Research Project: Contemporary U.S. Public Policy Presentation
100 points
This activity is worth 100 points which will be 10% of your final course grade.
In this activity, you will research, analyze, and present a contemporary U.S. public policy issue.
For this research project, you will look closely at a contemporary public policy that impacts the United States. You will be required to complete research, organize the research, and turn it into a presentation either in Google Slides, Powerpoint, or Prezi.
First, you need to pick a topic. You will want to look at each of the following choices and carefully choose a topic. Make sure it is something you are interested in and can really do a great job of presenting.
Second, think about what questions you want to be answered about your topic. These questions should guide your research.
Option 1: Climate Change
What is climate change and how does it influence U.S. and world policy? What are the solutions to this issue?
Questions to consider: What is climate change and what is causing the problem? How is this a political issue? What impact does climate change have on international policy and what role does the U.S. play in creating and enforcing those policies? Are there different sides to the issue and what are they?
Possible Sources (You should find at least 1 source on your own):
https://www.procon.org/
https://climate.nasa.gov/
Option 2: Civil Rights
What civil rights issues does the United States need to address? You can choose issues surrounding race, gender, or sexual orientation. Just choose one group for this presentation.
Questions to consider: What are the civil rights issues that this group faces? What growth/improvement has occurred in the last several decades? What still needs to be improved? How do we improve these issues? What roles do the U.S. government play in these issues? Are there different sides to the issue and what are they?
Possible Sources (You should find at least 1 source of your own):
https://www.procon.org/
https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-movement
Option 3: Terrorism and the Fight Against Terrorism
Define what terrorism is and how it influences the United States and its international policies. Is there a solution to ending terrorism?
Questions to consider: What issues does the United States face in regards to terrorism and the fight against terrorism? Describe the types of terrorism, either at home or overseas, that influences the choices the United States makes. What are the different sides on these issues? What are the solutions?
Possible Sources ( you should find at least 1 source of your own):
https://www.procon.org/
https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/us-opinion-terrorism
Once you choose your topic, you must do research on your topic in order to complete the presentation described below.
PLEASE NOTE: YOU MUST HAVE 3 SOURCES IN YOUR PRESENTATION.
Once you have researched your topic, you will need to create a presentation to present your research.
You will create a slideshow or Prezi that focuses on the task and purpose. First, introduce your task and purpose, present your findings, and come to a conclusion regarding your topic/task. Along the way or toward the end, you will want to discuss issues/problems with the topic that you chose. These issues could be ones you discovered yourself or that are presented in the questions to consider listed above.
To help you organize your presentation, you can follow this basic outline:
Title Slide: 1 Slide. Include a title and your name along with an image.
Introduction: 2-4 Slides. Introduce your topic by defining what the issue is and why the United States needs to focus on this issue. Make sure to include the current stance of the United States. Provide a general statement that answers your research topic (you could consider this your thesis). Make sure to include appropriate images.
History of the Issue: 2-4 slides. This is where you discuss how the issue has developed, any events in the past 40-50 years that may have influenced the issue and the U.S.’s stance on the issue. It is where you present the findings and facts from your research. Remember to add images as well and do not overload your slides with information.
Issues and your ideas for a solution: 2-6 Slides. You should discuss a minimum of two issues that revolve around your topic. Make sure to provide possible solutions to these issues. These issues can be from the questions to consider or issues you discovered in your research. Remember to add images as well and do not overload your slide with information.
Other Perspectives 2- 3 Slides: What do other people think is the problem? What do others say is the solution? Then show how this thinking is wrong according to your research. (It is like a counterclaim and rebuttal). Remember to add images as well and do not overload your slide with information.
Conclusion: 1-2 Slides. Review the big ideas from your presentation and make sure to discuss your task. How did your findings prove your task/purpose? Remember to add images as well and do not overload your slide with information.
Sources: 1 slide. List all sources used in your presentation. Remember, this information should be on your research table.