1) Introduction
Describe what your paper will be about, including the topic you chose, the three concepts you will use, and the two assumptions you will apply.
2) Description of topic
Summarize the topic, including each of the underlinedportions
→ What contextare you exploring development in?
→ Whose development are you trying to understand/promote? (Yours? Your interview subject? Specific group of people?)
→ Where is this development taking place? (E.g. A particular institution/setting? Cultural context?)
→ When in their development? (E.g. Particular stage? Multiple ages? Lifespan?)
What is developing and why is it important?
→ Briefly summarizethe development you are trying to understand or promote.
o If you chose the intervention/research or interview options, summarize main points here.
o If considering your own development or promoting development, describe the main events/issues/questions/problems you want to address.
→ Explain why understanding/promoting this development is important and/or interesting to you.
3) Application of Developmental Concepts:
Pick THREE CONCEPTS (e.g. Attachment, Mindsets, Vocational Choice, Temperament) from class that you can use to better understand and/or promote some aspect of your topic (e.g. a particular event/issue/question/problem) and explore them in more depth.
Describe a particular event, issue, question, or problem from your topic that you would like to better understand/promote.
Explain whythis issue/question/etc. is important to understanding/promoting development. Give a specific, real-world example of a time this issue/question/etc. occurred (or could occur).
Correctly define the conceptyou will be using IN YOUR OWN WORDS and cite your source.
Explain how knowing about this concept can help youunderstand/promote development in relation to your issue/question. Give a specific example of how this concept could be applied in your topic.
4) Connection to Meta-theoretical Assumptions:
Pick at least twoof the six key meta-theoretical assumptions(NOT meta-theories) that relate to aspects of your topic.
Correctly define the assumption (e.g. nature vs. nurture.) Cite your source.
ExplainHOW the assumption relates to something that came up in your topic and the viewpoint/answer that was used in your topic (e.g. development was both nature AND nurture.)
Describehow the development in your topicmight have been differentif development followed a different viewpoint/answer to the same assumption. (e.g. if development was ONLY nurture and not nature, then...)
5) Conclusion
Summarize what you discussed in the paper; remind us of your topics
Tell us something you learned/ found interesting/will take away from this project.
Writing Quality
- Times New Roman font; double-spaced; 1-inch margins;5-7 pages; PDF or Word docs
- Up to 5 pts deducted for papers over 7 or under 5 pages (before references.)
Technical proficiency and professionalism:
o Use correct spelling, grammar and punctuation. Use full sentences.
o Your paper may use first-person voice. Otherwise, use university-levelprofessionalism and tone. This is an academic paper.
Clarity of ideas:
o Use headings to organize sections of the paper and information within sections.
o Each paragraph should be about one and only one main idea. Split up complex paragraphs.
o Each paragraph should have a topic sentence explaining that idea.
o The paper has a clear, logical progression of ideas, thorough explanations, and clear writing, so we can understand your ideas.
Attribution of sources: When using information from another source (e.g., interview, research paper, website, lecture slides, textbook) you MUST do the following:
o In general, you should attribute your sources for any information that is a definition or summary, and/or information that is not your own experience/opinion or common knowledge.
o We need to be able to tell which idea goes with which sources so...you NEED in-text citations and/or footnotes/endnotesNOT just a works cited page.
o Restate quotations in your own words. Quotations should be used as illustrations of your point; you still need to make the point yourself. Extensive blocks of text quoted from another source do not count as your summary!
o Attribute the source of your information in any way that allows the reader to find the source of the material on his or her own. You may use any method of citation that you like. For example, you could say, "as defined in the lecture slides on parenting...," or "as described on the program's website (www.program.com)...," or "The study (Marquez, 2000) found...," or simply "My grandmother said...".
o It is generally a good idea not to reveal names or identities of interview subjects unless you have their permission to do so. (You may choose to refer to them anonymously, by first name, or by a pseudonym.)