Natural Science 4H
Fall 2002 Term Paper
Dr. Zellmer

Important Dates (MWF 8 a.m. section):

October 7, 2002 One copy of the Topic title and paragraph is due in class.
October 28, 2002 Two copies of the First Draft are due in class
November 4, 2002 Two copies of Student Evaluation of the Rough Draft are due in class
November 25, 2002 One copy of the Final Draft of the Term Paper is due in class

The assignment: Select a pseudoscientific or paranormal topic of your choice. Submit your topic and a brief descriptive paragraph for approval by your instructor before working on the paper itself. You may not use a topic scheduled for presentation in the class, unless you can demonstrate that you will be covering new material (check with your instructor). Write a 1500 word paper (approximately four or five pages, not including your bibliography). The paper must be typed, double-spaced, and with a 12-point font. Include both pros and cons of the issue, but in your conclusion section you must use critical thinking to arrive at your conclusions regarding the issues raised. This paper is worth 200 points. If the word count of your paper (don't count the bibliography) is less than 1500 words, it will be given a grade of zero.

Specific requirements:

• You will be required to have at least three references other than the textbooks required for the course and internet web sites. You can cite your course texts and web pages, but they must be only part of your source material. Include all references in your bibliography.
• You must include one photocopied page from each reference that you use, other than web sites and course textbooks. Be sure that the page copied clearly shows what the source is and includes some material relevant to your paper.
• Do not plagiarize. If you copy the exact words from any source, or only make trivial changes in those words, and do not reference the source, it is plagiarism. Direct quotes, if referenced and clearly indicated, may be used. BUT they must be brief, and the sum of all quotes may not add up to more than 150 words of your paper. When you use a specific source, cite the reference at that point in your text using the name-date APA citation method, e.g. (Sagan, 1996), to locate the reference in your bibliography. Cite any idea not your own to a reference in the bibliography.
• Spelling and grammar will be counted toward the grade on this paper.
• Your peer evaluation of someone else's paper will also be counted toward your overall grade. Each student will turn in two copies of the Rough Draft. One copy will remain with the instructor, the instructor will issue the other copy to a fellow student reviewer. The reviewer will read and mark up the paper, then write a 250 word constructive evaluation of the paper, turning in two copies of the evaluation within about one week (see the deadline). One copy will remain with the instructor who will grade it, the other will be attached to the marked up paper when it is returned to its author.
• The Final Draft of the term paper should incorporate any useful instructions made by the student reviewer. The due date is absolute. Late papers will not be accepted. You may turn them in early if you wish. (If you have an unusual problem with any deadline, please discuss this with your instructor before the deadline passes.)

• Format: Introduction (an overview of your topic); Body (arguments and evidence on both sides of the issue); Conclusion (your analysis and position); and Bibliography
• For the Bibliography and Citations, follow the "APA" name-date format. In addition to the traditional formats for books and journals, see how electronic sources are cited (Hacker, 2002). Be sure to look at the sample APA paper that Hacker provides.