Each student will be assigned to research a specific issue of technology and ethics, and to produce a paper that highlights points that support both sides of the ethical issue. Requirements for research and writing are as follows, with more explanation below. Please read each section of this page carefully.
The Final Version Paper must be submitted through TurnItIn.com no later than 4:00 PM on the deadline date.
Pre-writing:
Students must use a minimum of FIVE academic sources.
The sources for this paper must be academic, meaning that they must from peer-reviewed journals, books, websites, etc. Sites with user-generated content may not be used as cited sources. This includes Wikipedia, websites produced by students, classes or schools, or websites produced by special-interest groups, such as www.fukushimawatch.com. Check with your teacher if you are not sure whether a source is "academic."
Students must submit a "Notes Document" with original notes (not copied and pasted!) prior to writing the paper.
Notes Document
Once you have done your basic research, you will need to load your notes into a "Notes Document" that you will get from the BRVGS Google Docs Template Gallery. To get the template to start your Notes Document, follow these directions VERY CAREFULLY:
1. Sign into your BRVGS email or Drive account.
2. Click on this link: WH Project Notes Doc - this should take you to a "preview" of the WH Project Notes Template.
3. Click on “use this template” at upper right corner of the page. It will be saved to your Drive as a new doc called “Copy of WH Sem 2 Project Notes.”
4. Rename it by clicking on the Document name at upper left. Rename it as:
WH Sem 2 Notes + your school initials (FCHS, OCHS, GHS, etc.) + your first and last initials
so the document name should now appear as something like this: WH Sem 2 Notes OCHS MC
5. Share this document with your teacher by clicking on "Sharing settings" at the upper right of the document and putting in your teacher's email address.
6. Load your notes into the document and submit it by the due date.
First Version:
The First Version of paper must be at least 1000 words, and no more than 1500 words, and must be submitted through TurnItIn.com by the due date. It should be a full paper.
The First Version must be double spaced, with 12 pt. font, and must include "In-text" citations in MLA style. Please see the Purdue Online Writing Lab site for guidelines for in-text citations in MLA.
ALL Versions of the paper MUST include a Works Cited page which contains only the sources cited in the paper. The Works Cited page does NOT count towards the word count.
Paper Organization
Introduction
The introductory paragraph should include the following
Ethical arguments related to scenario
Historical context
What was happening in the world at the time?
Why was this particular technology developed?
Why was this an important technological development?
Provide the reader with brief information about the specific points that you plan to address in the paper.
Body of Paper
Each paragraph of the body of the paper should describe a specific point arguing for or against the ethical issue. The minimum requirement is two "PRO" paragraphs and two "CON" paragraphs. Each paragraph should begin with a topic sentence, and the body of the paragraph should support the topic sentence.
Support for Arguments
Arguments for or against a particular point must be supported by facts and/or statistical information. For example, if making an argument about high-fructose corn syrup, compare the following statement:
"People who eat a lot of food containing high-fructose corn syrup tend to be more overweight and have more cavities."
to:
"A study by the University of Long Island has shown that people whose diet contains at least three sodas containing high-fructose corn syrup a day with tend to be have 12% more body fat and 22% more cavities than those who do not regularly consume high-fructose corn syrup products (Dover 118-21)."
The second statement contains much more powerful information in support of an argument against high-fructose corn syrup. In your research on your topic, you should look for this kind of supporting information for your arguments for. All such information should be accompanied by a proper citation.
Conclusion
The conclusion should offer a brief summary of the main points of the paper, along with an explanation of why this was ethical issue was an important topic. You should also make a clear recommendation in regard to the scenario provided with your topic.
Mechanics
Grammar and spelling should be correct. The paper will be at least 1000 words long (not counting the "Works Cited" page), and no more than 1500 words. The paper and Works Cited page must be written in MLA format, should be double-spaced in 12-pt. font, and will need to be submitted through TurnItIn.com. Contact Ms. Outten if you have problems with turning in your paper.
The Final Version Paper must be submitted through TurnItIn.com no later than 4:00 PM on the deadline date.