and Assignments (1000 total points for course)

Reading summaries and discussion questions (150 points): Before every class, students have the opportunity to post 1 key point summary and discussion question on the Canvas discussion board the day before class by 11:59pm related to the readings that could be potentially discussed in class that day. You will write a total of 5 postings for the semester (this means you can pick and choose the days you want to do). These questions should involve critical thinking skills thus critical questions of the authors’ arguments are allowed. For each question, you should also provide a few sentences explaining the relevance of your question to the readings. Weekly questions and summaries will receive a 30 for excellent questions, a 20 for average, and a zero (0) for no posting at all. Both questions can be posted in one post for the week (you do not have to do separate postings for each question).

For example, a good question would be: “In Chapter 1 of Immigration Realities, the discussion primarily revolves around issues related to the southern border with Mexico. How might you alternatively conceptualize the northern border with Canada? What are similar myths, misperceptions, and power dynamics?” An example of a poor question would be “What is segmented assimilation theory?” (Note: You are welcome to ask clarifying questions during class or by email. They just will not work for the weekly questions portion of your grade.) If students are clearly not reading, I reserve the right to change this portion of the grade to random pop quizzes on the readings.

Classroom participation (100 points): Students are expected to be in class whenever possible and participate in discussion of the readings. I will be taking attendance this semester. It is difficult to participate when you are not in class. Occasionally, in class writing assignments may also be assigned to aid in the writing assignments for the class and will be graded if attendance gets poor over the semester.

IRB Training Completion (150 points): Because we are doing student and community engaged research, you will need to complete the Group 2 Social / Behavioral Research Investigators and Key Personnel Basic IRB CITI training course in order to

understand the ethics associated with doing research, particularly in relation to human subjects. This guided process should take around 2 hours to complete. Please save a PDF version of the confirmation page and upload it to Canvas for credit.

Research Paper/Presentation Proposal (100 points): In preparation for the final presentation and paper, you will need to complete a final paper/presentation proposal due by October 2^nd by 11:59pm. This will be 3 to 5 pages, including your thesis and research question(s), as well as 3 to 5 sources cited properly. More information will be provided on this assignment later in the semester.

Peer Review of Papers (75 points): Students (in pairs or groups of 3) will review drafts of other students’ papers in November and provide feedback and tips. More information will be provided on this assignment later in the semester.

Research Presentation (175 points): As part of the course, students are required to present a 10- to 12-minute presentation. The date of this presentation will be in the last few weeks of classes, to be determined early in the semester. More information will be provided on this assignment later in the semester.

Final Course Paper (250 points): The major writing component of the class will be a research paper based upon at least 5 interviews related to a topic around immigration and migration broadly defined. It is okay to interview people that you know, students at GT, students at other universities, but it is advised not to interview youth under the age of 18 without parental consent. You can supplement these 5 interviews with additional interviews, or you can use other sources of data, including history or news sources. This paper (250 points) will be formally written with proper citation of sources and should be 20 to 30 pages. More info on this assignment will be provided as the semester progresses and may change the details pending discussions with the community partner.

Final Grades Rubric out of 1000 points possible (what appears on your transcript)

900 and above = A 

800-899 = B

700-799 = C

600-699 = D

Less than 600 points = F

Late assignments: The policy for late assignments is that you will need a documented health, funeral, or university sponsored excuse for turning in late assignments at full credit. Assignments turned in after their due dates without an excuse will receive a drop in letter grade every two days beyond their due date.