theoretical essay

The theoretical essay examines existing research and current thinking on a social topic to trace its development and to examine and make comparisons of information provided from technical and scholarly journals and from the statistical data of empirical studies. The theoretical essay has the following components:

  • Identifies a problem or hypothesis that has current as well as historical implications in the social science community. (Introduction)
  • Traces the development and history of the problem. Most of your information should be drawn from empirical studies and technical and scholarly journals. (Historical background)
  • Analyzes the articles to explore and identify varying components (pros and cons) of the problem. (Objective analysis of the current thinking of the pro and con  positions, and the evidence that each side provides to support those positions)
  • Discusses the implications of the pro and con theories of the problem. (Your personal, critical thinking, about what you think the existing pro and con information means)
  • Arrives at a judgment that chooses one theory as more valid than another and provides evidence to support that judgment. (Your position, supported by evidence, on the theory that you think is most valid and why)

Teen Violence, Depression & Suicide

Today, the Internet provides an unprecedented amount of information by way of blogs, videos, and podcasts. Conduct a critique of one blog, one video, and one podcast, which provide information that addresses the topic of your Final Research Paper. Assess the authors’ use of bias, validity, and applicability of information. Examine the influence of web-based information on global citizenship and multicultural understanding. Then, compile a list of three factors you believe should be considered when evaluating Internet sources for use in researching information.

The American Experience" George Washington -The man who wouldn't be king.

A documentary film review- Review the film ” The American Experience” George Washington -The man who wouldn’t be king.
A competent film review is essentially a summary of what the film covered and informed evaluation of the effectiveness of it.
Points to include:
-What time span and subject does this document cover?
-Is there  a thesis or interpretation offered? Is the documentary objective? Watch carefully here- sometimes the point is made by the way that the narrative and imagery are juxtaposed.
-How is the documentary evidence presented? Off-screen narrator? Talking heads? What type of visual imagery is utilized?
-Is the audio-visual ( this means sound-like songs-imagery) aspect of the documentary interesting or compelling? Would your recommend it?

Winning the Lottery

Most people think that winning the lottery would end almost all of their troubles. However, occasionally we hear stories about people whose lives suprisingly crater after they win lotteries. How can this happen? Do some research on lottery winners, looking at how often negative things happen in the lives of those lottery winners. Analyze why they happen, and draw thoughtful conclusions as to why these things happen after what should be a blissful event.

Science of Stars

o    Explain how astronomical instruments help astronomers determine the composition, temperature, speed, and rotation rate of distant objects.
o    Explain the properties of stars in the diagram located in the “What is a Hertzsprung-Russell diagram?” section in Ch. 15 of The Cosmic Perspective.
o    Summarize the complete lifecycle of the Sun, including its nature and properties.
o    Determine where the Sun is in its lifecycle.