Social Justice Issues in American History

Social Justice Issues in American History
Part 1: Research Paper
Purpose: The purpose of this portion of the project is
for students to complete a research project which combines historical research
about a social justice issue in American history with knowledge of its current
ramifications.
Knowledge: Students will learn about the historical
basis of a social justice issue that exists in the present day.
Skills:
Through the completion of this project, students will
acquire the following skills:
1.
Identifying an academic vs. a non-academic
source.
2.
Locating information contained within academic
sources.
3.
Composing an original thesis as the basis of
your writing assignment.
4.
Formatting an essay according to APA format.
5.
Writing a research paper to support your thesis.
Tasks:
1.
Identify the social justice issue you would like
to research.

2.
Conduct background research on your issue. This is where you gather more information
about your movement, narrow down your focus and choose the sources that you
will use for your research. You must use
a minimum of 5 academic sources. Examples of academic sources include the
following: books, academic journal
articles, websites (reputable websites typical end in .org or .edu), newspaper
articles, magazine articles, documentary films, and interviews. AS the purpose of this project is to gain
experience on college-level academic research, encyclopedia articles should be
avoided. Under no circumstances should
wiki sources be used (these are not peer reviewed)! If you have questions about whether
or not you have chosen an academic source, please consult with the professor.

3.
Compose a thesis statement. Make an argument about the social movement
you are researching (this should address why the movement is still relevant
today).

4.
Create an outline for your essay (this does not
need to be handed in—it is just a step in the writing process). The outline should begin with an
introduction (where you will present your thesis statement). The first section of your essay will discuss
the historical background of the social movement you have chosen (3-4 pages). The second section of your essay will discuss
current issues related to the social movement (2-3 pages). For the final section of this
project, students will write a conclusion reflecting on how their historical
research enriched or affected their perspective on the movement they
researched and/or discuss any contributions
they may have been inspired to make to the address the present issue (1-1
½ pages).

5.
Write your essay. Your essay must have an introduction, a
thesis statement and include all three required sections. It must be no fewer than 6 pages in length,
with the first section having a minimum length of three pages (including
introduction), the second section having a minimum length of two pages, and the
final section having a minimum length of one full page. It must also follow APA format and include a cover
page and a works cited page (abstract is not necessary and will not be counted as part of the length
requirement if included).

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