Each submission should be about 750 – 900 words, or about 1½ – 2 single-spaced pages – or 3 double-spaced pages ‒ using a standard 10, 11 or 12-point font with one-inch margins. Write concisely. Penalties apply if the length exceeds the page limit by more than a sentence or two. The papers must be submitted electronically by the deadline through the Canvas dropbox or by email attachment. Submissions must be in MS Word (.doc), rich text (.rtf), plain text (.txt), Adobe PDF (.pdf), or Hypertext (.html) or in a format the Instructor can open on his computer. Email the Instructor in advance if uncertain about whether your wordprocssing program is readable. If a student uses another wordprocessor not listed above, such as Apple, WordPerfect, Works, Google docs, etc., the student may need to convert the document to an acceptable openable format prior to submission. Instructions on how to convert a document are in a document posted on the Course website. Click the Key Information button on the homepage to find and view this document.
In most cases, students can type directly into a text entry box on the assignment page of the Canvas website, but I don’t recommend doing that. While unlikely, the system could shut down during data entry and your work might get lost. Instead, I encourage students to create a word-processed document using software that has frequent automatic backups, then use spell check and grammar check to remove any errors, and then copy and paste the finished text into the textbox on the website, or submit it via the Canvas “Submit assignment” button (dropbox) that can be found on the assignment page. It
can also be turned in via email either as text pasted into the body of the email or as an email attachment (as a MSWord, plain text, rich text, pdf, or HTML document). Students can also submit a wordprocessed copy via a cloud or online file storage website if I am given access to it.
Important: materials should only be submitted once. Choose the method that works best for you, and do not submit duplicates using multiple methodologies. But always keep a copy for yourself in case of loss.
Content: The written assignments should include critical analysis and personalization, but they are not typical research papers. Students are encouraged but are not required to include quotes from authoritative sources, journal articles, or research. If you quote or closely paraphrase materials, students must use any of the established styles for documenting college papers. A guide to writing research papers is available on the course website. Click the Key Information button on the homepage to find and view this document.
Students for whom English is not their first language and students who have difficulty with formal writing are strongly encouraged to use the College’s Writing Center for assistance. A link to the Writing Center is on the College’s website and may also be found by clicking the Student Services button on this course’s homepage.
The prompts to answer for each video are below and serve as a guideline for writing the assignments. Students may express themselves freely but must articulate a logical and fact-based argument to support their point of view to achieve a good grade. Mere expression of unsupported personal opinions will not count as critical thinking.
Choice 3: NRA Under Fire
This Frontline documentary examines an unrivaled political power, the National Rifle Association. Although the documentary investigates highly political issues and the 2020 presidential election, this writing assignment is NOT about gun rights and politics, nor a debate over the appropriateness of gun laws and the 2nd Amendment. Instead, the assignment is to use the film to analyze social action, social movements, and organized efforts to bring about social change ‒ a topic addressed in the last module of the course. Prompts for the assignment are to analyze how certain groups of people organize themselves to lobby for or against laws at the state and federal level. Explain why when polls show that a strong majority (around 90%) of Americans favor restrictions on military-style automatic weapons and expanded background checks at gun stores and gun shows, a vocal minority of Americans (pro gun activists) manage to override the majority and assert their will over the legislative, executive, and even the judicial branches of government. How does a minority overrule the wishes of the majority? What explains the visceral, rabid dedication of many hard-core NRA members to fight so hard against even the smallest tightening of gun ownership rights, even in terms of gun ownership by former criminals and people with mental illnesses? What is the psychology behind it? How are students banding together to assert their political influence and why have they not succeeded in making significant gains so far?
NOTE: Do not use this film option to spout off your personal views in support or opposition to gun laws. For years, both sides have articulated and debated the same old reasons for and against gun legislation ad nauseum, and this assignment is not about expressing your personal views or political leanings. In fact, to get a good grade, you must write with professional journalistic balance and must avoid even revealing a hint about where you personally stand on the issues. Instead, you must write like an objective researcher analyzing the dynamics of social action and social movements in an objective and unbiased way. Do not reveal, or write in a way that allows a reader to infer your political views or could figure out from the way you wrote whether you are a gun owner/rights activist or opponent. Be neutral and analyze the generic topic of social action in an unbiased manner. If you cannot do that, you should choose a different film option.
Available from PBS Frontline: NRA Under Fire
Or on Youtube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KIo56iEFLc
