15.1: The Classroom Lecture and Activity
- Page ID
- 272637
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Research Proposals
Proposals are a good step in the research process because it allows you to take an initial look at the scope of your research project and how it is coming together so far. If the research question covers too much for the assignment, you may need to narrow it down a bit more. If the research proposal is part of an approval process, this document will allow you to continue with your current topic. As you put together your proposal, use everything that you’ve already written and gathered to do this. The proposal doesn’t require you to write too much additional information if you have been gathering information before now.
If this is the first step in your research project, here are few things to consider.
- What do you want to research and why?
- What is your research question?
- What types of sources do you need and where will be look for source information?
- Have you evaluated and/or analyzed any of the sources that you found?
- Is everything you researched so far in one accessible place: a research notebook or file folder?
- Based on the research you have so far, do you have a working thesis?
Constructing your Proposal
Below is a an example of a one-page research proposal. Each section is in bold, but you do not need to label these sections when you write your own proposal.
EXAMPLE
-The first thing you need for your Proposal is the Working Title
A City Divided Together: The Impacts of Living in Chicago
-Next, the Proposal asks you to add your research question and working claim. The research question here is very big and complex in scope. If your research project requires about 2500 words, a would be able to pick just one of these aspects have more than enough to write about. If you don’t have a working claim yet, you should write about the debates that are relevant and current to your topic.
My research question is "How does living in the city of Chicago affect cultural identity, educational opportunities, economic mobility, and food access?" I also want to ask "how is Chicago politically structured and how have policies shaped the lives of its’ citizens today?” Both of these questions will help me understand the city better and how it is a microcosm of United States.
So far, I’ve come to the conclusion that there are more negative effects than positive if a person does live in an affluent part of the city. This may change as I gather more sources
Then, you should discuss the types of media you plan to use as well as an evaluated primary and secondary source. In other words, you only add sources to your proposal that you know will definitely use and ones that may have prior approval.
I plan to use a wide variety of sources. I have found books, journals, and articles. I also plan on using podcasts, documentaries, and panel discussions, and hopefully one live interview. I have my questions ready, but I am waiting on a response from the person.
The main secondary source that I am using is the book The South Side by Natalie Moore. In this book, Moore offers commentary about the politics and racial and cultural divides in the city of Chicago. She supports her ideas with personal experience, research from the investigations she participated in during her work as a reporter for WBEZ, and synthesizes ideas from other cultural critics. This book answers most of the parts of my research question and has helped me figure out where I stand in this conversation. Another secondary source that I plan to use is the documentary, Let the Little Light Shine, which is about an attempt to close a predominantly black Chicago public school that was built on old Chicago housing authority land.
The main primary source that I am using is a study from Mari Gallagher of the MG research and consulting group titled “Examining the impact of Food Deserts on Public Health in Chicago”. The report explains how opportunities to buy food and the quality of that food varies by neighborhood. This in depth report gives the methodology used to gather data, the findings, and the author’s conclusions. The findings and conclusions are important to help me integrate and synthesize this information to the bigger picture of my research question.
Don't forget to add other experts, specific organizations and other sources that you plan on using. These can sources that you have watched or read, but haven’t made a decision on whether to use them as well as bookmarked sources that you haven’t read yet, but through class assignments know they would be approved. They will be important as you draft the conversation part of your essay.
Other experts and important institutions beside Natalie Moore and Mari Gallagher research group are Chip Mitchell, Gene Demby, Lori Lightfoot, Janice Jackson, The Code Switch Podcast, Chicago Tonight, University of Chicago, The Chicago Reporter PBS WTTW, and WBEZ’s Race, Class, & Communities section.
Finally, reflect on why you chose this topic.
I am interested in this topic because I see the housing projects everyday, and I remember what it was like to live in the projects that have already been torn down. Also, I know people that won’t go past Roosevelt road or west past Ashland Ave. Therefore, exploring low-income housing means not just looking at the buildings but understanding the culture of the people, the quality of education in the area, the amount of jobs, and the access of food. In the wake of the current unrest in the city, I’ve seen people in different Chicago communities impacted more severely during this difficult time: from which schools have technology access for remote learning, which communities have a disruption in food supplies after the protests and riots, how connected people feel with their community centers and cultural centers, and what the response has been from the mayor, and the governor.
I want to learn about how we got here.
Classroom Activity:
Look at the rubric and sample research proposals provided. Which research proposal do you think earned the most points? Why? Note: If you need to review the difference between primary and secondary sources, please do so before completing the activity.
SAMPLE 1: The Rise and Expression of Chicano Literature
For the English 102 research paper, my research question will be, “What is the relationship between education and literature and chicanismo? What does Chicano literature mean for Chicanos and society as a whole?” These questions will help me analyze the contribution of chicanismo to literature and the effect this has on modern day literature as well as the empowerment of Chicanos. From my current research and knowledge thus far, I understand that Chicano literature has created a new platform for the self-expression of first-generation Mexican Americans to voice the unique struggles faced pertaining to this identity in everyday lives. From this platform stems awareness of the identity by society.
For this research paper, I plan to look at a wide variety of sources. A secondary source I will be using is the book Spanish Perspectives on Chicano Literature: Literary and Cultural Essays by Jesus Rosales and Vanessa Fonseca. Specifically, I will look at its 9th edition, which analyzes the importance of belonging to contemporary Chicano literature. In this book/chapter, perspectives from three important Chicano authors are analyzed and explained in order to define the sense of placement in the community, and why this is so instrumental to the Chicano experience. This source also combines the perspectives from the three writers, which will be able to give me a broader scope into the significance of community to Chicanos.
A primary source I plan to use is an article by NPR. This article, titled “Remembering a Giant of Chicano Literature: Rudolfo Anaya,” is a 12-minute recording of an interview with one of the most influential contemporary Chicano writers. In this interview, Maria Hinjosa, interviewer, speaks with Anaya upon his success as a writer, as well as his perspectives on identity and censorship of Chicano literature. I plan to use this to show an issue pertaining to the Chicano identity and literature, and how struggles are stil faced after achieving success. Further, this will also aid me in explaining the meaning of Chicano literature for society. Since Anaya was censored, it can be said that he broke many boundaries with his writing.
This topic interests me because as a Chicana, I want to learn more about people who have experienced similar struggles to me. I lack information of the significance of Chicano literature, which is something I would like to improve on. By researching this topic more, I think I would be able to better understand my own experiences as a first- generation Mexican American and perhaps gain inspiration for my own personal writing projects.
SAMPLE 2 The Politics of Natural Hair
In the beginning of this research process, the question that emerged from the rest and engrossed my attention is the question(s) that asks, “Why is natural hair viewed as a distraction in the workplace and in schools?” “Is there a politics of hair?” From the research that I have done thus far, I have come to the realization that beauty and culture have politicized women of color. Some would argue that this is an issue of the past and that all appearances are accepted in today’s society. Others would argue that the issue of hair discrimination is very much alive, and that society has adopted and kept Eurocentric beauty standards. Is this type of discrimination apparent or discrete? Could someone’s appearance really effect their opportunities in today’s society?
The information that will be collected in order to generate an answer to my research questions will be obtained from books, journals, and magazine articles. I have already gathered vital information from these sources that has allowed me to reach a certain understanding on this issue. One of the secondary sources that I will be using for this paper is a book by Ayana Byrd and Lori Tharps called, Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America. This book is about the culture and politics of black hair from 15th century Africa to present-day United States.
A primary source that I will be using is “Born this Way”, also by Ayana Byrd. This article was published in Essence Magazine. In this article, the author talks about the experiences that different black women have endured with their natural hair.
The reason why I chose this topic is because I am fascinated with learning about natural hair in general. Also, being that I am a woman of color with natural hair, I think that it is imperative to learn how this unique feature that I have could affect me and future opportunities.
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Assessment Tool Rubric |
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Excellent |
Satisfactory |
Needs Revision |
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Effective Research question |
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Primary source with explanation |
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Secondary Source with explanation |
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Type of Media Used |
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Working title, thesis/Debate |
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Explanation of why you chose the topic |
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