Citizens in a democracy have the right and responsibility to make informed decisions. You will make an informed decision on a public issue (Japanese
Internment during WWII) after researching and discussing different perspectives on this issue.
In a cohesive paper you will:
 State a position on the issue that considers the interaction between individual rights and the common good AND includes an analysis of how to advocate for your position.
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Provide reasons for your position that include:
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An analysis of how the Constitution promotes two or more specific ideals or principles that are logically connected to your position on the issue.
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An evaluation of how well the Constitution was upheld by a court case OR a government policy related to your position on the issue.
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A fair interpretation of a position on the issue that contrasts with your own.
Make explicit references within the paper or presentation to four or more credible sources that provide relevant information AND cite sources within the paper and bibliography.
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U.S. History: Mr. Boyer, Mr. Demianiw, Ms. Koble & Mr. Raymond
Tentative Schedule:
Packet Overview:
Ms. Bjorke’s Helpful Hints:
Library Research:
Library Research & Write Intro & Paragraph 1:
Library Research & Write Paragraphs 2 & 3:
Tuesday, May 6
Thursday, May 8
Monday, May 12
Tuesday, May 13
Wednesday, May 14
Library Research & Write Paragraphs 4 & 5: Thursday, May 15
Library Research – Finalize Essay & Use turnitin.com: Friday, May 16
FINAL DRAFT DUE Monday, May 17
Format
You will have One week to research and type a 5-paragraph (minimum) in-class essay.
You will use the research that you obtained in the library. You will need to find other ways to find the information you need if you are absent for any of the library days.
Typing the final draft at home or at Knight Academy are options for those who unable to complete the assignment in class. You will also submit your paper to turnitin.com to verify that it is your own work and not plagiarized.
How long does your paper have to be?
There is no set number of pages for this essay. Each of the five paragraphs must contain at least 6 sentences. Your essay must include the requirements described in the rubric.
An essay that adequately covers these requirements will be at least 2-3 pages in length.
You should be more concerned with the CONTENT of your essay than the length. The bibliography must have at least 4 credible ( not Wikipedia, Ask.com, etc.) sources.
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Introduction
Introduce and concisely explain the topic/issue.
Include a clear, identifiable, plausible thesis that speaks to the significance of the issue.
Your Position on the
Issue
Clearly state your position on the issue. Provide reasons for the position supported by evidence .
Include an analysis of how to advocate for the position.
Democratic Ideals /
Constitutional Principles
Clearly and accurately describe 2 or more democratic ideals or constitutional principles related to the topic/issue. Explain how the
Constitution promotes these specific ideals or principles that are logically connected to the issue.
Individual Rights /
Common Good
Court Cases /
Government Policies
Other Points of View on the Issue
Propose a way to common good balance individual rights and the as each relates to your topic/issue.
Provide a detailed evaluation of how well the constitution was upheld by a court case or a government policy related to your position on the issue; include a discussion of competing viewpoints related to the case or policy.
Provide a fair interpretation and a refutation of a position on the issue that contrasts with your own .
The paper is well organized and easy to follow . Well-Organized
Writing Conventions
Sources / Bibliography
Standard writing conventions are followed: spelling, grammar, punctuation, capitalization, etc.
Make explicit references within the paper to 4 or more credible sources that provide relevant information.
Cite sources within the paper.
Provide a complete MLA-style bibliography .
TOTAL
Constitutional Issues CBA
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Paragraph 2
What is your issue? _____________________________________________________
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Explain YOUR position on the issue: __________________________________
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Explain a position on the issue that CONTRASTS with your own : ___________
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Paragraph 3
DEMOCRATIC IDEALS /CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLES:
Democratic Ideals:
Pursuit of Happiness Equality Justice
Life Patriotism Liberty
Diversity
Truth
Constitutional Principles:
Democracy Civil Rights
Citizenship Bill of Rights
Human Rights
Equal Rights
Due Process
Innocent until proven guilty
Democratic ideal/Constitutional principle #1 : _________________________________
Describe HOW it relates to your issue: ____________________________________
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Democratic ideal/Constitutional principle #2 : ______________________________
Describe HOW it relates to your issue: ____________________________________
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________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 3
Individual rights related to the issue ( explain/describe ): ________________________
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Common good related to the issue ( explain/describe ): ________________________
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Explain how individual rights and the common good can be balanced as they relate to your topic/issue (How can people get their rights and it still be for the common good of our country?): ____________________________________________________________
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Paragraph 4
Court Case or Government Policy: _________________________________
Explain the court case/govt. policy and how it relates to your topic/issue:
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Explain/describe a competing viewpoint related to the court case/govt. policy: (What do people who disagree with your opinion think about this case/policy?):
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Paragraph One: Should include a short introduction of what your issue is, a little background info about your issue, and an explanation of the controversy surrounding it. End your paragraph with your thesis statement (which tells the main idea/your position of your essay).
Paragraph Two: State your position and fully support it. Your opinions should be well explained and supported by your research. Also mention the contrasting position. The order of this paragraph (contrasting views and your own) doesn’t matter; in fact, it might be better to write the contrasting position first so you can then discount it. For example: “Some people believe abortion is wrong because x, y, and z. However, abortion is the best option because of a, b, and c.”
Paragraph Three: Fully explain two democratic ideals or constitutional principles and how they connect to your issue. Also explain how individual rights and the common good relate to your issue and how they can be balanced. You might want to make this into two separate paragraphs.
Example first sentence:
“Our Constitution guarantees us certain freedoms such as equality and civil rights.
Paragraph Four: Identify a court case or government policy that has impacted your issue. Briefly explain the case/policy and analyze it from both sides.
Paragraph Five: Restate your main idea (thesis). You shouldn’t add any new info in your conclusion. You can predict how your issue might one day be resolved (or how it may never be resolved).
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Example last sentence: “If current trends continue, we may all look back one day and realize how thoughtless and uncaring we once were as a nation about not allowing gays to marry.”
WHAT IS PLAGIARISM?
Many people think of plagiarism as copying another's work or borrowing someone else's original ideas. But terms like "copying" and "borrowing" can disguise the seriousness of the offense:
ACCORDING TO THE MERRIAM-WEBSTER ONLINE
DICTIONARY, TO "PLAGIARIZE" MEANS

 to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own
 to use (another's production) without crediting the source
 to commit literary theft to present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source
In other words, plagiarism is an act of fraud. It involves both stealing someone else's work and lying about it afterward.
BUT CAN WORDS AND IDEAS REALLY BE STOLEN?
According to U.S. law, the answer is yes. The expression of original ideas is considered intellectual property and is protected by copyright laws, just like original inventions. Almost all forms of expression fall under copyright protection as long as they are recorded in some way (such as a book or a computer file).
ALL OF THE FOLLOWING ARE CONSIDERED PLAGIARISM:
 turning in someone else's work as your own
 copying words or ideas from someone else without giving credit
 failing to put a quotation in quotation marks
 giving incorrect information about the source of a quotation
 changing words but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving
 credit copying so many words or ideas from a source that it makes up the majority of your work, whether you give credit or not (see our section on "fair use" rules)
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"Types of Plagiarism - Plagiarism.org - Best Practices for Ensuring Originality in Written
Work." Plagiarism.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Nov. 2013. <http://www.plagiarism.org/plagiarism-
101/types-of-plagiarism/>.
#1. CLONE
#6. HYBRID
Submitting another’s work, word-forword, as one’s own
Combines perfectly cited sources with copied passages without citation
#2. CTRL-C #7. MASHUP
Mixes copied material from multiple sources
Contains significant portions of text from a single source without alterations
#3. FIND - REPLACE
Changing key words and phrases but retaining the essential content of the source
#4. REMIX sources
Paraphrases from multiple sources, made to fit together
#5. RECYCLE
Borrows generously from the writer’s previous work without citation
Constitutional Issues CBA original work
#8. 404 ERROR
Includes citations to non-existent or inaccurate information about
#9. AGGREGATOR
Includes proper citation to sources but the paper contains almost no
#10. RE-TWEET
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Includes proper citation, but relies too closely on the text’s original wording and/or structure
"Types of Plagiarism - Plagiarism.org - Best Practices for Ensuring Originality in Written
Work." Plagiarism.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Nov. 2013. <http://www.plagiarism.org/plagiarism-
101/types-of-plagiarism/>.
Constitutional Issues CBA Page 11