Week 1 of this assignment involves two key attempts/deliverables, setting the stage for ongoing feedback and development of your position paper:
Chosen Topic:
Perception, Media, and Reality: Explore the influence of media on our perceptions and conceptions of reality. You could consider Plato’s allegory of the cave and Berkeley’s theory of immaterialism alongside contemporary media theories to understand the shaping of beliefs and behaviors.
Attempt 1: Initial Topic Selection and Thesis Drafting
Identify Topics and Draft Preliminary Thesis Statements: Choose three potential topics of interest related to your study area. For each, draft an initial thesis statement focusing on a specific issue. This first attempt is preliminary, designed to initiate the flow of feedback from your instructor.
Attempt 2: Refinement and Submission for Grading
Refine Thesis and Introduction Based on Feedback: After receiving feedback on your initial attempt, refine your preferred thesis statement. Craft an introduction paragraph that lays the groundwork for your argument. This refined thesis and introduction are what will be graded in Part 1 of the scaffolded position paper.
Consider Support and Counterarguments: Reflect on the support and evidence necessary to defend your thesis, as well as possible counterarguments or opposing views. Incorporating a mention of the main line(s) of support for your position in your thesis statement is optional at this point.
Looking Ahead: Start planning your research–which course readings will you rely on to argue your case, or to provide an honest opponent in the debate of the issue at hand? Where will you look for external sources? (The completed final project calls for two of each type.) This is where you could begin an outline or map out ideas, but that is not until Part 2. It’s helpful to sketch out ideas in some external way, something as simple making a list or literally sketching out a “mind map”; giving even a simple formal structure to your thinking about the issues introduced in the course and what you have to say about them in the first place.
