. Minimum 4 sentences for each source. Example:
Associated Press, Manure Overspray Raises Oregon Health Concerns, McMinnville, Ore., Oct. 7, 2007, http://www.komonews.com/news/local/10300752.html, accessed 23 March 2011. Animal waste can be carriers of E. coli bacteria; blamed last summer for contaminating fresh spinach from California. This article speaks to farm conditions and the unmanageable amounts of waste product created due to too many animals crammed into smaller areas than healthy farming would prescribe. Such conditions show that over production and unnatural farming methods contribute to detrimental environmental conditions. Some of these conditions were also highlighted in the book Fast Food Nation. Martinez, Steve W. The U.S. Food Marketing S ystem: Recent Developments 1997-2006, USDA Economic Research Report No. 42, 2007, http://www.usda.gov, accessed 20 March 2011. This report by the USDA shows the trends of the development of the factory farm, mass production, mass marketing food system. By its explanation it indicates the move away from local agriculture. The conclusions that can be drawn from this report are that food is barely traceable to a source, and therefore the environment pays the price of this low cost food; through fuel pollution due to shipment and also through factory farming for cheaper products. Thorsell, William Globemedia Publishing Inc. Europes farm subsidies: the roots of the problem run deep. December 15, 1990. Accessed 19 March 2011. This article addresses the viability of small farms in Europe and claims that they can still reap the benefit of government subsidies. People are less affected by the cost of their food; an expectation that quality may cost money. It offers a possibility that the U.S. could have subsidies for farms that are used to favor small farming and support the rural economy rather than corporate interests.

Part 2: Preliminary Organization of Information - 15 Index Card Facts (20 pts.)

You must provide 15 facts/quotes from your research on index cards. Keep index cards together for collection w/ a ring or a clip. You may not end up using all of these facts in the final version of your paper. If information is paraphrased you do not need to use quotes (although you should still use parenthetical citations in your actual paper). Use quotation marks for all direct quotes. Facts, quotes, information on one side of the card, the title, author, and page number on the other side of the card (this will be beneficial to you when writing the actual paper because then you can easily cite the quotes/ideas from the sources). See an example below:

SIDE 1 Approximately 50% of human labor around the world in the early 1800s was devoted to procurement of food. In the United States at least 90% of the population had some tie to agriculture. SIDE 2
Paul K. Conkin, A Revolution Down on the Farm: The Transformation of American Agriculture Since 1929, pg 21.

Part 3: Organize Your Thoughts - Outline (20 pts.)

You must create an outline for your paper. This is a way to organize your facts into the order you want to present them. Remember, your paper is an argument offer history, survey differing viewpoints, argue your point of view 1-2 pages. Follow the Traditional / Harvard Outline format. See an example below:
Agricultural Shifts A. Family Farming a. Sustainable farm methods within early agriculture b. Impact of methods on community and environment B. Farming Shift mass production a. Overproduction b. Agriculture Legislation two waves c. Environmental degradation II. Changing Environmental and Population Needs A. Source of Problems Solutions to Problems: What works and what doesnt! a. Industrial livestock b. Largest impact issues c. Government sustainable agricultural laws and proposals in modern day d. Community education I.

Part 4: First Draft (40 pts.)

First draft: at least 4 pages, times new roman, 12 point font, 1 inch margins, double spaced. * When using direct quotes that are over 2 lines you must indent and single-space the quote. Student editing day: your peers will be marking up your work, after mark up the MESSY version will be submitted to me!

Part 5: FINAL Research Paper (60 pts.)

Your research paper should be the culmination of all of your hard work, research, and organizational tools. It must be a 5-6 page paper including internal parenthetical citations (but NOT including your coversheet or Bibliography page). See paper size/font and footnote size/font specifications below. Your bibliography for the final paper should not be annotated. Also, make sure you remove any sources you did not use and add any sources you found after you created your annotated bibliography. Your paper should be well written (no grammatical errors and limited use of the passive voice), flow properly from idea to idea (follow your outline), be interesting and rationally argued. * Follow draft specification for using direct quotes in your paper. *

General Guidelines: A. 5pts off for every day late B. All projects must be in Times New Roman, 12 point font, double spacing, with one inch margins. C. Include a cover page on the front with the Topic/Title in 12 point font in the center of the page, and your name and Class at the bottom right. D. If these requirements are not followed, the paper will not be accepted.

Bibliographical citation information can be found on the Official Murrow Guidelines. DUE DATES: Part 1 __________ Part 4 _________ Part 2 __________ Part 5 ___________ Part 3 __________

MY Topic: _________________________________________________________________

Government Cycle Project Topics:

BAND______

Please write your name under the topic you want. First come, first served. ONLY 2 students per topic.
1) Megan's law and community notification of sexual offenders: When has a criminal paid his or her debt to society?

2) Westboro Baptist Church and the limits of the first amendment: How far is too far?

3) The impeachment of President William J. Clinton: Political ploy or legitimate legal action?

4) The Pentagon Papers and the limits of the First Amendment: Print protection for whom?

5) Chris Ofili and Obscenity in Art: How do you define art? When does government have a say?

6) Oil Dependant: Is the USA too dependent on foreign oil?

7) Legalization of Marijuana: Gateway drug or modern day prohibition error?

8) Balancing the Budget: Is a federal balanced budget a necessity

9) Federal Income Tax: Is our taxation system fair? Progressive, regressive, or flat?

10) Scopes Monkey Trial to today: Should Creationism/ Intelligent Design / Evolution be taught in schools?

11) America Last?: Are American schools failing? Why?

12) Affirmative action in Colleges: What should be considered in College acceptances?

13) Gay Marriage: Who defines marriage?

14) Homosexual Adoption of children: What or who defines a family?

15) School Assessment of Students: Are standardized tests the best option?

16) The internet and copyright infringement: Who owns information? What can/should the government do to protect intellectual property?

17) The reliability of Eyewitness testimony: Accurate accounts vs. inaccurate insinuations

18) Merit based pay for teachers: Who is grading the teachers? How should they do it?

19) The Achievement Gap: Why are different students ethnicities unequal in school achievement?

20) Illegal Immigrants in the United States: Citizenship or deportation?

21) Water boarding and government torture of suspected terrorists: Is torture ever acceptable?

22) Obesity in America: Should the Government do anything to control obesity? What?

23) Global Warming: Should the government do anything about it?

24) Immigration: open or closed borders

25) Title IX: Giving women access to sports or taking sports away from men?

26) Women in the workplace: Why do women still make less money than men? Should the government do anything about it? What should they do?

27) Juvenile Criminals: When should a child be sentenced as an adult?

28) Nationalized Health Care: Government responsibility or private business?

29) Poverty: How much and what should the government do to combat poverty in America?

30) Prison Overpopulation: Should we build more prisons? What are the alternatives?

31) The Evangelical Right: How much of a role should religion play in politics?

32) NASA: Is manned space flight the key to our future or a complete waste of money?

33) Welfare: Necessary safety net or creating dependency? Are there any alternatives?

34) Women: Why aren't there more women in political office?

35) Stem Cell Research: Scientific breakthrough or moral wrong? 36) Wiki Leaks: Was Snowdens punishment justified?

37) ObamaCare: Should the United Stated Government reform health care?

Footnotes and Bibliography Sample Sheet

FOOTNOTES order by number!

paper section For instance, Virginia was perfect for tobacco growing and exporting, to satisfy the demands of Europe.3 Despite these commercial tendencies, most of what early American farmers grew supplied local needs.4 Local produce creates a market for food that is fresh. It allows communities to build relationships between farmer and consumer. The consumer will know where their food is coming from and farmers will be accountable for their produce and meats. This is a key element of what has been lost in the development of our food system. Local production and sale to local consumers has virtually disappeared. paper continue, citations
3

Paul K. Conkin, A Revolution Down on the Farm: The Transformation of American Agriculture Since 1929, (Lexington, The University Press of Kentucky, 2008), 1. 4 Ibid. 6 3. Conkin, A Revolution Down on the Farm: The Transformation of American Agriculture Since 1929, 2. 7 Ibid.

paper continues, citations continue The intervention of the government has been a trend in agriculture.34 This intervention is not always in favor of the farm. The Census of Agriculture defines the farm as a place of agricultural production, and associates with each such place an operator of the farm. The census says that the farm operator is the person doing the work or making the day-to-day decisions about planting, harvesting35 Interestingly enough, for census purposes, the number of operators is the same as the number of farms (this was according to a 1994 census).36 A complication in the definition of the farm has occurred over time. In 1974 the acreage criterion for determining what constituted a farm dropped and the agricultural products produced and sold had to be $1,000, a higher amount of money than in previous census data.37 The effect of this changing definition is that a farm can consist of less and less land but should produce more and more. This type of definition of a farm adopted in the later twentieth century is part of the problem. We have redefined what a farm is and therefore have lowered our expectations of farm practices, in some cases without even realizing it. This new definition interferes with healthy planting and grazing practices. paper continues Bibliography alphabetical order Bibliography
King Corn: You Are What You Eat. New York, NY: Docurama Films: Distributed by New Video, 2008. Kunstler, James Howard, The Long Emergency: Surviving the Converging Catastrophes of the Twenty-First Century. New York, NY: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2005. Nestle, Marion. Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health. University of California Press, 2002. Martinez, Steve W. The U.S. Food Marketing System: Recent Developments 1997-2006, USDA Economic Research Report No. 42, 2007, http://www.usda.gov, accessed 20 March 2011. Ritchie, Bruce. Photographing Cows or Other Farm Scenery Could Land You in Jail Under Senate Bill. Florida Tribune, February 23, 2011; http://www.fltrib.com/photographing-cows, accessed 3 May 2011.

Name ___________________________________________________________________

Band _______________________
Satisfactory: 29-30 Relevant information or use of diverse sources Unbalanced explanation of candidates views Issues not clearly presented and/or neatly organized All information is cited and/or own words Some grammatical mistakes Meets length requirements Satisfactory: 23-19 Partly persuasive with some convincing analysis in support of one candidate Disproportionately address many aspects of the candidacy Organized paragraphs with little reasoned support All information is cited and/or own words Some grammatical mistakes Meets length requirements Satisfactory: 10-8 Explains aspects of the ideal information for a voter Uses few details to compare and analyze sources of information Organized paragraphs with some reasoned support All information is cited and/or own words Some grammatical mistakes Meets length requirements Satisfactory: 10-8 Offers some analysis into issues of the race Somewhat persuasive and well thought out Somewhat organized paragraphs with some reasoned support Somewhat creative All information is cited and/or own words Some grammatical mistakes Meets length requirements Poor: 29-0 Not relevant information or use of diverse sources Unbalanced explanation of candidates views Issues not clearly presented and/or neatly organized Info. may not be cited and/or own words Many grammatical mistakes Fails to meet required length Poor: 18-0 Barely or not persuasive with few/no convincing analysis in support of one candidate Disproportionately address few aspects of the candidacy Poorly organized paragraphs with little reasoned support Information not cited and/or own words Many grammatical mistakes Fails to meet required length Poor: 7-0 Explains few/none of the aspects of the ideal information for a voter Uses few/no details to compare and analyze sources of information Poorly organized paragraphs with little reasoned support Information not cited and/or own words Many grammatical mistakes Fails to meet required length Poor: 7-0 Lacks analysis into issues of the race Not persuasive nor well thought out Poorly organized paragraphs with little reasoned support Information not cited and/or own words Many grammatical mistakes Fails to meet required length

Part 1 Research 30%

Part 2 Editorial 30%

Excellent: 40-35 Highly relevant information from diverse sources Thorough explanation of both candidates views on the same issues Issues clearly presented and neatly organized All information is cited and/or own words No grammatical mistakes Meets length requirements Excellent: 30-27 Highly persuasive with deeply convincing analysis in support of one candidate Proportionally address all aspects of the candidacy (beyond the issues) Well organized paragraphs with well reasoned support All information is cited and/or own words No grammatical mistakes Meets length requirements Excellent: 15-14 Deeply explains the ideal information for a voter Uses many details to compare and analyze sources of information Well organized paragraphs with well reasoned support All information is cited and/or own words No grammatical mistakes Meets length requirements Excellent 15-14 Offers insightful analysis into issues of the race Highly persuasive and well thought out Well organized paragraphs with well reasoned support Creative All information is cited and/or own words No grammatical mistakes Meets length requirements

Good: 34-30 Relevant information from diverse sources Explanation of both candidates views on the same issues Issues clearly presented and neatly organized All information is cited and/or own words No/few grammatical mistakes Meets length requirements Good: 26-24 Persuasive with convincing analysis in support of one candidate Proportionally address most aspects of the candidacy (beyond the issues) Well organized paragraphs with reasoned support All information is cited and/or own words No/few grammatical mistakes Meets length requirements Good: 13-11 Clearly explains the ideal information for a voter Uses some details to compare and analyze sources of information Well organized paragraphs with well reasoned support All information is cited and/or own words No/few grammatical mistakes Meets length requirements Good: 13-11 Offers basic analysis into issues of the race Very persuasive and well thought out Well organized paragraphs with well reasoned support Somewhat creative All information is cited and/or own words No/few grammatical mistakes Meets length requirements

Part 3 Analysis 15%

Part 4 Prediction 15%

=Total Score

Characteristic

Score 8-9 87 or above Clear, well developed thesis

Score 5-7 77 or above Contains a clear thesis with limited development Limited or lack of understanding of complexity; may deal with one part of the question in some depth, or in a more general way Limited analysis, mostly describes

Score 2-4 67 or above Lacks a thesis, or thesis may be confused or underdeveloped Ignores complexity; may deal with one part of the question, or all elements of the question in a superficial way Weak or inappropriate analysis

Score 0-1 66 or below No thesis

Thesis

Understanding of the Question

Understands complexity of the question; deals with all parts of the question in depth

May simply paraphrase or restate the question

Analysis

Documentary Evidence

Supportive Information

Grammar and Structure

Provides effective analysis of the question; some imbalance permissible Effectively uses a substantial number of documents. Documents supplement analysis and are balanced with outside information Supports thesis with substantial, relevant information. Outside information is balanced with use of documents in the analysis of the question May contain insignificant errors

No analysis

Effectively uses someof documents; may only restate information found in documents Supports thesis with some factual information

Poor use of documents with only brief citation or paraphrase; not enough documents used to support analysis Lacks supporting information, or information given is minimal

Almost no use of or inappropriate attempts to use documents Incompetent, inappropriate responses

Organization and Writing Style

Well organized and well written

May contain minor errors that do not detract from overall essay Clearly organized and written, but not exceptional

May contain major errors

Contains many major or minor errors Disorganized and poorly written

Weak organization and writing