Researched Essay
Unit 3 Assignment
Your Task: For the largest unit of our semester, you will compose an original researched work of 8-10 pages (2000-2500 words) on the subject of sexual health and education, use this research to inform the creation of guidelines for sex ed curriculum at the high school level, and prepare to present your findings and curriculum in a 10 minute in-class presentation. This paper brings together much of what we have been covering this semester on research and will prepare you for your studies beyond this course. If for any reason you feel uncomfortable with a focus on sexual health please come and talk to me, and we will find a different topic for you to focus your project on.
How to Do it:
- Choose a research question to further explore.
- Propose your curriculum focus and your project through a one to two page research proposal.
- Compile a bibliography together with 5-8 sources for your final paper, at least 4 of which should be peer reviewed scholarly articles.
- Write a preliminary draft, to be reviewed during a meeting with me.
- Draft a finalized version of your research findings and prepare to present to class.
The Best Papers Will:
- Raise a unique and interesting question, and work to hold the attention of a diverse audience.
- Justify the choices made in the curriculum guidelines.
- Actively engage with other voices in the conversations surrounding your subject.
- Incorporate visually interesting elements and formatting.
- Give the paper a clear and organized structure that provides insight to the reader.
- Show progression from initial plans to the finished piece.
- Use a tone that is appropriate for your given audience and purpose.
- Be free of sentence-level errors and follow the appropriate formatting guidelines.
The Best Curricula Will:
- Establish clear rules as to what is required and off limits as far as curriculum.
- Decide upon what type of sex ed will be taught (abstinence, abstinence plus, or comprehensive).
- Cover any required assignments.
- Establish a guiding principle around which education should be organized.
- Be informed by research.
Learning Goals: By completing this assignment, you will:
- Put into practice the skills gained from 101 and earlier in this course.
- Become comfortable with multiple types of research and compilation.
- Be prepared to ask the right questions to pursue further research in your academic career.
- Gain experience working with different sources and perspectives about your selected topic.
- Deeply explore an area of interest (but not yet expertise).
Formatting:
- Standard font sized 11 or 12. One inch margins, lines double spaced
- Page number on the top right corner, stapled on the left
- Header that includes: the names of everyone in your group, class name, Researched Essay (draft or final), and date
- Documents should be saved as: “Your Name Researched Essay Draft/Final”
- Submitted to Sakai as a Word or PDF document. Any other formatting (including .pages) will not be accepted and considered late
Plagiarism: Any instances of plagiarism will be taken very seriously for this course and paper. Plagiarism is generally defined as taking the thoughts of another and passing them off as your own, and includes everything from copy and pasting a paper to improperly citing a source. Those found to have plagiarized will face consequences. A works cited page is required for this assignment. If you are unsure as to what might constitute plagiarism, please:
- Review the University’s Academic Integrity Policy: rutgers.edu/academic-integrity-at-rutgers/
- Talk to me about it before the deadline.
Resources:
- Meet with me during office hours to discuss your draft and progress.
- Work with the library and the Writing and Design Lab for research and drafting support.
Consult with the Everyone’s an Author and Craft of Research, assigned sections and others.
