As we wrap up the course, take a moment to reflect on the wide range of ideas we've explored across the six modules. For this journal, you’ll choose one concept, claim, or finding that stood out to you in some way—whether it surprised you, challenged you, or simply sparked your curiosity.
You might choose something you found:
- Difficult to fully understand
- Surprising or counterintuitive
- Controversial or hard to believe
- Intriguing or worth exploring more deeply
Whatever you choose, the goal is to dig deeper. You can focus on topics from any module in this course.
To complete this assignment
Read the prompts carefully. While this journal does not have a specific word count requirement, your responses should show meaningful engagement with the prompts. Focus on depth over length—thoughtful, reflective, and specific answers are valued more than simply completing each question quickly. When not specified, a good estimate is at least 1 sentence per point in the rubric.
Please do not use any direct quotes. Demonstrate your understanding through paraphrasing your sources. All work for this assignment should be your own–you will not earn credit for material drawn directly from or generated by other sources.
Section 1: Area of exploration
- Identify one specific claim, concept, or fact from the course materials that caught your attention. Please identify the claim, concept, or fact with an in-text citation for the source (please include page or section number if print material).
- Reflect on why it stood out. Was it unfamiliar? Did it challenge something you previously believed? Or are you just curious to know more? [explain in about 3 - 4 sentences]
- What is your current understanding of the claim, concept, or fact?
- What kind of evidence, examples, or explanations would help you better understand or evaluate this idea? Be sure to indicate why this information would be helpful. [3 - 4 sentences]
Note: To earn credit in section 1, you must include a relevant in-text citation. Be sure to include specifics about the location such as page or section number if you’re including print material (i.e., it is not sufficient to just cite the textbook)
Section 2: Scavenger hunt
- Locate at least one peer-reviewed journal article not included in our course that adds context or clarity to the topic you’re exploring. Check out our Student Success Resources Module and view our page, How to Find Appropriate Sources, for tips on finding peer-reviewed journal articles. Include the reference in APA 7 formatting.
- Summarize what you learned from the journal article. Please be sure that you paraphrase the information and use in-text citations. Your summary should reflect more than just the abstract of the source. Aim for at least 4 sentences.
Note: To earn credit in section 2, your reference needs to be a journal article (not a book or our textbook) that is not already included in the course. Be sure that the DOI link takes us to the article for review.
Section 3: Synthesis
No sentence recommendations here, but please show thoughtful reflection. Be sure that you're clearly answering the "how?" part of each prompt.
- How does the information from the journal article enhance your understanding or perspective on the claim, concept, or fact that caught your attention?
- To wrap up, take a step back. Why does this concept matter? How might what you’ve learned influence your future thinking, behavior, or engagement with others? How might this topic show up in your career, your relationships, or your community?