DU Communications Prison Strikes in the U.S. Discussion

I have a paper about something we learned in class and was given the topic prison Strikes.

A couple points i mentioned i wanted the paper to add was

-Of course the meanning behind strikes and what may cause them

– Some Pros and Cons

-How did this affect the secuirty guards

– the affect on the prisoners mental helath afterward

-How the news may only show the strikes portraying it bad and not done for a good reason

Those are just a few ideas I had but your input on anything is else fine

Thanks!

SOCI 2701: Topics – Prison Labor
Final Assignment Prompt
The overall purpose of this final project is three-fold: (1) to demonstrate what you have learned
over the course of the quarter, (2) to incorporate new ideas and materials to further expand this
knowledge, and (3) to apply and present your knowledge in a clear, succinct, intelligent manner.
With this in mind, students will have five options in designing a final project for this class. You
may produce one of the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
A traditional final essay
An infographic
A podcast episode
A lecture video
A documentary short
Each of these final project formats have their own pros, cons, and specific requirements
(outlined below). However, here are some things that will apply to every final project:




It must be relevant to the topic of our course. In most cases, this will involve
expanding upon a topic that we have already touched on by bringing in added
information or ideas. In some instances, this might entail introducing an entirely new
prison labor-related topic that we did not cover (please discuss with me in advance).
It must draw on and cite 1 or more class sources (i.e., materials assigned in class)
and 3 or more outside empirical sources. These can be academic journal articles
or books, or reputable sources that include reliable data, such as reports from the Prison
Policy Initiative, the Sentencing Project, or the Bureau of Justice Statistics—not opinion
pieces, blog posts, etc. (if in doubt, ask the professor in advance). Class lecture slides do
not count as a source for this requirement.
It should not require you to overextend yourself! Choose a format that sounds interesting
to you, but carefully consider the amount of time it will take for you to complete
it. For example, if you have absolutely no experience editing video files, you may not
want to create a documentary short because it may take a significant amount of added
time to learn the basics of editing to complete a strong project. The last thing we want is
for this to end up being more stressful than it needed to be.
Lastly, it must be submitted on time via Canvas. It is your responsibility to leave
enough time to upload your project to our submission site. Canvas is sometimes slow
(especially during the time of year when everyone is submitting finals). Additionally, if
you’re uploading an audio or video file of some sort, it might take significantly longer
than usual to upload (direct links to OneDrive, YouTube, or similar sites may be
approved for audio or video projects). Get it in early. Late work will not be accepted.
Essay Requirements
Select a topic from class that you are interested in and supplement what you have already
learned with outside/additional research from reputable sources. Or identify a new topic that is
relevant to our course but which we didn’t cover, then explore it through your writing and
outside research/sources. This prompt is purposefully broad. An important part of this
assignment is independently coming up with a unique idea and plan of study. Along those
lines, if you have an idea for an academic paper/essay that does not necessarily fit the
parameters of this prompt, feel free to “pitch” the idea to me!
The essay should be 6 to 10 pages long. It should be double-spaced, using a standard font style
and size, with 1-inch margins all around and no extra spacing/margins. It should be written in
an academic/formal writing style. Follow the source requirements provided in the bulleted list
above. Sources must be parenthetically cited within the paper [e.g., (Western 2018, p.50)] and a
references page must be included with full citations (not counting towards the page limit)
using ASA, APA, or MLA format. Submit to Canvas as .doc or .docx file format (other file
types may not be usable on Canvas and will not be graded).
Infographic Requirements
An effective infographic must combine both elements: reliable yet succinct information and
illuminating or eye-catching graphics. Your project should be oriented toward providing
trustworthy data in a way that is accessible to a general audience and supported with illustrative
elements. This is a visual medium, so your project should not be overwhelmed by text alone.
Most strong infographics make an argument about a topic and include charts or tables with
supporting evidence. At a minimum, your project should include a brief overview of your topic
and relevant data to help the reader understand it, supported with relevant imagery. You may
also include a “call to action,” such as a list of recommended steps to address a problem that
your infographic identifies. Finally, be sure to cite all of your required sources at the end/bottom
of the infographic (preferably in a smaller font size). For an example of effective infographics,
see HERE or HERE.
Please begin by following this link to watch a 15-minute overview of these sorts of projects by
Professor Breanna Boppre (from her course at Wichita State University): HERE. Once you’re
ready to begin, there are several free online tools that you can use to design an infographic,
including Canva, Piktochart, and Easelly. You may also find useful videos on how to design
infographics using these sites online, such as this one about Canva: HERE. Upload the image file
directly to Canvas as a .pdf, .jpg, or .png file (pdf is preferred if possible—either save the file
directly as a pdf, or else paste the image into a Word document and then save it as a pdf). Many
other image files are not viewable in Canvas and/or on a PC and will not work. If I can’t view it,
then it won’t get graded. I recommend having someone test it out for you before submitting.
Finally, when you submit your infographic, you must also submit a short (1 – 2 pages, doublespaced) written narrative. This should summarize your topic and project and describe how
each one of your sources was specifically incorporated (and where/when) along with full
citations.
Podcast Requirements
In many ways, a good podcast is a bit like an audio essay. It explores an important topic indepth, drawing on various sources of data and information to support the podcaster’s claims or
arguments. For your project, you’ll draw on in-class and reputable outside sources (see the
bulleted list above) to “tell a story” (so to speak) about your chosen topic. I recommend that you
write a script to help guide you through the recording process. Your narrative should
incorporate your sources. I recommend that you directly cite your sources within the audio itself
(e.g., “According to sociologist Bruce Western in his 2018 book, Homeward, ….”), but this may
depend on your particular project and stylistic preferences. Alternatively, some podcasts are
interview-based. If you have access to someone that has specific relevance to or experience with
your topic (e.g., a formerly incarcerated person, a prison staffer, a researcher/expert in the area,
etc.), then you may interview them on your podcast. Your sources should directly inform or
inspire your interview questions, which you should write up in advance, but they don’t need to
be overtly referenced/cited in the questions themselves.
Your podcast should be somewhere between 15 to 20 minutes in length. Many computers or
mobile devices come equipped with audio editing software that you might use to create your
project. Additionally, there are free software options available online, such as the open-source
program Audacity, which you can use to record your audio or edit audio that you import from
another source. You can also find helpful tutorials for how to edit your audio for a podcast
online, such as these ones about recording and editing in Audacity: HERE and HERE. You may
submit the audio file directly to Canvas as a .mp3 or .wav file (other file types may not be
accessible in Canvas and/or on PC and will not work), or you may provide me with a direct link
to somewhere I can hear it (e.g., provide a direct OneDrive link and provide me adequate
permissions to view it, or upload it to a site like YouTube or Soundcloud). If I can’t access it,
then it won’t get graded. I recommend having someone test it out for you before submitting.
Finally, when you submit your podcast, you must also submit a short (1 – 2 pages, doublespaced) written narrative. This should summarize your topic and project and describe how
each one of your sources was specifically incorporated (and where/when) along with full
citations.
Lecture Video Requirements
We have all had experience with online classes in recent years. For this assignment, you may
take the opportunity to create your own lecture video on a relevant topic. This should not be you
merely presenting information that we already covered thoroughly in-class; instead, this should
be you creating a new lecture in which you explore a new topic related to our course, or discuss
new sources or data that we did not examine. Teach me something new on our course topic! I
recommend that you write a script to help guide you through the recording process.
Your video should be somewhere between 15 to 20 minutes in length. It should not just be a
video of you talking to the camera; instead, it should entail visuals such as PowerPoint slides or
some other supplemental element. Be sure to cite the sources that you present (following the
guidelines in the bulleted list above). There are many ways to go about recording something like
this. I recommend using Zoom (start a new Zoom meeting with only you in it, open your slides,
click “share screen” and ensure that you check the box to share audio if your slides will include
audio/video, and then begin recording). You may submit the video file directly to Canvas, or you
may provide me with a direct link to somewhere I can view it (e.g., provide a direct OneDrive
link and provide me adequate permissions to view it, or upload it to a site like YouTube or
Vimeo). If I can’t access it, then it won’t get graded. I recommend having someone test it out for
you before submitting.
Finally, when you submit your video, you must also submit a short (1 – 2 pages, double-spaced)
written narrative. This should summarize your topic and project and describe how each one
of your sources was specifically incorporated (and where/when) along with full citations.
Documentary Short Requirements
A documentary short is exactly what it sounds like: a short documentary film. Much like a
podcast, an effective documentary film explores an important topic in-depth, drawing on
various sources of data and information to support the director’s claims or arguments. For your
project, you’ll draw on in-class and reputable outside sources (see the bulleted list above) to “tell
a story” (so to speak) about your chosen topic. I recommend that you add narration over your
video, following a script to help guide you through the recording process. You may also directly
cite your sources within the audio itself where relevant (e.g., “According to sociologist Bruce
Western in his 2018 book, Homeward, ….”), but this will depend on your particular project and
stylistic preferences. Additionally, many documentaries are interview-based. If you have access
to someone that has specific relevance to or experience with your topic (e.g., a formerly
incarcerated person, a prison staffer, a researcher/expert in the area, etc.), then you may
interview them on your short film. Your sources should directly inform or inspire your interview
questions, which you should write up in advance, but they don’t need to be overtly
referenced/cited in the questions themselves.
More than any of our other project options, this format requires the highest level of prior skills
and knowledge to produce. I recommend that you only undertake this type of project if you are
already comfortable filming and editing more complex film projects (e.g., if you are a Media,
Film, and Journalism Studies student or have produced similar video projects in the past). Your
film should be somewhere between 15 to 20 minutes in length. Many computers or mobile
devices come equipped with video editing software that you might use to create your project.
You may submit the video file directly to Canvas, or you may provide me with a direct link to
somewhere I can view it (e.g., provide a direct OneDrive link and provide me adequate
permissions to view it, or upload it to a site like YouTube or Vimeo). If I can’t access it, then it
won’t get graded. I recommend having someone test it out for you before submitting.
Finally, when you submit your documentary short, you must also submit a short (1 – 2 pages,
double-spaced) written narrative. This should summarize your topic and project and describe
how each one of your sources was specifically incorporated (and where/when) along with full
citations.
Grading
I will grade final projects based on the following general criteria: (1) how well it follows
formatting and source requirements (including following citation guidelines and drawing on the
required number of class materials and reputable, empirical outside sources), (2) the style,
clarity, and unity of the work itself, and (3) the strength of the content (including the quality of
the student’s outside research and the logic, strength, and cohesion of arguments made). The
inclusion and quality of written narratives (for non-essay projects) will be assessed in this
process as well.
Formatting & sources
05 points
Style, clarity, & unity of work
05 points
Strength of content & research
10 points
_________________________________
Total:
20 points