Essay Instructions: TOPIC: In what ways has technology ended the physical and intellectual isolation of Americans?
Final Paper Draft
Review the Final Paper instructions in Week Five of the online course or in the “Components of Course Evaluation” section of this guide. Then, visit the Ashford Writing Center located under the Learning Resources tab on the left navigation tool bar in your online classroom. Click on the “Writing Resources” tab, and review the “Sample: Outline.” Format your outline for the Final Paper according to the “Sample: Outline.” (NOTE: In the “Sample: Outline,” it states that the thesis statement is the last one to three sentences of the introduction. However, the thesis statement must be one sentence in length and the last sentence of the introduction.)
The outline must contain:
Introduction with thesis statement
At least five body paragraphs
Conclusion
Reference page
The paper must be three to five pages in length and formatted according to APA style. You must use at least five scholarly resources (at least two of which can be found in the Ashford Online Library) other than the textbook to support your claims and subclaims. Cite your resources in text and on the reference page.
SAMPLE OUTLINE OF HOW IT IS SUPPOSE TO BE STRUCTURED:
I. Introduction
A. Thesis Statement
Although there are educational television programs, parents should regulate the
amount of television their children watch because it is not always intellectually
stimulating, it can distort a child’s perception of reality, and it inhibits social
interaction.
II. Body paragraph #1 - Topic Sentence #1
While television has the potential to offer programs that can be seen as educational
supplements, too much television has an even greater potential for turning children
into passive viewers and getting in the way of intellectual stimulation.
A. Supporting Evidence
As a recent article from the University of Michigan Health Systems (2008)
maintains, “Too much television can negatively affect early brain development.
This is especially true at younger ages, when learning to talk and play with others
is so important” (qtd. in “Television”).
B. Explanation
Indeed, too much television can be detrimental to cognitive development because
preschool-aged children need physical interaction, and television for older children
acts as an unhealthy replacement for reading and being read to. Children need to
engage in imaginative play; adolescents and teenagers benefit from getting fresh
air and being more active.
C. So What?
While it would be too easy to dismiss every TV show directed at youths??"in fact,
PBS and Discovery Kids offer excellent programming??"children’s lives are
increasingly centered around TV-watching, and thus, parents should regulate how
much their kids are viewing regardless of content or perceived quality.
III. Body paragraph #2 - Topic Sentence #2
Moreover, with proper supervision or regulation, there are television programs that can
distort a child’s perception of reality.
A. Supporting Evidence
In the online article “How TV Affects Your Child,” Dr. Mary Gavin (2008) points
out that “TV characters often depict risky behaviors, such as smoking and
drinking, and also reinforce gender-role and racial stereotypes.”
B. Explanation
Certainly, seeing these types of behaviors and stereotypes exhibited by favorite
television personalities and encouraged by favorite shows can contradict with the
values parents want to instill in their children, which can cause both tension and
confusion. While television does have entertainment value, children cannot learn
all the differences between right and wrong from it.
C. So What?
Although it is difficult to prevent children’s total exposure to questionable social
mores and limited multicultural representation in the media, parents can have
some control by supervising their children’s viewing as well as talk about what’s
portrayed on television.
IV. Body paragraph #3 - Topic Sentence #3
Finally, television can impede healthy relationship-building and impose on family
time.
A. Supporting Evidence
For example, recent studies have found that the television is on most of the time in
51% of households and that “[k]ids with a TV in their bedroom spend an average
of almost 1.5 hours more per day watching TV than kids without a TV in the
bedroom” (qtd. in “Television”).
B. Explanation
If children are spending this much time glued to the their favorite television
programs, and if parents do not have rules about how much is okay to watch, then
children are not only spending less time on important cognitive development
activities such as reading and doing homework, but they are also spending less
time on social interaction with peers and important family time.
C. So What?
Given how long families are apart from each other during the week because of
school and work, it is unfortunate that any extra time outside of those obligations
should be wasted on watching television; therefore, regulation is one key
approach to ensure a family’s closeness and the strength of the parents’ bond with
their children.
V. Conclusion
A. Thesis Statement rephrased
Television can be both educational and entertaining for children; however, only in
moderation. Thus, it’s important that parents step in to supervise how much
television their children watch as it can negatively affect their intellectual,
psychological, and social development.
This outline will ultimately turn in to the Final Paper requirements below:
Final Paper
The purpose of the Final Paper is to provide an opportunity to analyze a major social, economic, military, and technological issue since the Civil War, trace its significance over time, and examine the ways in which it contributed to an “ending of isolation” in the United States.
A central theme of this course is the “end of isolation” which our textbook describes in relationship to technology, politics, military, culture, and society. At times, the ending of isolation has resulted of periods of tension and struggle. In this paper, you will select ONE of the following topics from the list below, and through the use of primary and secondary research, you will describe the historical context of each question and trace the significance of this issue over time from 1865 to the present. Assess the challenges involved in the ending of this isolation, as well as the key people involved in the struggles. Five academic resources must be referenced within the research paper, including two from the Ashford Online library, and one primary source, which should represent a significant aspect of your research through meaningful contribution to your analysis of the selected topic. .
Topic Choices
Please select one of the following questions as the focus of your final paper:
How have African-Americans worked to end segregation, discrimination, and isolation to attain equality and civil rights?
In what ways has technology ended the physical and intellectual isolation of Americans?
How have wars and political ideologies resulted in the transition from an isolationist foreign policy in America to one in which the nation is now a global superpower?
While women once had few life options beyond isolation in the domestic sphere, what historical developments presented new opportunities for women in society?
In contrast to the ending of isolation, in what ways did Native Americans experience the transition from freedom to isolation? How have they struggled to overcome this isolation?
Writing the Final Paper
The Final Paper:
Must be eight to ten double-spaced pages in length, and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
Must include a title page with the following:
Title of paper
Must begin with an introductory paragraph that has a succinct thesis statement.
Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought.
Must end with a conclusion that reaffirms your thesis.
Must use at least five scholarly resources, including a minimum of two from the Ashford Online Library and at least one a primary source.
Must document all sources in APA style, as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
Must include a separate reference page, formatted according to APA style.
