SOC1500 Social Sciences Transfer

Needs help

Topic in the U.S. History (( Please be wear of Plagiarism) THANKS😊
Touchstone 1: Case Study Close Reading
ASSIGNMENT: For this Touchstone, you will select a source on a topic in U.S.
history to read like a historian. As you learned, doing a close reading means
reading the text multiple times, with a different set of questions in mind each
time. You will then write and submit answers to a set of close reading questions:
• Origin and context: Who wrote this text? When did they write it?
What do I know about the events being discussed?
• Meaning: What is the author’s main idea? What is the text
generally about?
• Argument: What is the author’s point of view? Are they trying to
convince the reader of something? What evidence do they use to
support their argument?
• Skills: Is there evidence in the text of agility or problem solving
skills being used? In what way(s)?
This Touchstone provides an opportunity for you to delve more deeply into a
topic in U.S. history and practice thinking like a historian. It will also prepare you
for later Touchstones, which ask you to research a historical question and create
a presentation to help others understand how historical events can be applied to
current issues. Lastly, it will develop your problem solving skills, because being a
critical reader helps you to obtain and evaluate the information you need to solve
problems.
Use the Touchstone template below to write answers to the close reading
questions as you read. When you have finished, you will submit this template to
move onto the next unit.
Touchstone 1 Template
A. Directions
Select a case study from the list below:
Topic
Case Study A
Agriculture and Social Change
Commercialization and Discontent on the American Farm: The Farmer’s
Civil Rights and WWII
The Double Victory Campaign and the Black Press: A Conservative Appr
Civil Rights and Women
Title IX and the Gender Binary: Trajectories of Equality
Media and Communications
The American Military and the Press: From Vietnam to Iraq
Read the case study in its entirety. To enhance your understanding, be sure to look
up any terms or events in the text that you may be unfamiliar with. Re-read the text
as you answer the close reading questions in the Touchstone template.
Refer to the list below throughout the writing process. Do not submit your
Touchstone until it meets these guidelines.
1. Origin and context
❒ Have you identified who wrote the text and when? Is he or she qualified
to speak on the topic?
❒ Have you identified the events being discussed?
2. Meaning
❒ Have you identified the author’s main idea?
❒ Have you described what the text is generally about?
3. Argument
❒ Have you identified the author’s point of view? Are they trying to
convince the reader of something?
❒ Have you identified the evidence used to support the argument?
4. Skills
❒ Have you explained ways in which agility or problem solving skills are
being used?
B. Rubric
Origin and Context
(10 points)
Student identifies the
source’s origin and
context.
Meaning (10 points)
Student identifies and
describes the source’s
main idea.
Argument (10
points)
Source is examined for
elements of argument.
Skills (10 points)
Advanced (100%)
Proficient (80%)
Needs Improve
Accurately identifies the author and
date of the source, and at least 3
events being discussed.
Accurately identifies the author
and date of the source, and at
least 2 events being discussed.
Identifies the author an
event being discussed, a
Accurately identifies the main idea
of the source and provides a clear
description of what the source is
about.
Accurately Identifies the main
idea of the source, but the
description may be less clear.
Attempts to identify the
main idea and/or descr
inaccurate.
Identifies the author’s point of view
and identifies at least 2 examples of
evidence used to support the
argument.
Identifies the author’s point of
view and identifies at least 1
example of evidence used to
support the argument.
Attempts to identify the
point of view and/or de
unclear or inaccurate. A
support the argument m
Identifies and explains 2 examples
of how agility or problem-solving
Identifies and explains at least 1
example of how agility or
Identifies, but does not
or problem-solving skil
Advanced (100%)
Proficient (80%)
Source is examined for
evidence of agility or
problem solving skills.
skills are displayed in the article,
using specific details.
problem-solving skills are
displayed in the article.
Conventions (10
points)
There are one or no errors in
grammar, punctuation, spelling, and
capitalization.
There are minor errors in
grammar, punctuation, spelling,
and capitalization that do not
impede readability.
Essay follows
conventions for
standard written
English.
Needs Improve
There are frequent erro
spelling, and capitalizat
C. Requirements
The following requirements must be met for your submission:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Use a readable 12-point font.
Write 3 to 4 complete sentences for every cell in the template.
All writing must be appropriate for an academic context.
Composition must be original and written for this assignment.
Plagiarism of any kind is strictly prohibited.
Submission must include your name and the date.
Include all of the assignment components in a single file.
Acceptable file formats include .doc and .docx.
Touchstone 2: Thinking Critically about
History
SCENARIO: Imagine you represent your company at a service organization
dealing with one of these two issues:
• Facing Economic Change
• Engaging Civil Rights
Your supervisor has asked you to research information related to the history of
one of these issues for your organization to help new employees and volunteers
understand it better. Eventually, you will make a powerpoint presentation with
slides that include your findings and recommendations. A list of sample primary
and secondary sources has already been started. In the next Touchstone
(Touchstone 3), you will create a presentation of 7–11 slides.
Using the same research question as you select in Unit 2, you will organize a
presentation for new employees and volunteers to help them understand better
how key historical events in U.S. History are connected to their work and impact
society today. Some of the tasks you’ll be asked to do are:
• Use evidence to clearly identify challenges throughout US history
that are related to your topic.
• Analyze how challenges were tackled throughout US history that
are related to their topic, using historical evidence.
• Analyze the connection between historical strategies and their
current issue using supporting evidence.
ASSIGNMENT: For Touchstone 2, you’ll use the critical thinking process to
investigate an issue and craft the argument you’ll be presenting in Touchstone 3.
The touchstone template below will guide you through this process in five steps:
• Knowledge: What are the focused questions that will help you
investigate your research question?
• Comprehension: What have you learned about your issue?
• Application: How do your sources connect?
• Analysis: How will you use your evidence?
• Synthesis: What are the main points you will communicate?
For this touchstone, you will take the first step in creating your presentation to
help new employees and volunteers understand how historical events can be
applied to one of the issues currently affecting your organization. To do the
research necessary for your presentation, you will need to choose four sources
that are credible and relevant to the issue facing your organization.
You will first select the specific issue and research question you want to address.
Then, from a collection of sources, you will choose two primary and two
secondary sources that have relevant information for the historical events that
relate to the research question you will choose. Finally, you will evaluate the
credibility of your chosen sources by answering a set of questions.
To begin, download the touchstone template below and fill out the sections as
you complete each step. When you have finished, you will submit this template to
move onto the next unit.
Touchstone 2 Template
Touchstone 2 Sample
A. Directions
Step 1. Knowledge
You’ll use the Knowledge step of the critical thinking process to figure out what
information will help you answer your research question. Remember, in the
Knowledge step, you ask yourself these questions:
•
What are some more focused questions I can use to guide my
investigation?
• What smaller pieces of information will I need to answer the bigger
research question?
By breaking your research question down into smaller pieces and writing out what
information you’re looking for, you’ll be able to find the evidence you need from
your sources and build your knowledge of the issue.
In this Knowledge step, you will:
•
select your issue
• select your research question
• identify key words
1a. Select Your Issue
Select the issue you’d like to focus on for your presentation. As you saw in the
scenario above, your supervisor has asked you to present lessons learned from
historical events related to one of two issues: Facing Economic Change or Engaging
Civil Rights. You will choose only one of these issues to write about, so pick the one
that’s most interesting to you or most relevant to your work.
Read about each issue below and then select one to use for this touchstone.
Issue 1: Facing Economic Change
The pace of economic and workplace change is faster than ever. How
have people been affected by such changes in the past and how have they
adapted? What lessons can we learn for success in the modern workplace
to deal with the changes that might occur down the road?
Issue 2: Engaging Civil Rights
The United States was established on the principles of freedom, rights,
and equality—in a society that condoned slavery and unequal rights. It has
been a historical struggle to expand and apply those founding principles
more inclusively, especially for African Americans, women, and immigrant
groups. What have been the key barriers to progress and how have
different groups been affected? How have those groups overcome
obstacles? What are related current issues and how might they be
successfully addressed both now and in the future?
1b. Select Your Research Question
To begin investigating your selected issue, you must choose to focus on one of the
following research questions.
Issue 1: Facing Economic Change
If you choose to focus on this issue for your presentation, you will
select one of the following questions.
• What if the bottom falls out? How can you prepare and protect yourself
for bad times based on lessons learned from the Great Recession of
2008 and the Great Depression?
• What happens when the workplace changes? How can people adjust
when the workplace changes and what lessons can we learn from the
U.S. Industrial Revolution and the Information Age?
Issue 2: Engaging Civil Rights
If you choose to focus on this issue for your presentation, you will
select one of the following questions.
• What lessons can we learn from women’s history? What strategies were
used and what lessons can we learn from the struggles women faced in
the late 1800s–early 1900s and the 1960s–1970s for engaging current
and future women’s rights issues?
• What lessons can we learn from African American history? Considering
past struggles from Reconstruction to the civil rights movement of the
1950s and 1960s for African American civil rights, what lessons can we
learn about the best strategies for engaging civil rights now and in the
future?
• What lessons can we learn from immigrant history? Based on lessons
learned from policies in the late 1800s and early 1900s on immigration,
how can present-day immigration issues be addressed to help new
immigrants to their new home in the United States?
• What lessons can we learn from the fight for LGBTQ+ rights over the
years? What strategies were used and what lessons can we learn from
how this group has fought for its rights since the 1960s, and how can
present-day LGBTQ+ civil rights advocates combat businesses, people
and institutions that continue to openly discriminate?
1c. Identify Key Words
Now that you’ve selected the research question that you’ll focus on for your
presentation, it’s time to look for the sources that will provide answers to it.
Although you will have access to a list of primary and secondary sources that have
already been collected for the issue you’ve chosen, you’ll still need to figure out
which ones will help you answer your research question. That’s where key words
can help.
As you read earlier in this course, key words are specific and meaningful words
associated with your research question. You may also want to include concepts or
phrases from your research question (like “U.S. manufacturing 1940s” below) in
order to focus your search. Check out the example below to see this process in
action.
EXAMPLE
Issue: Facing Economic Change
Research question: How did World War II affect manufacturing in the United
States in the 1940s?
Key words and phrases: World War II, U.S. manufacturing 1940s, economy,
economic change
Step 2. Comprehension
Now that you’ve selected a research question and you have some key words in mind,
it’s time to find two primary and two secondary sources for your assignment and
review them. Your key words will come in handy as you evaluate the list of sources
to see which ones best support your research question.
To begin developing an answer for your research question, you need to review
information about the historical events you are considering. As you recall from the
assignment scenario, your predecessor has already collected information related to
the issue you are investigating, and the secondary and primary sources from the
collection are listed below.
2a. Choose Primary and Secondary Sources
Based on the issue that you have chosen, review the corresponding sources and
select two secondary and two primary sources that most closely support your
research question. Tip: a primary source is “an account of an event by someone who
experienced it.” (Topics in US History Challenge 1.2).
Issue 1: Facing Economic Change
Facing Economic Change Sources
Women’s History So
African American H
Immigrant History S
LGBTQ+ Sources
As you review each of the sources in the collection, keep in mind your research
question and the key words you brainstormed in the previous steps. This will help
you skim through the sources and locate the four sources you need.
2b. Evaluate Primary and Secondary Sources Once you have selected the four
sources that you want to use to investigate your research question, you are ready to
begin evaluating for credibility. The touchstone template will guide you through
each of the elements that are required to evaluate your sources.
Step 3. Application
Now it’s time to think about how your sources connect to one another. This will help
you apply the information you’ve collected to answer your research question.
Look for connections among your sources by comparing, contrasting, and
corroborating information. Make sure to consider their historical context and how
they are related to the time period they are from. Then answer the following
questions in your touchstone template:
•
•
What links or similarities do you see among your sources of information?
What discrepancies or differences do you see among your sources of
information?
Step 4. Analysis
The Analysis step of the critical thinking process is about taking a closer look at your
evidence. Think about which pieces of evidence will provide the strongest support
for your argument and what details from your sources you will use to illustrate your
main points. Think also about what evidence may be less useful, or may even oppose
your argument. Being honest with yourself at this stage about which pieces of
evidence support your argument, and which do not, will help you to improve your
final presentation.
Examine your evidence and think about how it can help you make a convincing
argument. Then answer the following questions in your touchstone template:
•
•
•
What evidence provides the strongest support for your argument?
What evidence provides the weakest support for your argument, or even
opposes your argument?
How will you use this evidence to make an argument about your issue?
Step 5. Synthesis
You’re almost done! For the fifth step, it’s time to write down your argument. This is
a summary of your final answer to your research question. Remember to include
your position on the issue, describe the evidence you’ll use, and explain how this
evidence supports your argument.
Summarize your argument in the touchstone template and be sure to include the
main ideas that need to be communicated to your service organization. Make sure
you’re answering the research question you identified in Step 1.
Refer to the list below throughout the writing process. Do not submit your
Touchstone until it meets these guidelines.
1. Knowledge
❒ Have you chosen one of the original research questions under Issue 1
“Facing Economic Change” or Issue 2 “Engaging Civil Rights”?
❒ Have you identified specific and meaningful keywords relevant to your
research question?
2. Comprehension
❒ Have you identified two secondary sources and two primary sources?
❒ Have you answered all the questions in Step 2 using specific examples?
3. Application
❒ Have you identified links or similarities among sources using specific
examples?
❒ Have you identified discrepancies or differences among sources using
specific examples?
4. Analysis
❒ Have you identified evidence that provides the strongest support for
your argument using specific examples?
❒ Have you identified evidence that opposes or provides weaker support
for your argument using specific examples?
❒ Have you explained how you will use this evidence to make an
argument about your issue?
5. Synthesis
❒ Have you summarized an argument to the original research question
you chose in Step 1?
❒ Does your synthesis include a position, main ideas, and how evidence
will be used in your argument?
B. Rubric
Knowledge (15 points)
Key words are related to a
specific topic and research
question
Advanced (100%)
Proficient (85%)
Acceptable (75%)
Identifies more than 5 key
words or phrases relevant to
the topic and research question
Identifies 4-5 key words
and/or phrases relevant to
the topic and research
question
Identifies 2-3 key words and/
phrases relevant to the topic a
research question
Comprehension (15
points)
Sources are relevant to the
topic and identifies key
elements of the documents.
Advanced (100%)
Proficient (85%)
Acceptable (75%)
Identifies 4 excellent primary
and secondary sources directly
related to their topic, and
clearly identifies all key
elements of the documents
using specific examples.
Identifies 4 good primary
and secondary sources
related to their topic and
identifies all key elements of
the documents.
Identifies 4 adequate primary
secondary sources related to t
topic and identifies most key e
of the documents. Primary sou
may be categorized incorrectly
secondary source(s) or vice ve
differences between historical
sources relevant to their topic,
using several specific examples.
Identifies similarities and
differences between
historical sources relevant
to their topic, using at least 1
specific example.
Identifies similarities or differ
between historical sources rel
their topic
Describes how both strong
supporting evidence and
weaker or opposing evidence
will be used to make a clear and
persuasive argument by
providing specific examples.
Describes how both strong
supporting evidence and
weaker or opposing
evidence will be used to
make a clear and persuasive
argument.
Identifies strong supporting ev
and weaker or opposing evide
related to the argument.
Clearly and concisely
summarizes an argument to the
research question including a
position, main ideas, and how
evidence used will support
their argument.
Summarizes an argument to
the research question
including a position, main
ideas, and how evidence
used will support their
argument.
Summarizes an argument to th
research question including a
and main ideas. Evidence may
identified but not how it will s
an argument.
Application (15 points) Identifies similarities and
Relevant historical sources
are properly compared,
contrasted, and
corroborated to evaluate
evidence.
Analysis (15 points)
Source evidence is
examined for its ability to
support an historical
argument.
Synthesis (15 points)
Summary effectively
synthesizes the discoveries
made during the critical
thinking process.
C. Requirements
The following requirements must be met for your submission:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Use a readable 12-point font.
All writing must be appropriate for an academic context.
Composition must be original and written for this assignment.
Plagiarism of any kind is strictly prohibited.
Submission must include your name and the date.
Include all of the assignment components in a single file.
Acceptable file formats include .doc and .docx.
Touchstone 3: Creating a Slide Presentation
SCENARIO: You represent your company at a service organization dealing with
one of these two issues:
• Facing Economic Change
• Engaging Civil Rights
Your supervisor asked you to research information related to the history of one of
these issues for your organization to help new employees and volunteers
understand it better. You will need to create a slide presentation that summarizes
your findings and recommendations.
ASSIGNMENT: Back in Unit 2, you chose your issue and your sources and used
the critical thinking process to begin to formulate an argument about your topic.
Now you will refine your argument and create a slide presentation that’s due at
the end of Unit 3.
PRESENTATION REQUIREMENTS: Your presentation must be 7–11 slides long,
not including the title and sources slides. It must include the following slides:
• title
• outline
• topic
• evidence (4–8 slides with both text and images)
• argument (making connections between past and present)
• sources
If you’ve never used a presentation tool like PowerPoint or Google Slides before,
don’t worry! The assignment template below will help you create slides for a
basic slide presentation. Then you’ll be able to practice using the presentation
technology as you put the finishing touches on your presentation. You can also
refer back to the Unit 3 lessons that provide support for creating a solid slide
presentation.
Touchstone 3 Template
Touchstone 3 Sample
Before you get started, let’s look at how you’ll be building the presentation, step
by step.
A. Directions
Step 1: Review Touchstone 2
Review the scenario and your work from Touchstone 2. You will need to use the
research question and your primary and secondary sources, along with the
critical thinking process you completed in that touchstone.
Step 2: Create Presentation Slides
Use a presentation tool like PowerPoint or Google Slides to outline and organize
a presentation for new employees and volunteers to help them understand better
how key historical events in U.S. History are connected to their work and impact
society today.
Slide
Com
Title Slide
Your title slide will be the first slide and should give the
Outline Slide
An outline slide lets your audience know what to expe
kind of detailed or thorough outline that you might use
main idea that each slide will cover—it might even just
Your topic is the same as the research question you s
Topic Slide
Evidence Slides
(4-8 slides with both text and images)
Define the historical challenges you are presenting on
questions will you answer? What historical events and
Now that you’ve reviewed your outline, it’s time to add
points for slide text and leave room for pictures! Use s
approaches and strategies with supporting evidence. A
or secondary sources.
Add appropriate visuals that help to communicate mai
help answer the research question. If you use infograp
enough to read. Make sure images are not blurry or to
Connection Slide
Your connections slide should connect past events to
question. Think of this slide as showing lessons you’ve
How should people in your organization apply history t
in the speaker notes to explain these lessons.
Try to think of four lessons from the past that you can
Sources Slide
Step 3: Add Speaker Notes
Now it’s time to add the primary and secondary source
APA format. (Note: the sources provided to you in Tou
guideline to help you with APA formatting if you select
your sources should appear in alphabetical order.
Recall that your supervisor asked you to research information related to the
history of one of the above issues for your organization to help new employees
and volunteers understand it better. For this assignment, you are not actually
giving the presentation, but rather just preparing a slide deck that summarizes
your findings and recommendations.
An important step in the preparation of a speech is writing speaker notes. Use
speaker notes to develop historical evidence and explain your historical
challenges, strategies, and connections:
•
Use evidence to clearly identify challenges throughout US history that
are related to your topic.
• Analyze how challenges were tackled throughout US history that are
related to your topic, using historical evidence.
• Analyze the connection between historical strategies and a current issue
using supporting evidence (Connections slide).
Your speaker notes will be used to evaluate your project, so make sure you write
in complete sentences and pay attention to spelling and grammar. If you were
giving an oral presentation, these notes wouldn’t be visible to your audience
when you’re in Presenter View. But you would be able to see them, and they
would guide you through your presentation.
Step 4: Add In-Text Citations
Make sure you’re citing the information from your sources using in-text citations
in APA style. These citations should include the author’s last name and the year
of publication for the source, for example: (Mitchell, 2014).
Step 5: Submit Presentation
Once you have completed your slides and corresponding speaker notes, it is
time to submit your presentation. If you are using PowerPoint, you simply need to
save your presentation and upload this file to Sophia. If you are using another
slide presentation technology, download the slide deck as a Microsoft
PowerPoint (.pptx) and upload this version to Sophia.
B. Rubric
Historical
Challenges (20
points)
Advanced (100%)
Proficient (85%)
Acceptable (75%)
Uses evidence to clearly identify
challenges throughout US history
that are related to their topic.
Clearly identifies challenges
throughout US history that are
related to their topic.
Partially identifies challenge
throughout US history that
are related to their topic.
Analyzes how challenges were
tackled throughout US history
that are related to their topic,
using historical evidence.
Describes how challenges were
tackled throughout US history
that are related to their topic,
using historical evidence.
Identifies or lists how
challenges were tackled
throughout US history that
are related to their topic.
Analyzes the connection between
historical strategies and their
current issue using supporting
evidence.
Describes the connection
between historical strategies and
their current issue.
Identifies, but does not
describe, a connection
between historical strategie
and their current issue.
Accurately cites at least four
relevant historical sources (two
primary and two secondary
sources) on the sources slide.
Uses in-text citations with
evidence from sources.
Accurately cites at least four
relevant historical sources (two
primary and two secondary
sources) on the sources slide.
Uses in-text citations with
evidence from sources. Citations
may include minor errors.
Accurately cites 2-3 relevant
historical sources; primarily
uses in-text citations with
evidence from sources.
Effectively organizes information
throughout presentation; with
appropriate visuals that help to
communicate main ideas. All
required slides are included.
Uses speaker notes with most or
all evidence slides.
Adequately organizes
information throughout
presentation and provides some
visuals. All required slides are
included. Uses speaker notes
with most evidence slides.
Adequately organizes
information throughout
presentation. All required
slides are included. Primaril
uses speaker notes with
evidence slides.
Historical challenges
are clearly defined and
supported with
evidence.
Historical
Approaches and
Strategies (20
points)
Historical approaches
and strategies are
clearly analyzed and
supported with
evidence.
Connections (20
points)
Clear connection is
made between
historical strategies
and events and current
issues/events.
Historical Sources
(20 points)
Relevant historical
sources are properly
cited.
Organization (20
points)
Slide presentation is
organized and the
visual presentation
effectively
communicates the
main ideas.
C. Requirements
The following requirements must be met for your submission:
•
•
•
•
•
All content must be appropriate for an academic context.
Composition must be original and written for this assignment.
Plagiarism of any kind is strictly prohibited.
Submission must include your name and the date.
File format must be .pptx.