Apply Assignment: Power

Please scroll down to read the instructions for this assignment.

Introduction

During the time of the Revolutionary War, the colonists were wrestling with the question of how to organize themselves. The first formalized government was organized under the Articles of Confederation. While it did provide some level of organization, it was essentially a weak from of government, which makes sense since the early colonists feared a strong central government – especially like the one that was currently raging war with them. However, recognizing that the current government was too weak, a group of delegates met in Philadelphia at the Constitutional Convention to see if they could create a better form of government.

There was of course strong support and strong opposition. Debate was common place, much of it taking place through the media (as still happens today). Convention delegates, Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, as well as John Jay (diplomat), wrote a series of articles supporting the constitution. These articles were published in newspapers and later collected into a book called The Federalist Papers.

Taken at face value, Federalist No. 1 serves as an introduction to The Federalist Papers. But, to reduce it to merely an introduction trivializes its importance. It is not simply an introduction, but rather an unprecedented appeal to the people of the United States to abolish the foundation of their government and decide on a “new Constitution.” According to the author, Alexander Hamilton, the consequence of this decision is “nothing less than the existence of the Union…” The fate of the United States did not rest on the shoulders of those who were arbitrarily awarded with power either by birth or force; it rested on the shoulders of every single American citizen. The significance of this cannot be overstated. The most important decision in our nation’s history was placed in the hands of the people.

Hamilton believed in the potential future greatness of America. When discussing the consequences of this deliberation, he refers to “…the fate of an empire in many respects the most interesting in the world.” The use of the word empire indicates the amount of belief and confidence Hamilton had in the Constitution. The Constitution was proposed in order to preserve the Union which Hamilton and others believed was in danger of dissolving. In reality, the United States was far from being considered an empire. Nevertheless, Hamilton knew that this experiment, with a constitutional republic founded on the consent of the governed, would prove to be remarkable.

In many respects these issues, namely the proper scope and function of our government, remain relevant to us today—and just as controversial.

Assignment

In order to complete this assignment, you will first need to read through the excerpts from Federalist No. 1:

http://tinyurl.com/Federalist-no-1

Reflecting on what you have read, record your insights by responding to the following questions. For each question, you should provide a detailed response explaining your perspective and how it is you reached that conclusion.

• Alexander Hamilton asks the reader to consider if societies of people are really capable of establishing good government through reflection and choice. What do you think?
• Knowing that the new government was to be built on the idea of democracy; do you think it is ever possible to have a government system that respects the will of the majority while at that same time protects the rights of the individual?
• What did Alexander Hamilton mean by “the vigor of the government is essential to the security of liberty”? How does a government maintain its vigor?
• Put yourselves in the shoes of someone hearing this read during the time that Alexander Hamilton wrote the piece. It is obvious that Alexander Hamilton was afraid that others would persuade people to opt out of this new government. Where would you stand? What fears might you have of this new government?

Refer to the rubric in your syllabus to understand how the assignment will be assessed. While there is not specific page-length associated with this assignment, the typical student submits 3-5 pages of script, following standard APA guidelines, not including a cover page (12 pt, double spaced, 1-inch margins).

NEED ONLY 2 AND 1/2 PAGES FOR A GRAND TOTAL OF 3 PAGES. NOTHING MORE. I’M NOT LOOKING FOR GENIUS LEVEL. THIS NEEDS TO BE A B PAPER AND NOTHING MORE. THIS IS AN EMERGENCY BECAUSE I NEED IT BY TOMORROW. THE NAME OF THE BOOK THAT WE ARE USING IS CALLED “BOWLING ALONE” THE COLLAPSE AND REVIVAL OF AMERICAN COMMUNITY BY ROBERT D. PUTNAM.

This debate will focus on gender inequalities (Chapter 4). Your text covers many interesting area such as women in politics, and there are more sources and ideas on the Weekly Resource Page. There are also some interesting videos on the chapter 11 resource page that discuss media’s possible influence on gender.

Be sure to read the instructions for debate.

After reviewing the materials and watching the videos on the weekly resource page choose one of the debates on that page or create your own if you have a different topic you’d like to include. Make sure it follows the instructions.

First,

you will pick a topic from the many provided on gender inequality in your chapter and on the weekly resource page. Your first post can be a completely new post about your topic OR you can reply to someone else who has already posted. If you choose to reply to other’s posts, yours should refute the arguments in the original post and add something new about the opposite side.This is a debate so you should not be replying to people who have the same view as you, UNLESS you can refute something they provided with different evidence.You MUST make it clear what you are refuting.

Use this Topic: Is sex work a legitimate occupation that should be protected by law?

For each item there are many pro or con arguments that may represent your view on the topic. Your arguments should be based on some academic source such as your text, or a procon.org website. For example, this one from debate.org (Links to an external site.) may give you some interesting ideas. Just remember most of the items in this particular debate are opinion based so it cannot be used as a resource, but it can give you ideas to find research. I provide one pro and one con for each debate topic item I provide to get you thinking, but you can choose your own pro or con about any issue within the topic; and believe me there are are many.

Second,

Remember the most important thing about debate is to PICK A SIDE! Even if you don’t agree with the side you pick, you can provide the research and present compelling arguments. Often that is the best way to really learn about a topic. Remember to think about how the topic manifests locally compared to nationally or even globally if you want to take it that far.

Third,

You are required to post at least three times. One of your posts MUST present a local solution that has already been enacted or an original idea that you think could or should be enacted. One of your posts MUST refute an argument made by someone else.

The easiest way to do this assignment is present an original debate argument (or reply to someone that has taken the other side and refute their argument), then have one of your reply posts refute someone’s argument. This can be in the same topic you presented or a different topic. Then have the third topic focus on solution ideas for one of the items presented. It can be the same topic you chose originally or a different one.

There are plenty of new ideas for everyone, so remember you only need to present one, not solve the whole thing in one post. This will be a group effort to see if we can come to any resolutions.

YOU MUST USE EVIDENCE FOR THESE POSTS. NO OPINIONS OR UNSUPPORTED FACTUAL ASSERTIONS ALLOWED. Use the items I’ve provided to help you prepare.

Feel free to bring in any aspect of gender inequality you want to this discussion. You don’t have to just follow the prompts I’ve provided, they are there just to get you thinking about the issue. Don’t forget to use evidence to back up any fact based arguments

1，MIDTERM ESSAY: THA105

Please write an essay (of about 500 words) or provide short answers that address some (or all) of the following questions:

Compared to the start of the semester, do you think you have made any progress in your acting?
How have your thoughts about what it means “TO ACT” changed?
Can you define or describe what GOOD ACTING is? What are the elements that make up a strong performance?
What aspects of the techniques we have worked on so far do you feel you want to work on in your final scene?
What areas do you feel you need to improve on?
What is your strategy for maintaining a good work ethic in the final scene, when you are going to be working with a scene partner?
What has been your favorite aspect of the class so far? What aspect of your own performance are you most proud of?
What assignment did you feel you did best on?
Have you disappointed yourself in any of the assignments? How are you going to ensure that doesn’t happen with the final scene?
Is the professor helping you learn to think critically about acting?
Any other comments about the class are welcome.

In your answer(s), please remember that THE FOUNDATION OF ACTING IS THE REALITY OF DOING, as Sanford Meisner would say. It is not your job as an actor to produce emotions in yourself, it is to produce emotions in others: your scene partner(s) and by extension, the audience. In your essay, please use vocabulary terms we’ve discussed in class, including Objective, Tactic, Action, Obstacles, Substitution, Given Circumstances, Subtext, etc.

This essay is worth up to 5 points in your final grade, so please answer it truthfully and thoughtfully. You may think through your performances in each assignment so far to help gauge your progress and areas that need improvement.

This essay is due on Friday, October 4 by 5PM.

Please submit two ways: Through the ASSIGNMENTS tab on blackboard as an MS WORD doc, and also in PRINT form in class on Monday October 7.

2，

“Who Am I?” (stream of consciousness character assignment)

Attached Files:

• Who Am I — assignment.pdf (256.521 KB)

Re-read the play from which your scene originates, do research on your character to know WHO you are, WHERE you are, WHAT you are DOING, what your OBJECTIVE is, and what you WANT.

WHO AM I? Stream-of-consciousness paper – 5 points
Students will write 600-750 words answering the following questions in the voice of their character: “Who am I?” “Where/when am I?” “What am I doing?” “What do I want most out of life in general?” “What is my objective in this scene?” “How do I want to make the other person feel?” “What am I most afraid of?” “What are the five most important events of my character’s life?”

• The first thing to do is REREAD THE PLAY from which your scene is drawn… the ENTIRE PLAY!
• When reviewing the play, pay careful attention to EVERYTHING YOUR CHARACTER SAYS and EVERYTHING THAT IS SAID ABOUT HER/HIM. This is called “mining the script.” Note the setting (time, place, historical period) and the general world of the play. Use your senses: what does the world of the play look/feel/smell/taste/sound like from your character’s point of view?
• What is your character’s opinion about the other characters in the play?
• What are the 5 MOST IMPORTANT EVENTS of your character’s life before the play starts (you may invent some of these, but they should be in keeping with the world of the play, and if the play mentions them, so should you)?
• What is your character’s SUPER OBJECTIVE?
• What does your character most WANT?
• What does your character most FEAR?
• What does your character dream about?
• What is the most important thing to your character?
• Your response to these questions should be about 2 pages, or 600 words, and should include AS MANY DETAILS AS POSSIBLE FROM THE PLAY about your character. It should be written in the first person (using “I” and “me” as your pronouns), NOT the 3rd person (“she” or “he”), as if you are speaking with your character’s voice. It is very important that these essays be written with the pronoun “I”, as if you were speaking in the voice of your character. Responses not done in this way will not get credit, and will be returned for rewrite.
• This assignment is worth 5 points of your final grade.

One of the core values in a variety of helping professions entails recognizing and being aware of our own biases and addressing WHY we feel the way we do. We ALL have an unconscious bias(es).

It is important to know what areas you may need more exposure or a better understanding in order to best serve your clients and really interact with others regardless of one’s profession because this concept also applies to teaching, business, medicine and other fields in which you must know and understand your client or customer to be effective.

This assignment is designed to help you reflect, share, and practice some of your ideas when it comes to who you choose to interact and have relationships with: in particular choosing friends, your current partner/spouse and/or future partner/spouse. The goal is to create awareness of our biases and how they influence our relationship choices/interactions and mate selection.

Each of us can be defined or classified in many ways. Our race, age, gender, sexual-orientation, religion, education, social class and ethnicity are some ways we identify with others.

Think of your life as a pie chart based on demographics. If you were to divide the circle into different components or segments, which pieces are most important to how you identify yourself? For some, their religion plays the greatest part into who they are. For others, their gender identity or race is the most defining characteristic.

Create your own circle (computer generated) with the percentages of what is most important to you and a key that defines what each percentage represents.

You MUST include these demographics (even if the percentage is 0; please assign a numerical value to each component) :

• Gender identity (do not confuse with sexual orientation–they are different)
• Age
• Race
• Religion/faith/spiritual beliefs
• Feel free to include other demographic categories (i.e., socioeconomic status, education level) as you deem appropriately relevant to your own identify and diversity.

Take some time to really think about this. Many students have said, “age is just a number,” but is it? Would you feel different having a 25 year old professor compared to a 50 year old, compared to an 85 year old? With race, many students say they don’t see color, but do others see your skin color and treat you one way as a result or have you ever made a conclusion about someone based on their race? Would your life be different if you were of a different race? With religious beliefs, do you find yourself looking for those who share your faith or prefer those who do not practice any religious beliefs? Do you struggle in any way connecting with others who are different from you for example: who do not share your racial background; religion or are there certain religions that make you uncomfortable or nervous? Are you or do you treat others a certain way based on their sex? If you were the opposite sex would you be treated differently? Lots of things to really consider…

Finally, how do you think these biases have or will influence your preferences:

• in friendships
• choosing a mate

Really think about it? What would you look for in a mate or a friend based on your pie chart? If you currently are in an intimate relationship or married, what factors based on your identity influenced your attraction to your partner? Think about your current friendships: was it a shared faith or similar backgrounds in race or age that helped form a relationship?

In conclusion, after addressing all the components of your pie, what do you think has been the greatest influence that has shaped your perception of yourself and others the most–is it your demographics, your family upbringing or culture, your faith, and/or past experiences?

Write a 3-4 page summary of why you ranked the categories the way you did and your responses to the questions posed.

Here is an example of a former student’s reflection for your convenience and assistance:

Upload your pie chart and reflection paper as an attachment after you have met the criteria.

• Be sure to follow the criteria outlined above and the expectations for written work.
• Include application from chapter 5 as you share your reflections.
• Remember for Turnitin: No paper will be accepted that is above a 10% match in the originality report.

The Core Assessment for LE300R, The Ethics and Psychology of Humor in Popular Culture, must meet Park University’s Core Assessment requirements for LE300 Integrative and Interdisciplinary Capstone courses. The core assessment assignment is a paper that covers 100% of the Core Learning Outcomes (which are listed in our syllabus). The Core Assessment in this course will be a major critical paper of no fewer than 5 pages (not counting title and reference pages). Papers must include academic research and appropriate documentation. The due date for the project is in the final quarter of the term.

The Core Assessment Paper for LE300R must apply the ethical and psychological theories of humor learned in this course in an analytical examination and interdisciplinary discussion of one or more examples of humor in the today’s culture. The paper should synthesize perspectives from multiple disciplines and present an analytical viewpoint of the example(s) being used for the paper. The paper must:

• Identify interdisciplinary uses of humor in your professional life or future career goals, and formulate a plan for responsible and ethical applications of and responses to humor in your career setting.
• Create and synthesize a concept for globally responsible values and attitudes toward humor in social media, Pop Culture (television and movies) or other venues that have diverse audience demographics.

The Core Assessment is to be an academic paper demonstrating sophisticated, integrative and interdisciplinary learning about the theories, ethics and psychology of humor in real-world environments. Although the paper may briefly reference comedic cinema, humorous books, comedic television programs or other Pop Culture vehicles, the paper is not to be a ‘movie review’ or ‘summary’ of an entertainment vehicle.

Individual instructors for this course will develop specific guidelines and assignment details.

The Core Assessment is designed to assess Core Learning Outcomes 1,2,3,4 and 5 and its point value is at least 20% of the final grade for the course.

Important Tips and FAQs

The information above might seem overwhelming at first, but if you dissect each paragraph, it all makes sense. Here are some questions that have come up in other classes LE300 classes, and some ways you can avoid some common mistakes:

How many references will I need to use?

• You will need at least FIVE outside references, in addition to the required textbooks for this course. Be sure to have at least five FULL pages of writing in addition to your reference page.

What type of references can we use?

• You MUST use both course textbooks in your final paper as reference sources.
• For the other sources (at least five) you should primarily use academic journals (we have a wealth of them in our online library). Do NOT use Wikipedia, Yahoo Answers, or other non-academic sources.
• One way to start researching your paper is to find articles in academic journals about the ethics, psychology, social interactions and other elements in your career field, and apply the theories of humor from our course to the information in these studies.

What writing style should we use?

• Use the APA style manual for in-text citations as well as your reference page. If you have questions, send me an email.

What is integrative writing?

• This is writing that weaves the disciplines together in sentences and paragraphs rather than listing disciplines separately. It combines, contrasts and shows balance between academic elements rather than treating them as separate entities.

Why can’t our final paper be about a movie or a TV show?

• In this course, the ethics and psychology of humor are analyzed and evaluated, not the plot line or characters in a television show or movie, or how funny it was, or how much you enjoyed it. A paper that reads like a movie or TV review will not meet the requirements of the assignment. You may briefly refer to humor examples in movies or TV shows, but this must not be the focus of your paper.

How does this course relate to my career or my major?

• Humor surfaces in all careers and settings, no matter how serious or sober they might be. By the end of this course, you should readily see how humor is used in your workplace and your daily life, and also identify what types of ethical and psychological theories that are evident in the humor you encounter.