Assignments

Unit 2 Overview 
Topic Selection/Preliminary Research
In this unit we will be exploring how you can use aspects of the scientific method to help develop your research project in a logical process that is free from undue bias or personal opinion. We will also define “human behavior,” “human expression,” and “ethics” so that you can get a better understanding of how these issues relate to any significant historical/cultural event. You will also have the opportunity to select a potential project topic and conduct some preliminary research to get an idea of the resources available. In addition, you will consider which critical thinking skills will help you to develop your thesis and the benefits/disadvantages of primary and secondary resources

Outcomes
After completing this unit, you should be able to: 
1.	Apply the scientific method to develop an effective process for your final project 
2.	Evaluate primary and secondary sources for use in your final project
Course Outcomes practiced in this unit: 
LI499-1 Create a project outline, plan, and timeline using scientific methodology demonstrating the achievement of the General Education Literacy Outcomes: Mathematics (GEL-2) and Science (GEL-3)

What do you have to do in this unit?
Following are summaries of the activities you need to complete this week. You can find these activities in this order in the left hand navigation. 
•	Reading 
This week’s readings focus on the scientific method and an opportunity to define human behavior, human expression, and ethics, as well as information on creating your thesis. Additionally, you’ll review information on evaluating your sources and reflecting on the various types of sources available for your project. 

Reading

Your readings in this course are in PDF format. Click the PDF button to access everything you need for your reading this week.

The focus of this unit is to review the final project criteria and examine how historical and cultural events in society can affect human behavior, human expression, and the ethical issues behind the events. During this seminar you should be prepared to brainstorm some possible topic selections and discuss the questions provided.
You should make every effort to complete the assigned readings for the unit before the seminar so you will be prepared to discuss the topics listed on the following page.
Seminar Topics: 
1.	How can society’s response to a significant historical event result in diverse examples of human expression?
2.	What is the scientific method and how will your research process make use of it?
3.	What are some of the potential resources available to you as your conduct your research (including books, e-books, magazines, scholarly journals, government documents, web sites and online databases as well as multi-media sources such as film footage, interviews, speeches, audio formats, and more)?
To participate in seminar for this unit, complete one of the two available options:
Option 1: Participate in a synchronous seminar discussion. You are strongly encouraged to participate in the live seminar for this week’s discussion if possible. Many students find this live discussion very helpful because your instructor will clarify the seminar information and your classmates may pose questions that you also have about the material.
Option 2: If you are unable to attend the live seminar, complete the Option 2 written assignment that follows. Your responses to the questions above should be composed in complete sentences and paragraphs and be 100-200 words in length. APA style is required.
You should create your seminar responses in MS Word. Save your answers and submit them to the Unit 2: Seminar Dropbox. The Dropbox is located at the top of this class on the blue toolbar. Be sure to complete all questions to earn your seminar points.
For more information on submitting your work to the Dropbox, click the Dropbox Guide button.

Assignment

For the Unit 2 Project, use the template provided below(or found in Doc Sharing) to identify your potential topic and conduct your preliminary research. In addition to identifying and exploring your potential topic, you are required to identify three possible resources (including one scholarly journal and one primary resource) and provide a brief summary of each resource. Complete the topic selection/preliminary research worksheet and submit it through the Dropbox for your Unit 2 Project.
Click the Dropbox Guide button at the bottom for more information on submitting your work.