Introduction (7 points)
a. Write a clear and concise introduction to your topic. You should have a few sentences about
the importance of your particular adolescent “problem” and a few sentences that introduce your proposed idea to address the problem. This should only be one paragraph and can be accomplished easily in 4-7 sentences.
2. The adolescent “problem” (40 points)
Here is where you outline the statistics, facts, and other important information about your
adolescent “problem.” You need to provide a clear description of the problem, it’s scope within society, and any other important information—this will really depend on the topic that you choose (does your topic impact other areas of adolescents’ lives, does your topic tend to co-exist along with other problems, etc.). Essentially, give a thorough overview of your “problem.”
Outline what types of things have already been utilized or put into place to address your “problem.” For example, if you are researching drug use, you could mention the DARE program in this section. You can also include local, state, or federal policies or laws in this section as well. It will also be helpful to discuss if these strategies have been successful or not in the past.
❖ Note: the above two subsections of “Your problem” should be coming from scholarly sources: research and the textbook. Do a PsycINFO search for programs on your topic to find out what has been done in the past and the success rate. You will likely have a lot of in-text citations within this section of your paper. This information is not to come from websites.
3. Your proposed idea (40 points)
Here is where you outline your idea to address your problem. It can be anything as long as it
helps the adolescent “problem.” For example, if you are addressing obesity-you may implement new regulations within a school district. You will need to clearly outline what will happen within your proposed idea. Keep in mind, this is your creation! Please do not propose something that is already in place.
You should be able to support your proposal with scholarly research.
c. Be sure to document why you think this will be successful based on the current literature. 4. Conclusion (7 points)
a. Write a clear and concise conclusion that summarizes your paper. You should highlight a few key facts about your problem and key information about your proposed idea. This should be no more than one paragraph and can be accomplished in 4-7 sentences. There should be no new information in the conclusion.