Required Sources:
1 Popular Media Source: You must select 1 article from a major, reputable popular media source (e.g.,Time, CNN.com, etc.). Your source must be an actual published article, and not a blog, even if it appears on a reputable website. You should not use an article that is written or published by a special interest group (e.g., an article published by Pepsi about the effects of sugary drinks on childhood obesity). Websites sponsored by advocacy groups, those intended for parenting advice, Wikipedia, etc., are also not considered valid sources for this paper. Please consult with the teaching team if you have any questions.
2-3 Scholarly Research Articles: You must then select 2 or 3 research articles on the same topic from scholarly research journals (e.g., Child Development, Developmental Psychology, Early Childhood Research Quarterly, Pediatrics, etc.). Make sure each research article presents an actual empirical study and is not a review article or commentary on others’ research. Since the goal is to access current research, your articles should be published no earlier than 2010. If you have any doubts about your sources, please check with the teaching team before you begin writing. If you are unfamiliar with how to conduct an article search using PsycInfo (recommended library database) please see https://databases.library.arizona.edu/. For guidance on using American Psychological Association (APA) format, please see https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/reference_list_basic_rules.html.
Content & Grading Rubric
Introduction (1 paragraph): Introduce the topic by using a relevant attention grabber or interesting opening statement. Describe the general topic and why it has become a focus in popular media and research. Include a clear and concise thesis statement that identifies 2-3 reasons that this topic is important to child development based on information from the articles, textbook, and/or personal experience. Underline your thesis statement to guarantee it is obvious. (10 points)
Support Section (2-3 paragraphs): Talk more in depth about each of the 2-3 reasons you identified for why the topic is important to child development (one reason per paragraph). Each paragraph should include summaries of the information from the articles including major arguments, specific research findings, and conclusions. For research articles, be sure to include a brief summary of how the authors reached those conclusions (e.g., research methods). Do not use quotes from any source. This summary must be in your own words. (30 points)
Compare/Contrast (1 paragraph): Compare and contrast the findings and arguments presented by the research articles and the popular media source. For example, what similarities and differences do you find in the research versus popular media articles? What differences do you find among the academic articles, or did their results support one another? Speculate on why there are differences on how they present on the topic and what questions those differences raise. This section should demonstrate critical thinking about the articles you read. (10 points)
Future Research (1 paragraph): What specific unanswered questions do you still have about the topic after reading the articles? Make sure these questions are logically linked to the information you presented from the articles on this topic. Choose one of your questions and briefly describe a research project that would attempt to answer it. Be sure to discuss who you would include in your sample (e.g., age, gender, etc.), what you would measure or manipulate (if an experiment), and in general how you would measure it (e.g., techniques such as behavioral observations, standardized tests, surveys, etc.). (20 points)
Conclusions & Implications (1 paragraph): Provide a concluding statement that ties back to your thesis statement and the information you presented in your paper. Make a personal connection to your topic and conclusions (e.g., your experiences, future career, family/friends, personal values). Based on the articles you read, what specific, practical recommendations would you make to parents, educators, researchers, and/or policy makers? (10 points)
References: List your references in a separate APA formatted references page. Make sure that you have used APA in-text citations in your paper to all listed references. You must provide full citations for each article and specific chapters of the textbook that you reference. Failing to list the source of information is plagiarism. Follow APA guidelines for all citations, including in-text citations. See the following website for helpful information about APA format: http://www.apastyle.org/learn/tutorials/basics-tutorial.aspx (10 points)
Note: You must turn in complete PDFs of all research articles you cite in the D2L assignments folder with your paper, and a copy of the popular article either as PDF or copy and pasted into a Word document. (Article links often timeout, and therefore they are not acceptable substitutes for copies of the full-text articles.) You will lose points if you fail to include copies of the articles.
Paper Format: To earn full credit your paper must be 4-5 typed, double-spaced pages in Microsoft Word format. There should be a separate APA formatted title page and References page that is not included in your 4-5 pages. Use the required font of Times New Roman, 12pt. You should carefully proofread your paper and fix typos, grammatical errors and misspellings. (10 points)
Last Completed Projects
| topic title | academic level | Writer | delivered |
|---|