Now that you've got your topic, this week I want you find some background information for your final project. The easiest place to do this is online: using a search engine to find and select only the best, most relevant and authoritative websites OR using Haystac, the library catalog, to search for books. So, here we go:
1. Find two sources (websites or books) that will give you some background information on your issue. Keep the sources nearby, as you will be citing them in Thing #11.
2. Identify one Congressperson (House or Senate) who has a particular interest in your issue. Their interest will probably arise from the unique needs of the constituency they represent and from their involvement on one of Congress' many committees. Suggested source: CQ Weekly (available on the A-Z List of Databases).
Post the URLs for all sources to your blog. If you use books, post the title and author.
Blog post due: Wednesday, February 7th by 9pm
Showing posts with label final project. Show all posts
Showing posts with label final project. Show all posts
Thursday, February 1, 2007
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Thing #4 - Read about the project and choose your topic
First, read about the research project here.
Now that you've got a pretty good idea about the nature of the project, it's time to pick an issue. I've included a list of possibilities. Most of the topics listed are too broad to address in one brief/memo. Part of the project is developing a good research topic and thesis statement. For example, one of the topics is the Patriot Act. However, I would expect you to focus your research efforts on a specific aspect/application of the Patriot Act, such as warrantless surveillance. You may choose your own topic and you will have time to narrow your topic further as you begin researching.
Remember, although some of the topics can be researched as social issues, your job is to look at them from a political perspective. This means thinking about them broadly in terms of legislation, government funding and government regulation.
Post your choice of topic to your blog.
Due by Wed, Jan24th at 9pm.
A completely non-comprehensive list of possible topics (if you don't like any of these, choose your own!):
autism
charter high schools
coast guard funding
Congressional ethics reform
corporate bankruptcy code
Darfur
emergency disaster aid
estate tax
farm subsidies
FDA drug-approval system
foreign aid
foreign investment in U.S. companies
generic drug access
global AIDS epidemic
global warming
government negotiation of drug prices
guest worker program
immigration/border security
intelligent design
minimum wage
net neutrality
No Child Left Behind
nutrition in the schools
obesity epidemic
oil in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
organic farming
over-fishing
paid family leave
Patriot Act
pharmaceutical companies - disclosure
pollution of the oceans
prescription drugs from Canada
regulation of fisheries
rising price of health care
stem cell research
tax cuts
universal health care
war in Iraq
Now that you've got a pretty good idea about the nature of the project, it's time to pick an issue. I've included a list of possibilities. Most of the topics listed are too broad to address in one brief/memo. Part of the project is developing a good research topic and thesis statement. For example, one of the topics is the Patriot Act. However, I would expect you to focus your research efforts on a specific aspect/application of the Patriot Act, such as warrantless surveillance. You may choose your own topic and you will have time to narrow your topic further as you begin researching.
Remember, although some of the topics can be researched as social issues, your job is to look at them from a political perspective. This means thinking about them broadly in terms of legislation, government funding and government regulation.
Post your choice of topic to your blog.
Due by Wed, Jan24th at 9pm.
A completely non-comprehensive list of possible topics (if you don't like any of these, choose your own!):
autism
charter high schools
coast guard funding
Congressional ethics reform
corporate bankruptcy code
Darfur
emergency disaster aid
estate tax
farm subsidies
FDA drug-approval system
foreign aid
foreign investment in U.S. companies
generic drug access
global AIDS epidemic
global warming
government negotiation of drug prices
guest worker program
immigration/border security
intelligent design
minimum wage
net neutrality
No Child Left Behind
nutrition in the schools
obesity epidemic
oil in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
organic farming
over-fishing
paid family leave
Patriot Act
pharmaceutical companies - disclosure
pollution of the oceans
prescription drugs from Canada
regulation of fisheries
rising price of health care
stem cell research
tax cuts
universal health care
war in Iraq
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