Assignments

Global Implications & Diversity
Now that you have established a bit of background on your chosen topic, it’s time to consider some of the larger implications of the event. Virtually all significant historical or cultural events (whether they occur in a small town or big city or affect an entire country/countries) can have rippling global effects. Just as a minor change to one portion of the food web can lead to massive consequences in the ecosystem, so can an event affect other areas of the world. Being able to see the “big picture” and the interrelatedness of events as well as considering the personal effect on individuals is an important critical thinking skill. Appreciating that our diverse backgrounds cause us to have very different responses to an event can also enhance our understanding.

Outcomes
Unit Outcomes 
1.	Analyze cause and effect of global influences through direct and indirect means 
2.	Utilize critical thinking skills to support arguments and develop your thesis
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 
You'll be reading about the global implications of events that occur in the world and consider some of the many ways that they can affect society. You'll also learn about the many aspects of diversity and how it contributes to the variety of behavioral and expressive responses of people. Learning how to support arguments and avoid logical fallacies will also sharpen your critical thinking skills.
•	Discussion 
The discussion questions will provide you with the opportunity to analyze some of the global implications faced by the US and the rest of the Americas. You'll also have the opportunity to demonstrate your use of one of the tools to help construct arguments.
•	Seminar 
In seminar you will examine the benefits of diversity, global implications of local events, and how to evaluate arguments and construct outlines.
•	Project 
This week's project will require you to complete an outline for your final project to be used for drafting your paper in future units.

Reading 1 - Global Implications 
Many of the events that take place in one part of the world can have a ripple effect and slowly (or rapidly!) cause changes that affect other parts of the world. Rarely does an event occur in a vacuum. One historical example is the assassination of an archduke of a small European country that affected the world when on June 28, 1914 Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated and before long World War I began. Or, how about when three friends Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim tried to come up with a way to share videos online and ended up founding YouTube, which has since become a global phenomenon? Clearly, a social, historical, or political event in one place can have far-reaching effects! 
With the technological revolution that has enhanced communication, industry, education, and commerce, we are now living in a global society and are much more aware of what is happening around the world. But even before the instantaneous delivery of information, a regional influence could have dramatic effects all around the world. Rock and roll music evolved in the United States in the 1950s, but even before the time of instant communication, it went on to become popular worldwide and influenced movies, TV, fashion, attitudes, and language all around the world. In another example, the Renaissance began in Italy in the 14th century, but its influences spread to all of Europe and its influence in art, education, politics, social movements, literature, science, and religion are still with us today. 
Let’s explore another example: the 2008-2009 financial crisis that led to a recession in the United States. Many believe this financial crisis was caused by the inability of people to pay their mortgages, which led to a trickledown effect that caused the crash of notable banks and mortgage lenders and resulted in a volatile stock market crash. This crisis had an impact in the real estate market and the banking and credit industries, and it resulted in a rise in unemployment as well as the stock market crash leading to a recession in the United States. 
But the crisis in the US economy has had global effects as well…consequences affected other countries’ economies, it affected politics as governments tried to recover, and it also influenced international trade and cash flow issues. The instability of the US stock market affected stock markets worldwide and many governments responded by nationalizing their financial institutions. Currency lost its value as governments tried to revive the slump by infusing capital back into the system. The financial panic led to a shift in investments worldwide and the US reduction in consumer spending had affects on international trade and tourism. Other countries that relied on exporting to the US began to suffer. Canada and Mexico were affected because they rely on the US for exporting, and China, typically a huge exporter to the US, was also affected. So what started as a national crises in the US had far-reaching implications. 
As you research the details regarding your own topic, consider how it may have affected the rest of the world—whether through politics, the economy, the environment, industry, and tourism or through social implications such as ideologies, social movements, or in other ways. Once again, you will have to put your critical thinking skills to work as you analyze cause and effect behaviors or consider direct or indirect consequences. 
Reading 2 - Diversity 
In today’s society, an appreciation for diversity and all the benefits it can offer is a huge advantage in any field. Whether we are considering differences in race, ethnicity, culture, religion, political affiliation, educational backgrounds, socio-economic status, or a host of other factors that contribute to diversity, being able to interact with others effectively and recognize the different strengths of all who collaborate in a group will result in a better working and learning experience. In our global society the likelihood that we will at one time or another need to interact with someone who is very different from ourselves is highly likely, so it is important to learn not only how diversity can enhance our individual experiences but also to identify the strengths of different backgrounds. 
How is an appreciation of diversity related to our global environment and, more particularly, to your individual research project? Well, consider one of our earlier examples, the feminist movement. Not everyone responded to this significant cultural/historical event in the same way. Factors such as religion, age, culture, socio-economic status, educational levels, and of course gender, might have led individuals to embrace the movement, reject it, or remain neutral. Try to think of how this might be the case. Imagine you are a conservative, middle-aged, upper-class male who has enjoyed many of the privileges of society for quite some time who is suddenly faced with the prospect of women joining you in the workforce and demanding equal pay, possibly threatening the traditional gender models that you have grown up with and come to expect. You might respond very differently than if you were a middle-class female who has long been encouraged to further your education but has felt stifled by the traditional gender roles. Your own unique background and experiences color the way you view any significant historical event. Think of your reaction to any recent historical or cultural event and consider how different aspects of diversity may have contributed to different reactions. 

Reading 3 - Constructing and Evaluating Arguments 
An important part of your final project paper will include a discussion of your thesis and evidence to support the points you want to make. Generally, your thesis will refer to the significant historical or cultural influence of the event you selected and will be supported by your examples of how this event influenced society (through behaviors, the forms of human expression it produced, or ethical implications). You may develop these examples in the form of an argument, or evidence supporting your point. Remember, an argument is not necessarily a negative oppositional discussion; in this case, argument is the support for your thesis. 
When developing your arguments to support your thesis, you want to be sure that you are clear and logical and select credible evidence. This will be a result of selecting high quality resources and developing your ability to effectively analyze how the evidence relates to your topic. Kaplan University 
Once again, your critical thinking skills will be very useful to you as you develop your arguments. You will need to use the data from your resources very skillfully and make sure to organize your thoughts effectively. You want to make sure that you are objective in presenting your research and that you can be proactive in identifying any possible contradictions to your points and address them, or better yet, refute them. You must be able to identify any fallacies or opinions that appear as facts in the resources you use and question assumptions that are not credible. All of this will help you to develop the strongest, soundest argument that you can. 
Read "How to Support an Argument and Avoid Logical Fallacies" from the KU Writing Center. You will get an in-depth understanding of how a solid argument is formulated and learn how to use your critical thinking skills to avoid logical fallacies. Keep this in mind as you develop your own arguments in your paper. 

Reading 4 - Outlining 
Preparing an outline for your research project can be an efficient way to organize your thoughts and review your content to determine if you need to do further research or if you need to modify your thesis and approach in any way. There are a variety of ways to outline--full sentences vs. topic headings and phrases, comprehensive-detailed outlines vs. abbreviated topic area outlines, etc. For the purposes of this research project we will focus on the type of outlining typically used in the pre-writing phase. Please read “Writing an Outline” from the KU Writing Center. Your Unit 5 project should look much like the sample outline here.

For this seminar, we will reflect on the benefits of diversity, global implications of local events, and constructing and evaluating arguments. We will also review outlining strategies.
Remember that 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 an event in one part of the world cause a response elsewhere in the world?
2.	What are examples of diversity? How can they benefit a society?
3.	What are some important strategies in constructing a credible argument? What are pitfalls to be aware of when evaluating arguments?
4.	What questions do you have about the outlining process?
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 5: 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.

For this project, you will prepare an outline for your final project similar to the sample outline you reviewed in the readings. Be sure that you include a potential thesis in the introduction area of your outline and that your key points include sections on the human behavior, human expression, and ethics involved in your topic. You may use the outline format accessible through the PDF button above. Be sure to include a References page listing the sources you have gathered so far and note which are books, scholarly journals, primary sources, etc.
Submit your Unit 5 Project through the Dropbox. Click the Dropbox Help button at the bottom for more information on submitting your work.