Punishment Paper: Death Penalty

Paper: Punishment

Drop Box

• What?: This assignment involves writing a short paper that reflects on the course content explored in this module, with a focus on punishment (generally) or the death penalty (specifically).
• Why?: Considering major societal issues from the lens of ethics is a part of being an engaged moral agent, and some would suggest a good citizen. Exploring this issue can benefit from the application of classical and contemporary ethical approaches.   
• How?: See and follow the detailed steps below, and message Professor A. if you have any questions.

Step 1: Read The Moral Compass, Chapter 18 and review all other relevant course materials.

Step 2: Research an article, published in the last 6 months, that you think introduces or explores moral issues about Punishment or the Death Penalty specifically.  *Maintain the URL link and/or a PDF version of your article for inclusion with your submission.

Step 3: You will write a short, though well-written, college level paper including each of the elements below.

PAPER FORMAT

Use whatever writing format you are most comfortable with (APA, MLA, etc.).

Include your name, the professor’s name, the course name and the date.

Give your paper a title (relating it to the assignment or the article you have chosen).

Include a Work Cited Page and Word Count.

• Section 1: Article Summary

• • Provide a thorough summary of the article you selected, and as able, use content, key terms, and concepts from the textbook chapter. Avoid use of direct quotes from ether source to a minimum in this section (and if you feel you must include them, they should be used sparingly).
  • However, you must include the article information (author, title, publication, etc.).

• • Helpful Hint – If you ever have trouble with research you should go to the campus library Writing Commons where they are more than happy to help with research, writing, etc..  For those who cannot make it to campus please use the Ask-A-Librarian link in the Begin Here Module.

• Section 2: Compare and Contrast

• • Provide an exploration of this topic comparing the textbook’s content compared/contrasted from the article’s content.
    • Are there areas where they agree/overlap?
    • Are there areas where they disagree?
    • Are there topics introduced in the article not otherwise presented in the textbook?
  • Be specific and provide direct references (with citations) to each source in this section.

• Section 3: Reflection 

• • Provide written reflection on the article and the topic.  While the above sections focus more on what the authors of the various sources think, this section is your opportunity to share YOUR thoughts on the topic.

• Word Count

• Include a word count.  Note students should strive for 450-600 words for this brief essay.

• Works Cited Page
  • Include proper citations for all sources used (which will include the course textbook and the article you have selected).
  • In addition to the correct citations in your paper, please provide the link to an electronic copy of the article.  Alternatively, you can also submit a PDF version of the article to the dropbox (in addition to your paper).

Step 3: Upload your completed paper file to this dropbox, no later than the posted due date/time.  Check your Turnitin originality report and address any issues or concerns.

Grading Criteria – See the grading rubric included for reference.

(Learning Objective Assessed: 2b, 2c, 3a, 3b, 3c)