Why do men and women change their gender
CRITICAL THINKING 100 – TERM RESEARCH PAPER
Final Draft Due: 11/29/21 (submitted as an Attachment to an email to: mhoffman@bmcc.cuny.edu)
Topic Due for Approval: No later than 10/20/21 (submitted via email)
Outline or First Draft and a List of Sources Due 11/8/21 (submitted as an Attachment to an email)
Specifications: The paper should be 5-7 pages (double-spaced, 14pt. type, including graphics, tables, references, and all supplemental information).
***All papers must have a Title and a “List of Works Consulted.”
(See MLA guidelines)
NOTE: I am available to discuss your paper as you begin, make progress, and near completion of this project.
[DO NOT PROCRASTINATE]
Research: All papers must make use of at least two sources. These sources must be reliable and valid. They should provide a mixture of background information, expert analysis, expert opinion, and/or expert explanation. The sources can be articles from journals, newspapers, books, interviews, etc. ***These sources will be presented in a “List of Works Consulted.”
Within the text, the sources will be presented after the quote or paraphrase using in-text citations (e.g., “The quote” (Hoffman, 1).
Questions for evaluating Internet sources:
- Type of Web page. Who is the host? Note the URL (e.g., .com; .edu; .org; .gov)
- Author/Authority. What individual or organization is responsible for the site? What are the qualifications of the author(s)? Are they respected experts? Do other sources use their work?
- Purpose and Audience. (e.g., is it trying to “sell” something?)
- Can you detect biases?
- Are sources given for any statistics or facts? If so, what are they?
The Project
We have discussed the importance of RESPONSIBILITY in decision-making and problem-solving.
Your project is to present a specific problem/situation that requires a degree of personal and/or social responsibility to solve. The solution to the problem may require personal and/or societal sacrifice.
In President Obama’s Inaugural Address in 2008, he spoke of “…the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves {Note: he was talking about those who serve the nation}. And yet, at this moment—a moment that will define a generation—it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all…What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility: a recognition on the part of every American that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept, but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.” A month later in President Obama’s address to Congress and the nation, he added that all Americans would have to “sacrifice” to bring the nation back to financial stability and to set the course for our future.
***Obviously, this call for sacrifice is particularly relevant to help the U.S. overcome the ravages of the pandemic.
***With President Obama’s plea as your guide, this project must identify a problem/situation, present facts about including definitions and history, present a critical analysis of that problem/situation, and provide some ideas of potential solutions and/or a plan of action.
NOTE: This is not a personal essay. While your opinion may be part of your conclusion, it must not be the central focus of the paper.
***The subject matter/topic may focus on a problem that is EDUCATIONAL, SOCIAL, POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, OR PERSONAL. You are free to choose the subject matter, but you must receive my approval (via e-mail).
A few examples from students’ papers in past semesters of problems/situations include: Government and Individual responsibility during the Covid-19 pandemic; Racism; Sexual harassment and discrimination; the U.S. Legal System; Global Warming and Climate Change; Remote learning; Higher Education (e.g., cost, curriculum, instructors); Substance Abuse; Domestic Violence; Elder Care; Public Transportation in NYC; Poverty; Illiteracy; Housing in NYC; the negative and/or positive impacts on society and individuals of electronic devices (e.g., smartphones, computers, etc.) and Social Media.
***You may choose any topic that lends itself to research including current issues such as the Coronavirus pandemic ( including subtopics such as the economic impact, the response to medical science’ advice and warnings, the disproportionate number of people of color who have fallen victim to the virus, resistance to vaccination and mask wearing), police brutality, social protest, and the lack of trust in expertise and authority.
As part of your conclusion, you should make clear what one (you) can do to help address and solve the problem you’ve explored. In addition, you might suggest what your community could do or what the nation could do. Your “plan of action” should require some personal and/or communal sacrifice, demonstrate a degree of personal and/or communal responsibility, and be realistic.
AVOIDING PLAGIARISM
***ALWAYS give credit to your sources. You cannot do this too often. When discussing the history or terminology of your subject, you must provide the source. When presenting any facts or data, you must provide the source. You must not pretend to be an expert even when giving an opinion. Be sure to give credit to the source of your opinion or the source of others’ opinions.
***Failure to give credit will lead to accusations of Plagiarism.
Paraphrase: when you paraphrase a source, you restate the information in your own words instead of quoting directly. A paraphrase presents the original information in approximately the same number of words, but in the paraphraser’s own wording. You must remember that you are “borrowing” ideas and therefore must acknowledge the source of these ideas with an In-Text Citation.
Direct Quotation: when you directly quote a source, you copy the words or numbers of your source exactly, putting “all quoted material inside quotation marks.” The quote must be accurate. The quote must be followed by an In-Text Citation or be preceded by a phrase like: According to or Prof. Hoffman believes.
***Be selective about what you choose to quote; reserve direct quotation for important ideas stated memorably, for especially clear explanations by authorities, and to support your claims or assertions. Don’t include lengthy quotes. Instead, combine part of a quote with a summary or paraphrase.
Integrating Quotations into your Paper: Whenever you want to use borrowed material (summary, paraphrase, or quotation), you need to introduce the material with a signal word or phrase to alert the reader that what follows is not yours. You can include the author’s name or the source’s name. For example: Hoffman stated, “Blah, blah…” or Twain observed, or Aristotle emphasized. Use words like acknowledges; believes; declares; implies; points out; reports; suggests.
When referring to the quote, don’t say: “In this quote”; instead, say: This …
*You need not explain each quote especially if the meaning is obvious.
*The grade for this assignment will account for 40% of your grade for the semester.
