Any topic (writer's choice)

Project description
Final Exam – Paper
Due: 5/4/16 1:30 pm

Topic: Dig deeper into one of the topics we have discussed in class this semester. This needs to be an intellectual exercise constructing an argument (statement of your position and support for that position). In other words, if you want to investigate an individual or an event we have covered, it cannot be a chronological re-telling of the event or biography of the person. You must move beyond re-telling the story to arguing why it is significant.

You will present your ideas to the class during the Final Exam period.

Paper Directions:

The paper must be an original work, no less than 4 and no more than 5 pages, typed, double-spaced, MLA Formatting (standard margins and 12 pt. Times New Roman or Cambria Font) with a works cited attached. The works cited does not count toward your page limits.

The paper must include no less than four credible outside sources to support your ideas. These must be primary source works by the author or scholarly journal articles or books. You must have at least one primary source. Wikipedia, Dictionaries and encyclopedias are not acceptable as sources here (you may use the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Avoid typing your topic into a search engine and randomly selecting websites for sources. You will be marked down for this. Evaluate your sources.

You MUST cite your sources in your paper.

Be sure to proofread and spell-check your paper. Academic tone is expected – no first person, eliminate contractions, organization of ideas. Remember, elevate your writing from your speaking.

The Paper will be run through Turnitin.com so you must provide an electronic copy of the paper to adam.sonstroem@arizonachristian.edu on or before 1:30 pm on Wednesday, May 4th. You must also bring a hard copy of the paper to class on the 4th. Failure to attend class on the 4th with a hard copy of the paper will result in a reduced grade for the paper. No late work will be accepted no excuses.

Presentation Directions:
In a 2-3 minute summary, provide an overview of your ideas to the class. This presentation should be prepared ahead of time and not read. You may not just read your paper, but must summarize the main ideas in the allotted time. No visuals (Power Point, Prezi, Keynote) are required due to time constraints, but be prepared to present your ideas.

Failure to attend class during the final exam period will result in a zero for the presentation grade no exceptions. Finals are scheduled Tuesday-Friday this year so be prepared to stay the entire week of finals. Also, late arrival at the final exam period or technology distraction will impact your grade as well.

Point Breakdown: 125 Points Total

Paper 100 points
Up to 20 Points for MLA Format
Up to 20 Points for Spelling/Grammar
Up to 60 points for Content/Argument (this includes a Thesis statement, organization and research
Presentation 25 points

Topics to consider include the following:
Niccolo Machiavelli/The Prince
William Shakespeare/Hamlet,
Tudor England
The Reformation Martin Luther, John Calvin
English Civil War, European Enlightenment
Thomas Hobbes, John Locke
American Foundations Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Federalist Papers
American cultural heritage art, music, poetry of the 18th and 19th centuries
The French Revolution
Adam Smith/Wealth of Nations
Alexis de Tocqueville/Democracy in America American Heritage context in the early 19th century
Henry David Thoreau/Walden/Civil Disobedience
Abraham Lincoln speeches, presidency, The Civil War
Charles Darwin/Origin of the Species