Case Study Project–First Draft
Overview
For this final project you will continue with the social issue that you selected (language and power; freedom and security; health and wealth) and you will write an essay where you discuss your perspective. You will use the ideas and information from the summary-response and the quote log to write your case study.
Grading
This assignment is worth 240 points (24%) of your final course grade.
Earning the maximum possible score on this assignment will require students to:
Step 1: complete all assigned components, use and cite five sources, and answer reflection questions (earning up to 100% of the possible points)
Please note that there is no “step 2” (revise and resubmit option) for this assignment. Completion of the “initial submission” using and citing five sources will earn you up to 100% of the possible points. The Case Study Project, Revised Draft is to be submitted and graded as a separate assignment.
To see required components and associated points in the assignment rubric, please view this assignment through the Assignments area of the classroom and scroll to the bottom.
Due Dates
The deadline for submission of this assignment is the end of Week 6 (Tuesday, 11:59 PM Eastern). The Case Study Project, Revised Draft is to be submitted and graded as a separate assignment.
Connection to other Course Assignments
The Case Study Project is the culminating assignment, where you will tie together all of the information and ideas from the course.
All of the reading, writing, thinking, and discussing that you have done over the past several weeks have led up to this assignment.
Step 1: Submission (earn up to 100% of the possible points for the assignment)
Your submission should include all of the following components:
Content
Describe a “real life” instance of your selected social issue in a professional or a personal setting.
Discuss your perspective on your selected social issue, including the reasons for your viewpoint.
Discuss how your core values inform or influence your perspective on your selected social issue.
Demonstrate that you are really thinking about your issue—don’t settle for easy answers, don’t pretend that conflicting evidence doesn’t exist, and don’t feel that you have to take an either-or position.
Discuss the complexities of your selected social issue. For example, do not just conclude that using academic language is always good, or that government surveillance is always bad, or that wealth automatically leads to health. Think about the intricacies of these issues and how they play out in everyday life.
Organization
Include an introductory paragraph, where you clearly outline a “real-life” instance of your social issue and you give a thesis statement that indicates your perspective (see Part 2: Writing Your Introduction for an example).
Include 3-5 body paragraphs where you include details, examples, and quotes from at least three of the course readings and two additional readings to help you develop and support your key points (see Part 3: Writing Your Body Paragraphs for an example).
Include one body paragraph where you discuss how your core values inform or influence your perspective on your selected social issue (see Part 3: Writing Your Body Paragraphs for an example).
End your essay with a concluding paragraph where you restate your thesis, summarize your key points, and leave the reader with the “so what?” ( see Part 4: Writing Your Conclusion for an example).
Language Choices
As a writer, you are free to decide how you use language, keeping the following in mind:
style: your language choices should result in a consistent writing style that is purposeful and aligned with your goals
readability: your language choices should ensure that your ideas are clear and easy to follow
When composing your paper, think about the conventions for academic writing, including:
punctuation: this includes things such as recommended use of commas, colons, and apostrophes.
word-level accuracy: this includes things such as capitalization, spelling, word-tense, and usage.
sentence-level accuracy: this includes things such as sentence boundaries, subject-verb agreement, and pronoun-antecedent agreement.
Take time to review your language choices after you’ve written your essay. Think about your goals for the style of this essay and your own writing habits (like using “text-speak,” omitting capitalization, or writing sentence fragments). Revise as necessary to accomplish your style and readability goals.
Reading your paper aloud is helpful technique when reviewing your language choices for style and readability.
Sources and Documentation
To earn the maximum possible points on this assignment, use and cite at least five sources:
Use and cite three of the assigned course readings on your selected issue (language and power; freedom and security; health and wealth). Sources from the assigned readings do not require a reference list for this assignment.
Use and cite two more sources (course readings or otherwise). Sources that are not from the assigned readings must be listed at the end of the paper on a reference page. List author, year of publication, title, and URL. Full APA format is not required for the reference page.
In-text citations for all sources should be in APA style.
These examples show options for citing a paraphrase:
This is a paraphrased sentence (Author, year).
Author (year) explains that ….
These examples show options for citing a quote:
A recent study showed that “this is the quoted passage” (Author, year, p./para. number).
Author (year) explains, “this is the quoted passage” (p./para. number).
Note that it is possible to earn a B (up to 85%) on this assignment by using only three sources from the course readings and no reference page. To earn an A (up to 100%) will require an additional two sources and reference page, if needed.
Format and Length
At the top of the page, include your name, the assignment name, and a title that reflects your specific essay focus. (See example below.)
Your paper should be typed, double-spaced and in 12-point font.
Your final product should be a minimum of six paragraphs (about 900-1100 words) in length. However, the quality of the content of this essay is most important. Be sure to fully answer the prompt.
Sample Header and Title for Assignment Submissions
Kim Lee (student’s name)
Case Study Project, first draft (assignment name)
Education Doesn’t Mean Empowerment (title)
Reflection Questions
The reflection questions are to be answered separately. (They are not part of the essay.) Post these in the “comments” box when submitting your assignment. You can number your answers or write the in paragraph form. Be sure to address all four questions.
Aside from simply meeting the requirements, what were your personal goals for this assignment?
When reviewing your language choices, what impact did the Grammar Lab content have on the choices you made with pronouns? Did you find any “Pronoun Problems” in your writing and how did you resolve them?
What parts of your work on this assignment are you most proud of?
What challenged you in this assignment and/or where do you need additional support from your instructor?
Sample Case Study Project
Be sure to review the Sample Case Study in the Week 6 learning resources before you begin. The student sample includes notes to help with connections to key aspects of the assignment.
