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In the SIGNATURE ASSIGNMENT students will demonstrate their critical thinking skills, and practice written communication and information literacy skills, by addressing a problem/issue directly relevant to the current legislative policy and political debate. The goal of the Signature Assignment is to achieve a critically informed position on an issue of contemporary importance that will serve as a foundation for civic engagement and informed participation in democratic processes. Therefore, the Signature Assignment involves applying critical thinking in what is known as 'civic learning'.
WHAT SHOULD THE SIGNATURE ASSIGNMENT LOOK LIKE? WHAT ARE THE INSTRUCTIONS?
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE SIGNATURE ASSIGNMENT
Students will be required to take a position on ONE specific issue and provide substantive arguments supporting their position that are evidence based. Also, in the problem students will be required to consider objections to their position and arguments, and to respond to their objections. THE ESSAY WILL BE EVALUATED ACCORDING TO
1) THE CLARITY AND DETAILS OF THE THESIS AND INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH
2) THE STRENGTH OF THE EVIDENCE AND ARGUMENTS FOR THE POSITION.
3) THE STRENGTH OF THE COUNTER-ARGUMENTS AND OBJECTIONS AGAINST THE POSITIONS.
4) THE STRENGTH OF THE RESPONSES TO THE COUNTER-ARGUMENTS AND OBJECTIONS.
THE RECOMMENDED TOPIC IS THE FOLLOWING:
SHOULD AFFIRMATIVE ACTION BE PERMITTED OR ENCOURAGED BY LAW?
Define what affirmative action is.
Articulate the thesis or position on affirmative action carefully:
Possible theses (the thesis could be formulated in different ways further limiting the context--e.g the 2020 California ballot proposition 16 could be addressed as a topic and the thesis could concern this specific ballot measure):
FOR: Affirmative action should be permitted and encouraged in hiring and admissions in public or private institutions.
AGAINST: Affirmative action should not be permitted and encouraged in hiring and admission in public or private institutions.
Definitions of "affirmative action":
Here is one example. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: "positive steps taken to increase the representation of women and minorities in areas of employment, education, and culture from which they have been historically excluded." (Please note that this does not say anything about what these "positive steps" should be.)
SAMPLE THESIS PRO: This essay defends the proposition that state and federal law should allow race, gender and ethnicity to be taken into consideration in public and private hiring as well as in admissions for education and training to promote diversity in the workforce and education.
SAMPLE THESIS CONTRA: This essay defends the proposition that state and federal law should not allow race, gender and ethnicity to be taken into consideration in public and private hiring or in admissions for education and training.
GATHERING EVIDENCE AND INFORMATION WILL REQUIRE SOME RESEARCH.
Fair-mindedness should be practiced. Relevant questions and issue should be identified and researched. And, students should avoid fallacies, or be aware when one argues using a fallacy. This is a problem solving exercise, not a persuasive essay per se—although persuasion is relevant.
In the last three Sessions we will cover approaches to solving this problem—bringing together all the material covered in the class.
- THE ESSAY SHOULD BE A MINIMUM OF 1500 (ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO WORD LIMIT)
- QUOTES MUST HAVE QUOTATION MARKS AND REFERENCES.
- USE MLA OR APA FORMAT.
- THE ESSAY MUST BE SUBMITTED TO BOTH THE TURNITIN ASSIGNMENT BOX AND THE REGULAR ASSIGNMENT BOX IN THE LAST WEEK
- THE ESSAY IS DUE THE LAST DAY OF CLASS.
WHAT THE SIGNATURE ASSIGNMENT SHOULD LOOK LIKE
INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH (100-300 words minimum)
The introductory paragraph should present the following:
- State the problem and the thesis or proposed solution to the problem.
- Explain or describe your general position, and any general qualifications to the proposed solutions.
BODY OF ESSAY (PRESENTATION OF ARGUMENTS AND EVIDENCE, OBJECTIONS, and REPLIES TO OBJECTIONS)
- PROVIDE LEAST THREE ARGUMENTS FOR YOUR POSITION: There is no one way to present arguments and evidence, of course. This problem will require addressing positions on issues (those issues deemed most important to the election and why). Outline the arguments for your position first. Identify the most important evidence and explain how that evidence supports your position. In stating opinions and claims, students should consider the reasons or grounds for their opinions and claims. Students should identify those key opinions and claims that support the argument and provide evidence and arguments for these claims. Opinions or claims lacking evidence and argument do not offer support for the position presented.
- EXPLAIN AND THEN REFUTE AT LEAST TWO OBJECTIONS OR COUNTER-ARGUMENTS: Identify the strongest criticisms of not merely your proposed solution, but also of your argument for your solution--the arguments and evidence presented. Explain these objections, and then respond to them.
CONCLUDING REMARKS (100-300 words minimum)
In your concluding remarks you may do a variety of things: 1) summarize your position. 2) express final thoughts, convictions, or reservations 3) reflect on what additional evidence might change your way of looking at the problem 4) express your overall degree of confidence in the solution.
STEP ONE: SELECTING A TOPIC AND AN ISSUE
RECOMMEDED TOPIC: Affirmative action: SHOULD AFFIRMATIVE ACTION BE PERMITTED OR ENCOURAGED BY LAW?
(A resource page is provided for this topic.)
OTHER POSSIBLE TOPICS:
TOPIC: The Legalization of Marijuana. ISSUE: Should marijuana be legalized nationally according to the terms of California Prop. 64? OR, "Should Marijuana be legalized nationally for recreational use?"
TOPIC: The Death Penalty: ISSUE: Should the death penalty be banned?
INSTRUCTIONS
OTHER POSSIBLE TOPICS:
Immigration
This topic may evoke strong emotions. Observing the Rules of Critical Living will be important to articulating a position, arguments and counter-arguments.
Should those who have entered and lived in the United States for a certain period of time (specifying the conditions will be relevant to one's thesis) without authorization (or without documentation--an undocumented person) be granted amnesty? (Please note that just how one formulates this particular issue and defines specific terms, like 'amnesty' and 'living in the United States without authorization', may affect the connotation and position of the essay).
Contrast the above issue with the following:
'Should persons living in the United States illegally be granted amnesty?'
What is an 'undocumented person'?
What does it mean to be 'living in the United States illegally'?
Some research will be required here to define and clarify terms and issues related to immigration.
Here are a couple of resources:
https://world.utexas.edu/undocumented/resources/understanding
Religion and Politics
There are many issues that could be identified. Here is one issue related to religion that has been raised and contested in the current election cycle:
Should the federal government force Catholic and other institutions opposed to abortion on religious grounds to offer health care plans that pay for contraception and/or elective abortion?
(Political and social issues related to religion may evoke strong reactions and emotions--if you would like to write on a topic related to religion and politics, please remember that observing and applying the Rules For Critical Living will be crucial to developing cogent arguments on the issue--to constructing strong counter-arguments, and to refuting those counter-arguments.)
Health Care
Should a single-payer health system be established in the United States?
(These topics, and others related to health care, tend to involve a lot of background knowledge and will require a good deal of research.)
Should abortion be further restricted or made illegal? Should abortion on demand be allowed without restriction?
(Again, this is a very emotional and complex issue, which will require some research of legislation on abortion, most especially the Supreme Court case Roe versus Wade. Please review the advice above.)
STEP TWO: RESEARCH
INFORMATION LITERACY AND RESEARCH
Writing a critical, argumentative essay on a topic/issue in civic learning will require some research. It is highly recommended that students view the Information Literacy Lecture provided by the GGU Library:
http://ggu.libguides.com/infolit
STEP THREE: WRITE THE ESSAY
We will be working on the Signature Assignment for the rest of the class. There will be videos and information about how to construct the essay, as well as forum areas where student can share ideas and seek feedback. We will try to apply all the knowledge and skills developed in this class in addressing a problem or issue.