Point-Counterpoint Portfolio \u2013 Project Expectations
Because this course deals with an introduction to crime, criminal justice, and the criminal justice system, it makes sense that students often have lots of questions or want more information about a particular hot topic at the moment. This project is designed as a way to help you get information on these controversial topics in a class that otherwise does not go into depth on these topics. It is meant to strengthen your research abilities, your argumentative writing, and your policy knowledge.
This project is designed to meet several IUE Undergraduate, Program and Course Learning Outcomes \u2013 including acquiring knowledge in the discipline and applying knowledge creatively and critically.
For this project, you will need to do the following: <\/p>\n
Select a topic – one with both a pro side (agree side) and a con side (disagree side) that you can debate. You will do this during class time, but you want to think of a statement that has two sides to it (or something you can debate). You won’t want to select a topic that you already know the answer to but one that you could potentially argue about. I’ve included resources in this module that will help you select a topic and refine your ideas, but I’ll be including specific examples of brainstorming and topic refinement in class.
Investigate and describe your assigned topic in depth. This means explaining your topic so that someone without a criminal justice understanding or background (ie. your mom, dad, or grandparents) would understand this topic, why it’s a problem, who it’s affecting and who is involved, how big it is, and where it’s taking place.
This will typically require some statistics or data-gathering in order to prove your points (which will be reinforced by the Source Check assignment \u2013 PCP Project #1). You will be allowed to use visual representations (graphs\/charts) of your topic, but you will need to make sure to thoroughly explain their presence in your presentation.
Criminal justice data will likely be important here \u2013 so be sure to rely on course materials as well!
Explore the history and current state of your topic. This will be related to the first point, but it’s more of a legal viewpoint and the “how” part of the question – how has this problem been typically handled by the criminal justice system (if it has), and how is it legally viewed?
This will typically require data-gathering, statistical information and information on law\/statutes\/criminal proceedings and cases.
Start Your Evidence Section by Clearly Stating Your Topic and the Two Sides. After you\u2019ve explained your topic and given background on it, you\u2019ll want to move onto the part of your portfolio that allows you to lay out the argument for both sides. First you will need to clearly state your topic and both sides.
Continue your Evidence Section by Laying out Your Argument for the Pro Side. This is the most important part of the portfolio – making your case for each side. You will want to have two to three points supporting your argument (see below), each supported with at least ONE to TWO academic, peer-reviewed sources.
Start off with your first point. Select your first point to support the pro side of the argument. Clearly state how this point relates to and supports this side, using empirical evidence. You will want to list supporting evidence for each point, making your case for this side of the argument. You will need sources attached to your points cited in APA format. <\/p>\n
Continue with your second point. Continue your argument for the pro side with your second point. Clearly state how this point relates to and supports the pro side of the argument, using empirical evidence. You will want to list supporting evidence for each point, making your case for this side of the argument. <\/p>\n
Finish with your third point (if you have one). Complete your pro side of the argument with your final point. Clearly state how this point relates to and supports the pro side of the argument, using empirical evidence. You will want to list supporting evidence for each point, making your case for this side of the argument. You will need sources attached to your points cited in APA format.
Your PCP Project #1 (Source Check) and #2 (Initial Draft) as well as the in class activities of the Prospectus will help you find appropriate sources, lay out your argument, and structure your presentation to make a compelling case for each side. Sources will need to be peer-reviewed and academic in nature \u2013 no opinions, personal stories, and\/or unsubstantiated accounts.
Continue your Evidence Section by Laying out Your Argument for the Con Side. This is the most important part of the portfolio – making your case for each side. You will want to have two to three points supporting your argument (see below), each supported with at least ONE to TWO academic, peer-reviewed sources.
Start off with your first point. Select your first point to support the con side of the argument. Clearly state how this point relates to and supports this side, using empirical evidence. You will want to list supporting evidence for each point, making your case for this side of the argument. You will need sources attached to your points cited in APA format. <\/p>\n
Continue with your second point. Continue your argument for the con side with your second point. Clearly state how this point relates to and supports the con side of the argument, using empirical evidence. You will want to list supporting evidence for each point, making your case for this side of the argument. <\/p>\n
Finish with your third point (if you have one). Complete your con side of the argument with your final point. Clearly state how this point relates to and supports the con side of the argument, using empirical evidence. You will want to list supporting evidence for each point, making your case for this side of the argument. You will need sources attached to your points cited in APA format.
Your PCP Project #1 (Source Check) and #2 (Initial Draft) as well as the in class activities of the Prospectus will help you find appropriate sources, lay out your argument, and structure your presentation to make a compelling case for each side. Sources will need to be peer-reviewed and academic in nature \u2013 no opinions, personal stories, and\/or unsubstantiated accounts.
Start Your Debate Section by Describing The Main Arguments of Both Sides. Based on the evidence you have found for each side in the Evidence section and the arguments you have laid out, what is the crux of the arguments for each side? This doesn’t need to be a rehash of each point, but simply an overview of what each side is arguing.
Continue Your Debate Section by Selecting a Side to Support and a Side to Refute. Based on the evidence you have found for each side in the Evidence section and the arguments you have laid out, what side stands out to you the most as the correct side and which side is the incorrect side? Clearly state which side you support and which you want to refute, and then refute the points you made in support of the side you’re refuting. You’ll often have to find other sources to do this, but not always! Be sure to cite sources in APA!
Make your Closing Argument to Advocate for Your Side Being the Correct One. Lastly, close out your presentation by advocating for your side of the argument being correct compared to the opposing side. You can use Evidence gathered to make one final convincing case for why your side is correct overall!
Assemble the above items into a visual presentation. You will be tasked with creating an interactive presentation that addresses the above items. <\/p>\n
I will be providing you a template of how your presentation will look, and you will be working on your own draft with the PCP Project #2 (Initial Draft of Slides). The PCP Project #3 (Peer Review) will also give you some valuable feedback on the visual qualities of your presentation.
You are free to use PowerPoint, Google Slide, Prezi or any other presentation software to assemble your portfolio presentation. You can include charts, graphs, pictures, tables, or any other interactive item \u2013 just make sure it is integrated and explained in the presentation.
You will also need to make sure I can access your portfolio presentation with whatever medium you\u2019ve chosen \u2013 so make sure links are publicly available or that I\u2019m added to the file. If I cannot see your work, I cannot grade it!
Your presentation will contain about 20 main slides addressing the above points. All of these elements will need to be in your portfolio in order for you to receive full credit!
Any source you use must be cited on the slide in APA format. You will also need a References slide at the end for all of your sources. You will need a MINIMUM of 10 sources for this project.
Sources should be academic and empirical in nature, but official sources of statistics and statutes, academic\/scholarly journals, and research institutes are a good place to start. My lectures and modules count as a sources. Google Scholar and the library databases offered through LibGuides do a good job of pointing you in the right direction for many sources. You may find that you need to find more sources in order to fully address and empirically support the questions asked by this assignment.
AVOID \u201cunsubstantiated sources\u201d like Wikipedia or online websites of questionable content (like blogs, pop science webpages, YouTube, or Reddit). Though these sources may be a good place to locate other academic sources, you will not want to rely upon them.
Your presentation should be legible, well-organized, and creative. Make sure you keep font to a size and shape that is easily readable. The same goes for charts, tables and graphs \u2013 make sure the font is easy to read. If I cannot read the items in your portfolio or your portfolio at all, your grade will suffer!
Record your oral presentation. Once you have assembled your presentation, you will need to record your presentation. You can use the voice feature of PowerPoint and the video features of Zoom and Kaltura to do this. Because this is a face to face course, you’re also free to present to me in person – I’ll just need you to set up a separate time to do so! <\/p>\n
It should be easy for me to follow along with your portfolio presentation to see what you are talking about. If I cannot connect what you are speaking about to what is being visually presented, your grade will suffer as a result!
The oral presentation of your portfolio presentation will need to match criminal justice professional standards (see ACJS and ASC guidelines).
I expect your presentation will be about 10-15 minutes in length. You will need the visual presentation and the oral presentation both turned in if you wish to receive full credit on this project! <\/p>\n
Grading Rubric for Research Portfolio <\/p>\n
Excellent (10 points)
Okay (5 points)
Poor (0 points) <\/p>\n
Area 1: Question
Includes addressing all questions and background on topic
Student addressed all questions and background on topic
Student addressed some of the questions asked but not all; student did not provide background
Student addressed a few to none of the questions; did not provide background information <\/p>\n
Area 2: Depth
Includes answering all questions with appropriate depth
Student addressed all questions on topic with appropriate depth
Student addressed some of the questions in depth
Student did not provide any depth for any questions or only a few <\/p>\n
Area 3: Citations
Includes properly citing all references in APA format including a works cited or references section
Student used proper APA citations and provided a works cited section; student used at least 10 academic\/scholarly sources
Student used proper APA citations only sometimes; did not have a works cited section; used a few sources; used some poor sources
Student did not use APA citations and did not provide a works cited section; did not use proper or desired number of sources; relied only on poor sources <\/p>\n
Area 4: Grammar
Covers having appropriate grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc.
Student used appropriate grammar and did not have any spelling\/punctuation\/ capitalization errors; followed APA format
Student had some grammatical errors; some spelling mistakes throughout the essay; sort of followed APA format
Student had extreme grammatical errors; did not follow APA format <\/p>\n
Area 5: Organization
Includes ensuring the flow of ideas, discussion of ideas in paper; following APA organization rules
Student had a properly organized paper with beginning, middle, and end that flowed well and was easy to follow; followed APA formatting
Student\u2019s presentation was slightly disjointed; did not flow well; had some issues staying on point; followed some of APA formatting
Student\u2019s presentation was extremely disjointed; impossible or extremely difficult to read; no flow; did not follow APA formatting
Total Points for General Parameters of Project: 50 Points <\/p>\n
Excellent (10 points)
Okay (5 points)
Poor (0 points) <\/p>\n
Area 6: Topic Description
Student provided an excellent overview on the background and statistics surrounding their chosen topic
Student provided some background on their topic; did not delve into the specifics or show statistical evidence
Student hardly provided information on their topic; did not present any statistical support on their topic
Area 7: History and Current Status of Topic
Student provided an excellent overview of the history and current status of their topic; used statistics to support their argument
Student provided some historical or current background on their topic but did not delve into depth or offer statistical support
Student did not provide any information on history or current status of topic; did not present statistical support
Area 8: Support for The Pro Side
Student adequately laid out their argument; provided empirical support for each point; had two to three points with 1-2 sources each
Student partially discussed their argument, did not provide empirical support or only some information; did not have two to three points
Student hardly discussed their argument or did not discuss it at all; did not include empirical evidence or support; only had one point
Area 9: Support for The Con Side
Student adequately laid out their argument; provided empirical support for each point; had two to three points with 1-2 sources each
Student partially discussed their argument, did not provide empirical support or only some information; did not have two to three points
Student hardly discussed their argument or did not discuss it at all; did not include empirical evidence or support; only had one point
Area 10: Refuting the Other Side
Student adequately addressed their topic’s arguments; refuted each argument; used empirical support
Student partially addressed their topic’s argument; refuted some but not all arguments; used some empirical support
Student did not address topic’s argument; did not refute any arguments; did not have empirical evidence for support
Area 11: Overall Reflection<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Point-Counterpoint Portfolio \u2013 Project Expectations Because this course deals with an introduction to crime, criminal justice, and the criminal justice system, it makes sense that students often have lots of questions or want more information about a particular hot topic at the moment. This project is designed as a way to help you get information […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[10],"class_list":["post-69816","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-research-paper-writing","tag-writing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/papersspot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69816","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/papersspot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/papersspot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/papersspot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/papersspot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=69816"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/papersspot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69816\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/papersspot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69816"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/papersspot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=69816"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/papersspot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=69816"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}