Instruction
I already have started but I don’t feel like I made a good starting point. I have attached a file. You might wanna edit it, minimal or huge improvements will do. 4 pages is also fine for me as long as it meets the criteria. I will set the due date on 27th so i will have time to scan it.
Heres the instruction:
American History Critical Thinking Paper
Purpose: Americans speak often about their rights & freedoms but where exactly do those rights & freedoms come from? Since freedom of speech, religion, & press are protected by our Constitution (written in 1788), then who decided exactly which rights to give us and why? Other privileges like the right to vote, serve on a jury, and be equally protected under the laws, were added to the Constitution in the 1860’s, but why then? Our government (Congress, President, Supreme Court) apparently believed that American rights needed federal protection, so does that mean that it is the government that gives us our rights and then protects them? Could we make the argument that our American rights are really the responsibilities that come with us being citizens in a “free society”?
For this writing assignment, you will take a stand on the question of whether our rights are: 1) privileges that we Americans are entitled to, or 2) the duties & responsibilities we have as United States citizens. Defend your argument using three sources (books, articles, news stories) that you research through the WCJC Library website. Then write a 4 to 6-page paper expressing your ideas and referencing the sources you found to back up your argument.
The purpose of this assignment is two-fold. You will understand the history behind the rights that American citizens count on every day and learn more about when & how those rights have been violated or denied. The work you do on this assignment will parallel the readings & video lectures that are already part of the course; but the writing assignment will give you an opportunity to voice your opinion and defend that opinion using historical information.
This exercise in critical thinking & writing can help you in your other college courses (English, Government, Sociology, Psychology). And whatever career you decide to pursue, you will often find yourself in situations that require you to take a stand and then defend it.
Instructions: The paper should be no shorter than four pages and no longer than six pages. You will write the paper in a Word document (please no Google docs), using standard 1” margins, standard font (10 or 12 point), and double-spacing. You will use footnotes (Chicago or APA style) when you reference the sources you use and there must be a “Works Cited” section at the end of the paper. You do not need a separate cover page or separate Works Cited page.
Throughout the semester, the Instructor will guide you in how to format your paper and in how to create a footnote. You will also receive tips & ideas on how to find your sources in the most effective & efficient way. By October 18, you will have to submit a draft of your paper in order to receive credit for the assignment. The draft must contain your Bibliography (sources you will use), and one page (200 words) of text. This first portion of your paper will be graded and then returned to you with comments & suggestions, which will make your final paper (submitted Nov. 28) a better product, which will lead to a better grade.
Grading Criteria: The paper is worth a total of 140 points; almost 30% of the total course grade. The draft will be given a grade out of 40 points, and the final paper will be graded out of a possible 100 points. Therefore you must submit the first draft of the paper to receive the best possible grade on the assignment.
I will give less weight to spelling & grammar; the highest grades will be earned through a well-developed argument and your support of that argument. There really is no one “right answer” to the assignment question, so feel free to choose the side that you agree with the most and then back up your opinion. Good luck!