New-York-Times-Project

							Life of the Mind                         NEW YORK TIMES PROJECT                               Fall 2010


         We believe that as you move through life you will find that thoughtful, educated people regularly
read a newspaper. Accordingly, for this class we will expect you to read the New York Times online each
day. In addition to reading the New York Times you should become familiar with the CSIS website,
www.7revs.org. In it you will find a wealth of information, including ideas about how to get your project
started. The different revolutions will be woven throughout the course through example and discussion. Be
attentive during these discussions for ideas that might pertain to your particular topic.

         For this assignment you will write a research paper based on one of the seven revolutions.
Beginning with an introduction that presents the main issue, your essay should define important terms and
establish a context for your essay, including a brief description of your career goals. Your critical
perspective will be developed from research-based projections of what the world will look like in the year
2025 according to CSIS (the Center for Strategic and International Studies). The goal of this project is to
increase your awareness of seven global issues (the “Seven Revolutions”) that have the potential to alter
human life and threaten the ecological well-being of our planet. Most importantly, your essay should
explain how you will personally contribute to positive change in terms of your stated career goals. The
Seven Revolutions are:

                             •   Revolution One: Population
                             •   Revolution Two: Resource Management
                             •   Revolution Three: Technology
                             •   Revolution Four: Information
                             •   Revolution Five: Economic Integration
                             •   Revolution Six: Conflict
                             •   Revolution Seven: Governance

         Your procedure will be to read the New York Times online each day and bookmark articles that
pertain to your topic. You should save these URLs in a folder that will make-up your electronic portfolio,
which we will review periodically. A printout of the URL folder should be attached to the written paper,
which will be due toward the end of the semester. As a guide, you should plan to bookmark at least two
articles each week. The articles you collect (a minimum of 12, but preferably 15-20) should bring to light
various aspects of the Revolution you have chosen. Use these to support/defend your point of view. Note
also that because the articles will probably be written by different authors, a variety of perspectives will
be presented. Do these authors reveal a bias or a personal viewpoint toward the topic? After completing
your analysis, write a five- to seven-page research paper in which you report on your findings.

         One of the outcomes of this exercise will be to become familiar with the principles of unity and
coherence in the context of argumentative writing. Be sure to use appropriate transition words to ensure
unity and coherence within paragraphs, from the beginning of each paragraph to its end. Remember also that
the thesis statement must appear at the very end of the first paragraph (i.e., last sentence). Additional
information about how to write a research paper will be given periodically in class.