Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Research Assignment
Social Entrepreneur Essay Assignment for English 201 Spring 2008
Cyber handout: The Social Entrepreneur Essay research worksheet is a way to define what a social entrepreneur is compared to a philanthropist. We are looking at individuals who are continuing the social justice legacy of Martin King and the Civil Rights Movement.
See a librarian at the reference desk to help you define your search and identify the SE you'd like to profile in your 4-5 page essay. Use the handouts or the links to handouts to document the research process and to pace yourself. We will have several related assignments, from evaluating websites to developing a research strategy to help you find the information you need and then document it.
I created this assignment after seeing the program: New Heroes on http://www.pbs.org/opb/thenewheroes/. I wanted students to realize the power they possess to be the change in their communities they want to see, that one person can make a difference.
Use the library worksheet to define the terms: social, society, entrepreneur, "social entrepreneur", philanthropist and philanthropy. Be clear about the difference between a philanthropist and a social entrepreneur. Also define: hero, local, selfless, selfish, community, help, support, supporter, care, independence, money, wealth.
The question you want to ask after you have identified a person or two:
What motivated this person to want to change something in society? How did this person get the community's support for the project? What did the community gain? What did the social entrepreneur gain? Your essay needs to answer all of these questions; you can structure it like a typical problem/solution essay or cause and effect.
The person has to be alive. Try to find someone local, who is living in the San Francisco Bay Area or in California. The person has to have been doing this work for 10-20 years. You need to locate 5-10 sources on your subject to form a bibliography; you don't have to cite 10 sources. The sources can be published or broadcast interviews, books, articles, and films or you can interview them yourself. The person cannot be a relative. You can work in groups and share data. In fact, I encourage it.
Due dates
The planning sheet and 5-10 sources are due Monday, April 21 to share.
An outline is due: Wednesday, April 23.
An introduction and conclusion are due Monday, April 28.
The first draft is due Wednesday, April 30.
The final draft is due Monday, May 5. This draft needs to include a peer review and a review by a writing center teacher or tutor (this does not mean you have to change your paper, just consider their comments in answer to the five areas we consider when reviewing another’s work (Hacker handout) or specific questions you might have.)
You will post the essay, the planning sheet, and all the works cited and bibliography pages on the blog that day in class.
Cyber handout: The Social Entrepreneur Essay research worksheet is a way to define what a social entrepreneur is compared to a philanthropist. We are looking at individuals who are continuing the social justice legacy of Martin King and the Civil Rights Movement.
See a librarian at the reference desk to help you define your search and identify the SE you'd like to profile in your 4-5 page essay. Use the handouts or the links to handouts to document the research process and to pace yourself. We will have several related assignments, from evaluating websites to developing a research strategy to help you find the information you need and then document it.
I created this assignment after seeing the program: New Heroes on http://www.pbs.org/opb/thenewheroes/. I wanted students to realize the power they possess to be the change in their communities they want to see, that one person can make a difference.
Use the library worksheet to define the terms: social, society, entrepreneur, "social entrepreneur", philanthropist and philanthropy. Be clear about the difference between a philanthropist and a social entrepreneur. Also define: hero, local, selfless, selfish, community, help, support, supporter, care, independence, money, wealth.
The question you want to ask after you have identified a person or two:
What motivated this person to want to change something in society? How did this person get the community's support for the project? What did the community gain? What did the social entrepreneur gain? Your essay needs to answer all of these questions; you can structure it like a typical problem/solution essay or cause and effect.
The person has to be alive. Try to find someone local, who is living in the San Francisco Bay Area or in California. The person has to have been doing this work for 10-20 years. You need to locate 5-10 sources on your subject to form a bibliography; you don't have to cite 10 sources. The sources can be published or broadcast interviews, books, articles, and films or you can interview them yourself. The person cannot be a relative. You can work in groups and share data. In fact, I encourage it.
Due dates
The planning sheet and 5-10 sources are due Monday, April 21 to share.
An outline is due: Wednesday, April 23.
An introduction and conclusion are due Monday, April 28.
The first draft is due Wednesday, April 30.
The final draft is due Monday, May 5. This draft needs to include a peer review and a review by a writing center teacher or tutor (this does not mean you have to change your paper, just consider their comments in answer to the five areas we consider when reviewing another’s work (Hacker handout) or specific questions you might have.)
You will post the essay, the planning sheet, and all the works cited and bibliography pages on the blog that day in class.
