CAPSTONE ESSAY

  

OUTLINE: Presentation of topic to classmates. Be prepared to defend your topic and sources. 

A paper copy will be collected. Students who do not submit a paper copy and present their topic will lose 5 points from their academic grade.

Preparing an outline will help you organize information so that your essay makes logical sense to the reader, transitions smoothly from beginning to end and is interesting to read with a clear thesis statement, introduction, discussion and conclusion.  In the outline you will provide a brief synopsis of the topic you have chosen without going into a full discussion of the facts. Your outline will become the foundation of your capstone essay.
Cover Page: 

Title of Topic,
Your Name
Date of Submission

Introductory Remarks: a brief overview of your topic

a clear thesis statement which identifies the nature of the social injustice and the institution responsible for perpetrating the injustice
a statement that identifies the minority or oppressed group most affected by the injustice
some initial statistics that support the prevalence of this social injustice

Discussion: a short narrative of the social injustice
·         a brief history of this unfair practice – how far back can this injustice be traced

identification of the minority/oppressed group
a brief discussion of personal outcomes for those targeted by the injustice
a brief discussion of the costs to society (financial, loss of talent or resources)

Summary: final remarks which will be the foundation of the conclusion of your essay.

a brief note of recent changes in social attitudes/public opinion (negative or positive) regarding this injustice
a brief note of current political movements or legislation that are having a positive or negative effect on the problem you have identified

Reference List and In-text Citation (APA): The required manual of style for this course is the only acceptable format for all assignments.

See page 118-139 of the Hackers & Sommers Manual for information on the APA Reference List.
See page 107-113 of the manual for information on in-text citations.

Final Notes

Include a minimum of 3 scholarly sources.
Scholarly sources are peer reviewed articles and are found in such sources as the Journal of Criminology, Sociology and Social Research, American Journal of Psychology, American Journal of Criminal Law.
Consult the required manual of style for determining scholarly sources. Google scholar does not guarantee peer reviewed research. 
You may use government websites for statistics in addition to your 3 scholarly sources, such as the Bureau of Justice or the US Census Bureau.
Do not use sources more than 5 years old unless you are using information for historical value.
Please use 12 font, double spacing and 1” margins.