Final Project: Expository Essay and Class Blog
Understanding Social Justice:
Oppression and Resistance Movements
To conclude our unit on social justice and
resistance movements, you will be required to complete a 5- to 8-paragraph
research paper on a contemporary example of oppression and resistance of your
choosing. You may use examples that we have discussed in class (Michael Brown
or immigrant workers), though each student or group of students must research a
different case study. Students interested in further researching topics covered
in class should see Ms. Dean for approval immediately. Your paper will be
posted on a class blog for discussion amongst your peers.
Your
paper will address the following questions:
1. Who are the oppressors and resistors in this movement? (1-2
paragraphs)
2. What connection does this case study have to historical or
fictional social justice movements we studied in class? How is it similar OR
different? (1 paragraph)
3. Do you think that the way the resistors responded to oppression
was effective? Why or why not? (1 paragraph)
4. Why is this movement important? What impact does it have on our
community or society as a while? (1-2 paragraphs)
PART 1
You will have the option of working independently
or working with a partner. Students working independently must complete AT
LEAST 5 written paragraphs, while students working in pairs must complete AT
LEAST 8 written paragraphs to earn full credit.
You will be required to correctly cite at least
3 sources in your paper. In addition to the three sources, you must also use
one of the historical case studies we learned about it class (either Cesar
Chavez or the Civil Rights Movement) OR may be from our fictional case study
(Divergent). This means 4 source (minimum) in total. If you choose to explore
one of the contemporary examples that we studied in class, you will be required
to cite at least two additional outside sources that we did not read in class.
Although you will be posting your paper on a
blog, you should complete your work in MLA format on Google Docs and attach a
works cited page in MLA format. Please see the MLA works cited guidelines on
the Purdue Style Guide.
PART 2
You will be required to respond with a comment
to at least two of your peers’ papers. Your comment should be 3 paragraphs to
earn full credit. Your comment should include the following information.
1. A summary of your peers’ paper.
2. An explanation of how your peers’ case study
is similar or different to your case study.
3. A well-supported argument of whether you
agree or disagree with your peers’ evaluation of the effectiveness of their
case study (do you agree/disagree with your peer that the way that resistors
responded to oppression was/was not effective?).
