Civics Inquiry Project
The Civics Inquiry Project is designed to have students investigate the degree to which the United States has achieved social, political, and economical equality for all of its citizens. The investigation may be done individually or you may select a partner from your class to assist you. Regardless of whom you work with, the requirements are as follows:
· Typed assignments will only be accepted
· Header must be 30-point font, bold, and underlined
· All other text must be 24-font (unless otherwise noted)
· Pictures, illustration, and/or graphs must be in color
· Work must be displayed on tri-fold poster board (36”x 48”)
The project is broken down into three distinct components, and each panel of your poster board will reflect the each aspect of the investigation process. Explicitly follow the directions below when organizing your work on your poster board. Failure to do so will result in a deduction points.
Panel 1: Initial Inquiry
² Copy the following as a header: “Initial Inquiry Question: Has the United States Achieved Social, Political, and Economical Equality for all of its Citizens?”
² Copy and respond to this question by utilizing a “thinking map” of your choice: “What Rights and Liberties are Protected by the Constitution?”
² Provide at least 3 pictures reflecting the rights that you listed on your “thinking map”. Be sure to include captions (size 12-font) for each image.
² Copy the following as a header: “1st Round Inquiry Question: What Rights and Liberties have Expanded Over the Course of our Nation’s History to Help Obtain a More Democratic Society for ?”
² The initial research must include a graphic organizer, 2 annotated articles, and at least 3 pictures with captions (size 12-font), reflecting the results of your initial investigation.
o As you read and annotate your articles, narrow down the discrimination faced on behalf of your group to a single issue that interest you.
Panel 2: Investigation
² Copy the following as a header: “Civic Inquiry Process: How has the United States Achieved Social, Political, and Economical Equality for ?”
² Developing your 2nd Round Inquiry Question
o Using your initial research, you should have narrowed down the discrimination your group faced to a single issue. Now develop an overarching question dealing with a specific avenue of discrimination that you’ve selected. Your question should be crafted in such a way that it requires you to further investigation. That is, the response to your overarching question will require something other than a yes, or no, response.
o Create your question by completing the following sentence stem and copy it as a header: “2nd Round Inquiry Question: ?”
² Copy the following as headers: Investigation, Civic Dialogue, and Communicate Conclusion. Then, read below and complete each section as instructed.
² Conducting your Investigation
o Your inquiry will be about a specific issue of discrimination faced on behalf of your group. Research may be in the form of articles (via the internet), books, surveys, and/or personal interviews.
o Regardless of the research format, you need to have at least 3 additional research sources.
o All research sources must be recorded on your Data Retrieval Sheet(s).
² Conducting your Civic Dialogue
o This portion of the project requires some feedback from the public. You have three options: 1) a class survey (with no less than 5 questions), 2) a class discussion, or 3) an academic blog. Results must documented accordingly:
· Surveys are to be calculated and illustrated in a graph
· Discussion are to record significant details and questions
· Blogs are to print off pertinent threads
² Communicate Conclusions
o Copy the following as headers and then provide the required information for the following:
1. 2nd Round Inquiry Question
2. Conclusion –thesis statement (answer to inquiry question)
3. Evidence –research based facts supporting your conclusion (document using bullets)
4. Works Cited –MLA format
o Include at least 3 pictures, with captions below (size 12-font), reflecting the results of your inquiry.
Panel 3: Informed Action
² Copy the following as a header: “Taking Informed Action”.
² Research a political action committee, or organization, that has fought for the advancement of your marginalized group. Type the following as a header: “Political Action Committee”. Then, detail what they have done historically, and what they are currently doing to advance the rights and liberties of your group.
² Next, type the following as a header: “Getting Connected”. Then, copy the website of your committee /organization.
² Copy the following as a header: “Finishing the Fight”. Then, detail what, if any, inequalities still exist within the specific area of discrimination for your group. Be sure to indicate what steps the committee is taking to rectify these inequalities.
² Include at least 3 pictures, with captions (size 12-font), from the organizations website.
² Lastly, type the following as a header: “Action”. On this final step, you must literally do something to help your group, or help bring awareness to your group’s inequalities. Some examples include, but are not excluded to the following: 1) write a letter to an elected official (petition), 2) join a committee/organization, 3) donate to a committee/organization, 4) attend an event support you groups movement for equality, or 5) give a “soap box” presentation during class.