Social Justice Issues in American History

Social Justice Issues in American HistoryPart 1: Research PaperPurpose: The purpose of this portion of the project isfor students to complete a research project which combines historical researchabout a social justice issue in American history with knowledge of its currentramifications.Knowledge: Students will learn about the historicalbasis of a social justice issue that exists in the present day.Skills:Through the completion of this project, students willacquire the following skills:1.Identifying an academic vs. a non-academicsource.2.Locating information contained within academicsources.3.Composing an original thesis as the basis ofyour writing assignment.4.Formatting an essay according to APA format.5.Writing a research paper to support your thesis.Tasks:1.Identify the social justice issue you would liketo research.
2.Conduct background research on your issue. This is where you gather more informationabout your movement, narrow down your focus and choose the sources that youwill use for your research. You must usea minimum of 5 academic sources. Examples of academic sources include thefollowing: books, academic journalarticles, websites (reputable websites typical end in .org or .edu), newspaperarticles, magazine articles, documentary films, and interviews. AS the purpose of this project is to gainexperience on college-level academic research, encyclopedia articles should beavoided. Under no circumstances shouldwiki sources be used (these are not peer reviewed)! If you have questions about whetheror not you have chosen an academic source, please consult with the professor.
3.Compose a thesis statement. Make an argument about the social movementyou are researching (this should address why the movement is still relevanttoday).
4.Create an outline for your essay (this does notneed to be handed in—it is just a step in the writing process). The outline should begin with anintroduction (where you will present your thesis statement). The first section of your essay will discussthe historical background of the social movement you have chosen (3-4 pages). The second section of your essay will discusscurrent issues related to the social movement (2-3 pages). For the final section of thisproject, students will write a conclusion reflecting on how their historicalresearch enriched or affected their perspective on the movement theyresearched and/or discuss any contributionsthey may have been inspired to make to the address the present issue (1-1½ pages).
5.Write your essay. Your essay must have an introduction, athesis statement and include all three required sections. It must be no fewer than 6 pages in length,with the first section having a minimum length of three pages (includingintroduction), the second section having a minimum length of two pages, and thefinal section having a minimum length of one full page. It must also follow APA format and include a coverpage and a works cited page (abstract is not necessary and will not be counted as part of the lengthrequirement if included).