Module 4 Interaction Project

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Module 4 Interaction Project: Essay

Overview

The Interaction Project in this course is broken down into several smaller components to allow you to work on the project throughout the semester.  You should check the Schedule and the assignment dropbox very carefully for the appropriate due dates of each component.  The project culminates in Module 4 with a final essay, and in Module 5 with an opportunity for you to present your project to your peers. See the Grading and Evaluation page of the Syllabus for more information on the points value of this assignment. 

Instructions

You are to prepare an essay related to a political issue reflecting on a physical interaction with any level of government and then document and analyze that interaction. This assignment is worth 150 points.

Examples of possible interactions:

  1. Write to your state or federal representative or senator to gather information or express an opinion about an issue that is of interest to you. (This can be done via the Internet).
  2. Serve as a representative in student government. This could be as an elected, appointed or voluntary position.
  3. Attend a meeting of some government body. (City Council, County Commissioners, School Board, Fire District, Student Government, etc.)  NOTE:  Watching a meeting via television, the internet, etc. is NOT considered a "physical interaction" with government. 
  4. Other: Contact me immediately if you wish to complete this assignment with some other type of involvement.

Whatever way you decide to participate in your government, you must write up an analysis of your experience. The following information must be addressed within your final project:

Introduction (at least 2 pages; worth up to 40 points)

  • What government entity did you interact with and how did you interact with it (i.e., attended a meeting, wrote letters, etc.)?
  • Summarize the issues being dealt with, etc. What happened, who or what was involved, etc?
  • Summarize any follow-up meetings, results of actions taken, etc.
  • Explain fully why you choose this particular entity to interact with.

Analysis (at least 4 pages; worth up to 80 points)

Please note this is not a blog or journal of your experience, but a formal analysis.
  • Was the experience what you expected?  Why or why not?  Explain fully.
  • Compare this interaction with other experiences you have had interacting or participating with government; how is this similar, different, etc.?  Explain fully.  (NOTE:  All of you have interacted with government at some level.)
  • What is your opinion of this interaction experience; has this encouraged or discouraged you to interact with government in the future?  What would you do differently next time?  Explain fully.
  • Explain fully how this interaction experience ties into our course.  Provide several examples of specific concepts from the readings and/or the many discussions we have had in the class.  What lessons have you learned about democracy from this experience?  Explain fully.
  • Provide supporting documentation as appropriate (such as an agenda, newspaper articles, working URLs to online minutes, etc.) as a separate file attached to the assignment dropbox.  These items are separate, are intended to supplement your project, and are therefore not counted in the total number of pages in your final project. 

        Supporting documentation

        You should also include supporting documentation such as minutes of meetings, copies of letters, newspaper articles, etc. as appropriate (these should be uploaded as separate files and would NOT be included as part of your paper content).  Label each document at the top and put your name on each.

            Deliverables: Format/Writing Quality worth up to 30 points:

            • 2-page Introduction and 4-page Analysis for your Interaction Project Topic essay (6 pages minimum total; no more than 10 pages total, not including supporting documentation and references page).
            • Put your name, date, and module # on the essay cover page, together with the title of the project, in APA format.
            • Use Times New Roman, 12 pt black font, 1-inch margins; double-space the body of the essay, indent new paragraphs by 1/2 inch, and don't include extra spaces between paragraphs.
            • You don't need to include an abstract.
            • The essay must use college level English, grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc.
            • Use ONLY Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) or save your document as a Rich Text File (.rtf).
            • The essay must use APA formatting, referencing, and citations.
            • A reference page must be included. You must use a minimum of three sources.  These may include information gathered by attending a meeting.  The speaker or government entity should be named in a citation.  
            • You must incorporate concepts from the course e-text and use APA-style in-text notes for all references.
            • For more information and models of APA formatting, see the APA Toolkit in the Syllabus Module.

            See an example of an Interaction Project Essay here.

            See a second example of an Interaction Project Essay here.

            See the Schedule and Course Rubrics in the Syllabus Module for due dates and grading information.