Author: chris

Virtually every human being uses arguments because virtually every human being
discusses claims with the aim of defending their own positions and attacking those of
others. The ability to detect bad arguments and to construct good ones is a skill which can
be developed methodically. Through an examination of popular and scholarly articles,
online media, film, and other sources, students will acquire the conceptual tools to
recognize, evaluate, formulate and attack arguments in their written, oral and group work.
This course focuses on moral reasoning and students will have the opportunity to apply
their skills in discussions about substantive moral issues. But many of the skills needed to
construct good moral arguments are broadly applicable, and students will gain some
familiarity with other types of reasoning, such as that which we find in political discourse
and in the social sciences
Instruction files

guidelines_2_.pdf(20,23 KiB)
sample_1.pdf(87,07 KiB)
sample_2.pdf(67,28 KiB)

Papers: The Basic Idea

Papers are optional assignments, worth up to 100 points, which can be used to supplement the points you have scored on test and forum posts to help you reach your target score for the unit.

The basic idea of this assignment is to demonstrate that you can 1) correctly explain an authors ideas, and also 2) correctly show how those ideas would apply to a specific example which A) that author did not discuss and which B) your reader could independently fact check. In addition, I will expect you to offer your views on whether those ideas are good ideas, based on your demonstration of what they ideas would support in the case you have discussed.

Note: If you do not already have a suitable example in mind, you may use one of the case studies presented in the back of the book. If you do so, please keep in mind that the assignment is NOT to answer the questions at the end. They should just be considered food for thought. Also, be aware that those case studies deal with a wide variety of issues. It will be up to you to choose one that is relevant to the topic/author on which your paper focuses.

The scoring works like this: Your papers rubric score will be the percentage of the points you have remaining in the unit that I will assign. So lets say you have scored 150/200 points by means of the forum posts and test score. That is 75%, which would be a C for the unit if you do nothing further. But you have 50 points left you could potentially earn by writing the paper. Lets say you write a paper, and it earns an 80% rubric score. Then you will earn 40/50, for a total of 190/200, which is an A!

Please note, however, that I will not reward students who waste my time by turning in junk just to take a shot because they feel they have nothing to lose. I may not assign any credit at all to a paper which does not seem to me to demonstrate a good faith effort at fulfilling the basic goals indicated above.

Also keep in mind that this is a college course, which means that anything affecting the appearance of quality in your work can have an adverse effect on your grade. So attention in the areas of grammar, spelling, composition, and so on, will be important.

Think of yourself as writing for an audience of reasonably intelligent people who just dont happen to know much if anything at all about your subject. This means that while they would be capable of understanding a good explanation of the concepts you are dealing with, you cannot presume they understand anything unless you actually give the explanation. Thinking of things that way should help you get into the appropriate level of detail I need to see to demonstrate your understanding.

Paper Writing Guidelines:

There is more than one way to write a good essay. If you have a lot of writing experience, the guidelines I am about to provide may not be necessary. But if you do not have a lot of writing experience (and most who are taking this course dont!) these general guidelines will provide a template which, if followed, should make it almost impossible to go wrong, regardless of your topic!

Your essay should proceed in a step-by-step fashion from the introduction through the main body of your argument to culminate in its conclusion, at which point the thesis should be compellingly supported. The following outline details the tasks involved in this process, which are usually best taken in the order presented here. Approximately a paragraph should be dedicated to each.

1) The introduction must inform the reader of the topic you will address, mention any sources you plan to draw from in making your argument (such as the example of the issue you are writing about and the authors whose ideas you will discuss), and indicate the specific point the essay is intended to support (also known as your thesis). It is often good to open with a general statement of an important problem, a rhetorical question, or some sort of dramatic flourish which will attract your readers interest before narrowing in on the specifics of the paper.

2) The body of your essay should present the relevant details of the example you are using immediately after the introduction.

a. Note: the example may be real or fictional, e.g. taken from a film, but it cannot be a hypothetical of your own invention. It should also not be a personal anecdote, as that leaves a potential reader unable to fact-check your example. Anecdotes are better placed in the concluding section of your paper, where they can put a more personal spin on what has up until then been a more objective presentation.

3) Next, present the ideas of the author which you will use to analyze the example.

4) Show how those ideas apply to your example, indicating what you believe the author would have to say about it and why.

5) Offer your reasons for agreeing or disagreeing with what you presented in step 4.

a. If you are only writing about one author, this step might turn out to be your conclusion.

6) If you are discussing a second author, step 3 must be repeated with regard to their ideas as well.

7) If you are discussing a second author, step 4 must also be repeated.

a. Note: if you plan to support one and oppose the other, discuss the one you oppose first. That way, your criticism of that author can serve as the transition to your presentation of the second, showing the importance of turning elsewhere for a better perspective.

8) If you are discussing a second author, step 5 must also be repeated.

a. If you are discussing two authors, this step may turn out to be your conclusion.

9) If you have additional observations of your own to add, or broader claims to make regarding the point you have shown in this paper, place them in the final paragraph, which will then be your conclusion.

Papers of 3-5 pages (approximately 900-1200 words) are likely to be sufficient to earn enough of the 100 possible points to effectively replace missing or poor test or forum scores. So if you do a good job here, you need not be worried about performing less well in those other areas. But only papers which successfully demonstrate sufficient knowledge of course concepts, application to examples, and compositional quality will earn very many points.

I will offer comments on your work for the sake of improving the quality of future performance and grades. I will also attach the case study (Case 22)

TOPIC: The Military Order on Detention, Treatment and Trial of Certain Non-citizens in the War Against Terrorismwas issued on November 3, 2001. This Order effectively denies enemy combatants constitutional protections afforded by the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Amendments.
In a four page, essay format, (spell & grammar checked) and with proper headings & citations in the APA format, address the following issues:

A. Discuss whether then President Bush had the legal authority to abrogate Enemy Combatant civil rights? Cite the procedural history, constitutional conflicts and reasoning employed, including powers asserted or ceded by the various branches of government

1.REQUIREMENTS
Identify a company publishing CSR reports and answer the following questions:

1.Why do firms engage in CSR reporting? Use a variety of theories to answer this question.
(50%)
2.Using Mitchell et al.s (1997) framework and examining the firms website and CSR reports, identify the firms different types of stakeholders and discuss their specific interests in the firms CSR policies, practices, and performance. (50%)

watch the movie (Last Call at the Oasis) and answer the follow questions
Last Call at the Oasis offers a stark report of the state of water use in the modern world. Please reflect on the following questions and answer them in writing and submit your thoughts online, through Ulearn.

1.What locations in the U.S. does the film focus on?

2.What other areas of the world are experiencing problems with water supply?

3.What did you know or believe about the global water supply before seeing this film?

4.Why might water shortage effect how hotels operate?

5.What are some possible solutions to the global water crisis that the film presents?

6.What technological innovations have (and have not) proven to work? What are the obstacles to implementing technological innovations on a large scale?

The period between the end of the U.S-Mexican War in 1848 and the beginning of the Great Depression in 1929 is notable in highlighting a long-running battle between individuals and interest groups who advocated strict policies of immigration restriction, border enforcement, and racial and cultural homogeneity versus those who, primarily for economic reasons, exhibited a much higher toleration for the presence of foreigners of all legal statuses.
Based on your lecture notes, slides, and readings from weeks 1 through 4 of the syllabus, write an essay of 8-10 pages in which you assess the origins and evolution of these two points of view; examine the complex motivations of those who articulated them; and weigh the contemporary impact and historical legacies of these views for Mexican Americans and Mexican immigrants in the period between the 1850s and the 1920s.

As you know, essay exams and especially short essay exams require careful thought and organization. So before you begin drafting your essay, it is important that you develop at least a rough outline, carefully choose examples in support of your argument, and write clear and direct sentences to develop that argument. Again, since you face significant space limitations, please avoid the use of long block quotes. To cite an article, simply use the following format at the end of the sentence in question: (Haney Lopez, pp. 12-13; Reisler, pp. 44-45).

PROMPT:
The period between the end of the U.S-Mexican War in 1848 and the beginning of the Great Depression in 1929 is notable in highlighting a long-running battle between individuals and interest groups who advocated strict policies of immigration restriction, border enforcement, and racial and cultural homogeneity versus those who, primarily for economic reasons, exhibited a much higher toleration for the presence of foreigners of all legal statuses.

For example, during debate about the objectives of the U.S.-Mexican War, Senator John C. Calhoun of South Carolina articulated the views common among those in the first group by arguing that the conquest of Mexicos northern territories would contribute to the nations increasing and troubling racial and cultural diversity, and would add to the racial tensions that already divided the country and eventually led to the eruption of the Civil War. He objected to the incorporation of Mexicans into the United States by arguing:

We have never dreamt of incorporating into our Union any but the Caucasian racethe free white race. To incorporate Mexico, would be the very first instance of incorporating the Indian race. Ours is the government of the white manand yet it is professed and talked about to erect these Mexicans into a territorial government, and place them on an equality with the people of the United States. I protest utterly against such a project. (John C. Calhoun, January 1848)

However, over the same period, other individuals and interest groupsespecially those committed to the economic development of former Mexican territories in the Westsaw the challenges facing the nation in the last half of the nineteenth century in very different terms. From their point of view, labor migration was considered crucial to their plans to develop the basic infrastructure that would allow subsequent growth in manufacturing and extractive industries, construction, and commercial agricultureand if that meant the rapid racial and cultural diversification of society, then so be it. As one employers lobbyist put it in his testimony before a congressional committee in 1928, the diversification of the labor force in the West in the years after the Gold Rush,

may have been due to a lack of foresight, but it is a fact that statesmen must deal with. The question arises as to what is going to be the economic effect upon that vast territory and its vast agricultural industry, if the supply of common labor is inadequate. What could be more destructive of the prosperity of a people; of their contentment; or their general welfare; than to have their entire labor situation disrupted?

The lobbyist concluded:

We are not employing men on account of their dispositions. We are employing them to have them exercise their strong backs at hard work. We are not employing them because they are of a high type of intellectuality [for] if we employed men because of their mental attainments, we could not employ either Mexicans or these [other] colored people. We employ these men because we have the worlds work to do and we must do it well. (Testimony of Alfred P. Thom, American Railroad Association, to House Committee on Immigration, 1928)

Based on your lecture notes, slides, and readings from weeks 1 through 4 of the syllabus, write an essay of 8-10 pages in which you assess the origins and evolution of these two points of view; examine the complex motivations of those who articulated them; and weigh the contemporary impact and historical legacies of these views for Mexican Americans and Mexican immigrants in the period between the 1850s and the 1920s.

Assignment Brief:

The aim of this assessment is to show an understanding of theories and evidence of cognitive development. You will also develop your research and review skills. You are to research and review Jean Piagets theory of cognitive development. You are then required to submit a literature review of your findings.

A literature review is an evaluative report of information found in the literature related to your selected area of study. The review should describe, summarise, evaluate and clarify this literature.

Task 1: Research Piagets theory of cognitive development. Write an introduction to your literature review in which you:
Define cognitive development and identify and describe the core systems of cognition
(a.c. 1.1, 1.2)

Task 2: Complete the main section of your literature review consisting of:

A description of the main stages of Piagets theory of cognitive development and an explanation of his main concepts including schema, assimiliation, accommodation and equilibrium (a.c. 1.3, 1.4)
An evaluation of Piagets theory of cognitive development with reference to other theories of cognitive development, for example; Vygotsky and Bruner (a.c.1.5)
An evaluation of the evidence produced from studies into cognitive development, this should be related to your above theories of cognitive development (a.c. 2.1)

Task 3: Write a conclusion in which you:
Explain some of the methodological difficulties of conducting research into cognitive development, eg working with children
(a.c. 2.2)

Reference section
Provide a detailed reference list including all the authors and research studies quoted using the Harvard method.
Assessment Criteria for Award of Credit
NoCriterion
1.1Define the term cognitive development
1.2Identify and describe the core systems of cognition recognised by psychologists
1.3Describe the main stages of Piagets theory of cognitive development
1.4Explain the importance of Piagets concepts of schema, assimilation, accommodation and equilibrium
1.5Evaluate Piagets theories of cognitive development with reference to the ideas of other theorists
2.1Evaluate evidence from studies of cognitive development and relate findings to theories of cognitive development
2.2Explain some of the difficulties relating to research into cognitive development
Grade Descriptor: 1
For a merit your work must: Demonstrate a very good grasp of the relevant knowledge base.
For a distinction your work must: Demonstrate an excellent grasp of the relevant knowledge base
Guidance notes: To achieve a merit your literature review needs to make use of appropriate studies relevant to cognitive development, make some use of additional information and include use of the language included in the assessment criteria. For a distinction you need to make consistent use of appropriate studies relevant to cognitive development, make extensive use of additional information and include consistent use of the language included in the assessment criteria.
Instruction files

grade_descriptor.docx(13,41 KiB)

Write in a paper with outside sources should teens have jobs while in school How did this argument start? and what causes it?

You have just been promoted from front-line supervisor to be one of the firms senior managers. During your business education, you learned that the primary role of a manager is to make good decisions. As a supervisor, you had frequently been making routine decisions, but you realize that decision making for the overall company can and will have far greater impact on the company and its employees.

Your boss, the chief executive officer (CEO), realizes that you do not have much practice in this higher level, decision-making process and has asked you to write a memo describing your understanding of how to make important decisions.

Your memo should address the following questions:

Describe at least 3 criteria that would determine whether the manager is making good decisions. What should be done to better assure that you are making a good decision?
In the realm of decision making, what are assumptions? Rather than use a dictionary definition, cite several specific assumptions that would go with any real-life decision you have made or have seen made at a company at which you have worked.
Given the importance of proper assumptions, your boss asked you to assess the accuracy of certain business assumptions and what could you do to test or confirm the credibility of them. The following were major assumptions for each firm:
An automobile manufacturers assumption that the demand for SUVs would continue because gas prices would continue to rise
An airlines assumption that there was a need for an airline that provided no added amenities

Imagine you are a benefits administrator in a hospital\’s HR department. Your director is considering offering life insurance to the hospital\’s employees. For this assignment, write a memorandum to your director describing generally what life insurance is and summarizing at least two companies\’ options for life insurance. Make a recommendation for which one you believe the director should offer. You may research any life insurance companies of your choosing for this assignment. The assignment should be no more than two pages.