Instructions for Data Dump and Editorials Data Dump
• You are looking for nine points of information that give the reader a good idea of what your topic is all about. • You are looking for three types of information ◦ individuals who play or who played an important role in your research topic ◦ key events in the history of your topic ◦ statistics that reveal the dimensions of your topic • the three items in each row are not related to each other. In other words, the individual in the first column need not have any direct relation to the event in the second column or the statistic in the third column • think about how to present each item to the reader. Try to get the reader to see the point without directly stating the point. For example, instead of writing "Colonel Jones, the leader of the rebels, is a very bad man," you might write, "Colonel Jones, leader of the United Rebel Movement (URM), slaughtered hundreds of villagers in northeast Somalia." Let the details speak for themselves Ask your group if the item conveys a clear idea to the reader. • check out this link to the Harper's index: http://harpers.org/archive/2009/01/0082319 (copy and paste this address into your browser's address box). • The Harper's Index has a unique, interesting way of using numbers to convey ideas to the reader. See if you can do something similar with your numbers. • collect all your items in google docs before you paste them into your data dump.. Paste them in all at the same time. • events should usually have dates • to post a data dump ◦ rename a data dump page, using your research topic as the name of the page
◦ paste the research topic into the table in the group data dump page ◦ link the research topic to the new page. Use Find Page in the Link dialogue box
Editorial
• you must identify an important controversy related to your topic • the goal of the editorial is to get the reader to agree with you about your issue • start the editorial with a news reference--recent events in the news that show the issue you are writing about • connect the news reference to a thesis--your opinion of the issue • in most cases, your thesis will be a recommendation--you will advocate a course of action to resolve the situation, to address the problem • in cases where there is a dispute about the causes of a problem, you might have a thesis stating what you think is the real cause of the problem • do not use the word "I" • you need five or six paragraphs supporting your thesis • each paragraph is used to present an argument in favor of your thesis • each paragraph must start with a topic sentence that states the argument • each paragraph must use detailed information to back up the argument • you must name individuals and organizations, and give places, dates and statistics • one or two paragraphs can be used to present a counter argument • paragraphs that present a counter argument must first attribute an opposing argument to someone, and then show why that argument is wrong • the final paragraph should summarize the arguments and restate the thesis sentence in different words
You are responsible for work on the wiki and for your own research project. You must follow instructions carefully and meet deadlines to be successful. You will be responsible for the following assignments.
• A list of sources • A project paragraph, posted on the Projects page on the group wiki • A data dump on the Data Dump page on the group wiki • Two editorials on your topic, posted to the op-ed page on the group wiki • Annotated resources, posted to the resources page on the group wiki • A research paper • Abstract posted on the Abstracts page on the group wiki • 4 blog entries posted on the Blogs page of the group wiki • the project paragraph, data dump, editorials, annotated resources and blog entries will be submitted in hard copy for a grade The due dates for all assignments are posted on calendar of the Teacher’s page on your group wiki. You must try very hard to meet all the deadlines.
Instructions for assignments
List of sources: http://rw303.wetpaint.com/page/List+of+sources Follow the instructions. Project paragraph.: A one paragraph introduction to your research topic. It is very preliminary, as you do not know very much about your topic until you research it. For now, you must write a paragraph that demonstrates your interest in the topic and hopefully gets the reader interested too
Required: the Project paragraph must link to three recent news articles Here is an example of an article that links to other articles Follow the instructions on the project page for linking to your individual project paragraph page Data dump: Select three individuals, three events, and three statistics that seem to you especially important for your topic. For each individual, event and statistic, write 2-5 sentences stressing the significance of the data. Sometimes the significance is obvious; for example, “Two out of three babies in [country] die of preventable diseases.” At other times, you must explain more to communicate the significance of the data. Editorials are short essays, usually published in newspapers, that strongly defend a thesis. In this case you will write two editorials, each of five paragraphs—an introduction, two argument paragraphs, one refutation paragraph and a conclusion.
See separate instructions
Annotated resources: You will post to resources page a one paragraph description and evaluation of the following:
One book
One scholarly article
One web site
One youtube.video
Research paper: see separate instructions Abstract: a one paragraph description of your research paper; instructions forthcoming
Editing instructions