Final Project
Products:
- 1) A set of 14-15 newspaper articles
- 2) A 5 page paper
- 3) A thematic map
1) The newspaper articles (5 pts)
Choose a region within the first week or two of the semester that you would like to eventually write a paper about. The region must be one that we cover in class (see the syllabus), which does not include North America or the Pacific Islands. Each week, collect one article from the Christian Science Moniter that covers this region. Although you will likely write a paper about only one country in the region, your articles can cover the entire region.
Clip the articles from the paper, tape them onto a piece of paper, and keep them in a pile IN ORDER BY DATE. You will not be graded on aesthetics, but the dates must be evident and in order.
2a) The paper - Content (15 pts)
The paper should address at least one or two topical points that we focus on in this class, including politics, economics, demography, environment, or culture. It is advised that you focus one of these issues within a single country within your region. The best papers are those that analyze a problem or issue in depth, and bring various perspectives into the analysis.
You are encouraged to use the newspaper articles as a source of ideas for a paper topic. The paper can address a particular problem or issue that you find interesting within the articles. But, you can choose a topic that is not explicitly covered in the articles as well. If you do choose a topic that is well covered in the articles, the paper SHOULD NOT SUMMARIZE THE ARTICLES. You need to get more in-depth historical or thematic information from other sources.
The paper may use a few of the newspaper articles as sources, but it must cite 2-3 books as well. One or two on-line sources from reputable sites are OK, but papers that rely solely on on-line sources are not acceptable.
It is common knowledge that the library will not likely have updated sources for your topic. It is your responsibility to start early enough so that you can inter-library loan what you need.
2b) The paper - Format, Grammar and Style (5 pts)
Paper margins should be no wider than 1 inch. Line spacing can be double but preferably 1.5 spacing.
The bibliography should only include what you cite in the text. You do not need to make a bibliography for all of the newspaper articles.
Use APA Style. Follow these examples provided by the library. CLICK HERE. Papers without proper citations within the text will be returned ungraded. The student will have 2 days to make corrections, but 20% will be docked from the overall paper grade.
This is a research paper, NOT an opinion piece. NEVER use the first person. Any sentence that is not directly cited is assumed to be your opinion or assessment of the issue.
Plagerism is NOT hard to detect, and will result in an automatic 0 in the overall paper grade.
Correct grammar, spelling, and organization are extremely important. A paper with more than a few mistakes will loose the 5 pts. Make use of the Writing Center.
3) The map (5 pts):
The map must show your region of study and a THEMATIC issue of importance in your paper. For example, a paper on deforestation might include a map showing where deforestation has occurred in the region of study. A paper on agricultural issues might include a map with the major agricultural zones in the region of study. A map that shows the country boundaries and main cities is NOT a thematic map.
You must refer to the map in the text. Somewhere in the body of the paper, you will discuss the issue that is represented in the thematic map. At the end of the sentence in which you discuss that issue, simply write: (see map).