Background Assignment

Directions: Today, you are going to write a document that provides important information about the topic you’ve chosen. Note that this is not an essay. This is simply an assignment that provides needed information on your topic. For this assignment you will need the following: An appropriate topic 3 solid sources on your topic

Directions Continued: Your Background assignment should be divided up into different sections. The number of sections you need will be determined by the topic you’ve chosen. You will need to write sections on the following as appropriate to your topic: Any relevant history that your topic requires Definitions of any terms/concepts that are important to your topic but may not be widely known by the casual reader The common arguments that people writing about this topic make A list of sources that you’ve used for this assignment. Each section should have its own title and should be 1-2 well-developed paragraphs long (with the exception of the section listing your sources). Also, this assignment should be finished before the end of class and turned in to turnitin.com.

Example: As an example, let’s look at the topic of abortion in the United States. The relevant history section would include a brief discussion of the Roe v Wade Supreme Court decision from 1973 that legalized abortion. It may also include mention of the restrictions that have been written into law in various states since Roe v Wade. The section on concepts and terms would include things like the definitions of “Pro-Choice” and “Pro-Life” and perhaps include the terms “Late Term Abortion” and “Partial Birth Abortion.” The common arguments section would include arguments about whether a fetus is considered a person, whether abortion is murder, and whether a woman’s right to do as she wishes to her body extends to having an abortion. The sources section would then include the three or more sources you’ve used to get this information.