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Final Paper Assignment: ASEM 2696: Communication & Adoption (100 points)

Assignment Description: The purpose of the final essay is to promote student integration and application of course materials to advance their own thinking. Starting with their introductory essays, students have been charting their own learning trajectory in this course. Across discussion posts, peer responses, and reflections, students have been writing about not only how they understand the theories and concepts introduced in this course, but also how these materials have challenged them to think differently. In this final essay, students choose one of the major topic areas covered in this course as their focus: a) public and private discourses of adoption, b) communication and adoption, or c) identity and adoption. Integrating their writing in this course with curricular materials, students explicate how this course has allowed them to think in new and more informed ways about their own identity(ies), relationships, community(ies), family(ies), and/or adoption in the broader U.S. or international context. Formatting expectations: 5 pages of double-spaced text with 1” margins and page numbers, using 12 pt. Times New Roman Font, plus title page (no page number).

At the beginning of this course, I asked you to reflect upon and write about what you knew and felt about adoption coming into this course. I asked you not to do outside research or read any course materials prior to completing that essay. I asked you two questions.

In the first question, I asked you to tell me what you knew, thought, or felt about adoption coming into this class. To answer that first question, I asked you to rely solely on your pre-existing knowledge and feelings of adoption. Some of you drew upon adoption coverage in the media and pop culture, others drew upon stories you had heard about adoption told by friends, family, or community members, while others drew upon your own, friends or family members’ lived experiences of adoption.

For the second question, I provided a visual model of your learning. The graphic provided a course overview, painting a picture of what the course looks like. I asked you to reflect on the ASEM 2696 visual model of student learning, describe to me what you the knowledge you expected to gain from this course, and how you expected the curriculum might challenge you to think differently about your identity(ies), relationships, community(ies), family(ies), adoption, and/or family in the broader U.S. or international context.

Since that time . . .

We’ve been studying theories and concepts that have expanded your knowledgebase about a) public and private discourses of adoption, b) communication and adoption, and c) identity and adoption. You have been writing not only about how you understand those theories and constructs, but also how you can use them to think in new and more informed ways.

For the final paper . . . You will be writing about your own learning trajectory in this course, drawing on any and all writing you’ve done and feedback you’ve received from Prof Suter and your peers as well as course materials.

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Prior to writing your paper, you need to do the following: 1. Gather all the writing you’ve done for this course in one place (you might cut and paste from intro essay,

discussion boards, professor-student check-ins, written in class formative writing, notes, etc.). Also collect feedback you’ve received from Prof. Suter and classmate responses offered to you.

2. Now you have your writing in this course collected, using your introductory essay as your starting point, examine your writing for evidence of how your thinking has changed and developed as a result of participating in this course, focusing specifically on times you indicate shifts in your thinking about your identity(ies), relationships, community(ies), family(ies), adoption, and/or family in the broader U.S. or international context.

3. Engage in the Peer Review Sequence. 4. Make appointment(s) with the Writing Center to discuss your “writing” at any stage(s). This can include:

understanding this final paper assignment prompt, planning and outlining, thesis development, using evidence, integrating texts, analyzing and synthesizing, drafting, revising, building an argument, learning to use a citation style, making decisions about code-meshing and language use, and much more. Remember, writing center consultations are collaborative, non-evaluative, and learning oriented. Writing center consultants work with students in live sessions. They do not edit student work for the student or provide comments on drafts by email. Expect to be an active participant in all sessions.

In this paper, you need to do the following….

1. Address at least one of the major topic areas we’ve studied: a) public and private discourses of adoption, b) communication and adoption, and c) identity and adoption.

2. Apply the course curriculum to your own thinking and understanding: how do these materials allow you to understand or think in new and more informed ways about your identity(ies), relationships, community(ies), family(ies), adoption, and/or family in the broader U.S. or international context?

3. Explicitly address your own learning, drawing on writing you’ve done in this course to show changes in your thinking over time.

4. Draw on 3-5 course curricular materials in concrete and specific ways. Concrete and specific ways mean integrating specific terms/lines/concepts and/or a specific instances/examples/stories from the course curriculum you select.

5. Organize your paper around one clear thesis statement. Include your thesis statement at the top of your paper. Write an introduction that frames the paper around that thesis statement.

6. Writing Expectations o Well-organized, coherent paper, written from an outline (outline must be submitted with final

paper—thesis statement at top of outline and final essay) o 5 pages of double-spaced text with 1” margins and page numbers, using 12 pt. Times New Roman

Font, plus title page (no page number). o Grammatically correct, No spelling errors, Times New Roman font, 12 pt., 1-inch margins, and page

numbers. Grading Rubric (100 points in total, broken down as follows)

1. (40 Points) Context and Purpose of Assignment: Degree to which the essay demonstrates a thorough understanding of the context, audience, purpose, and the assigned task(s) of the assignment

2. (40 Points) Development of Ideas:

Degree to which the essay demonstrates a thoughtful, evidence-based, and organized approach to developing the proposed ideas

3. (20 points) Grammar, Mechanics, and Style: Degree to which the essay demonstrates an engaging and consistent style and voice, free of errors in grammar and mechanics, and adheres to length and formatting expectations