Overview
You will be expected to write two 1000-word reflection papers this semester. These essays will test your ability to critically apply the ideas we have covered in class to contemporary events. For this assignment, you will pick a topic that has been making headlines. It can be anything - CBS cancelling Stephen Colbert, the war in Ukraine, xAI opening facilities here in Memphis. So long as you can relate it to one of the units we will cover in class, anything is fair game. The topic you choose to cover, and the unit you decide to relate it to, are completely up to you. However, all essays related to a given unit are due the Tuesday after that unit is covered in class.
• Reflection Paper II for Unit IX due Oct. 28th (10 extra credit points)
• Reflection Paper II for Unit X due Nov. 4th (7 extra credit points)
• Reflection Paper II for Unit XI due Nov. 11th 13th (5 extra credit points)
• Reflection Paper II for Unit XII due Nov. 18th 20th (3 extra credit points)
• Reflection Paper II for Unit XIII due Nov. 25th Dec. 2nd
This means that if you want to write an essay connecting your chosen topic to Unit III: Political Ideology, your essay will be due Sept. 16th. Similarly, if you choose to write an essay related to Unit V: Political Socialization, your essay must be submitted by Sept. 30th. Late essays will be accepted with a 5 pt/day penalty assessed. However, once we have completed a new unit, no essays on previously covered units will be accepted. This means an essay on Unit III: Political Ideology must be submitted before we complete the next unit, Unit IV: Political Participation. To put it simply, if your essay is more than two days late, you will have to relate your chosen topic to a different unit or choose a different topic and unit. Students who submit their work prior to the final opportunity will receive extra credit!
Your essay must be follow standard, academic formatting guides. The specific formatting styles you may use are MLA, APA, or Chicago. You must also include a word count at the end.
Please be as thorough as possible within the parameters of the assignment. I do not want an essay excessively longer than 1000-words, nor do I want one significantly less. Keep in mind, if your essay is only 500 words, then you’ve only complete half of the assignment. That means the best grade you can make is a 50%. If it's only 600 words, again, you've only completed 60% of the assignment and, therefore, the best grade you can make is a 60. Anything around 950 to 1,200 words is fine (the word count does not include your title or bibliography pages)
Outside research is required. You must research the topic you are looking at and provide relevant sources. You should review no less than three different sources on your chosen topic. Your sources must all be reputable and the claims made verifiable. You can draw from popular media sources and use both news and editorial coverage. Do not use three different articles from the same publication. I don't want three articles from New York Times or three from Fox News. Look for variety in coverage. Wikipedia, ChatGPT, Gemini, and other AI-bots are not themselves acceptable sources. However, you may use these tools to help you locate relevant materials (y'all, just ask them to show you articles and provide their sources). Please provide full citations in MLA, APA, or Chicago format, and attach the appropriate bibliography to the end.
Your essay will be graded on the quality of your coverageof the topic (i.e. how detailed and accurate your description is), how well you connect the topic to the unitby utilizing appropriate vocabulary and making clear references to course materials, and the clarity of your argument. Yes, I want you to make an argument about how we should interpret this headline grabbing topic. I am looking for:
• A clear description and analysis of your chosen topic,
• A concrete connection to the materials covered in class, and
• A specific position supported by facts and reason on your chosen topic.
All essays must be submitted online via Canvas. Email submissions will not be accepted. All essays will undergo a Turn-It-In review, checking for plagiarism and the use of generative-AI. If your essay is flagged for either plagiarism or AI, your essay will be returned ungraded. All essay flagged as being AI-generated by Turn-It-In will be cross referenced with two additional AI-checkers. If all three analyses suggest that your essay has been AI-generated, your essay will be returned, and you will be expected to either revise and resubmit your essay before the next unit is complete or submit an entirely new essay. I will not debate whether the plagiarism or AI analysis is accurate. Three strikes and you're out. If your resubmitted essay is also flagged, you will receive a "0" for the assignment. If you write your own essay in Word or Google Docs and use nothing more than the spelling and grammar checks built in, your essay should not come back flagged as being AI-generated.
It is okay to submit an essay that is flawed. It's how we learn and develop the skills necessary for success. In my feedback, I will make suggestions for how to improve. Your grade will not be impacted by grammar mistakes or style. I want to see what you are capable of on your own, so I can, hopefully, help you improve. I can't do that if Grok wrote your essay.