Assignment

Students will compose an op-ed essay that makes a theory-informed argument on any topic of racial inequality (i.e. income inequality, climate justice, food deserts, COVID-19 hospitalizations, vaccine hesitation, etc.).

Step 1: In Week 5, Students will turn in a draft worksheet. This document will be used to get peer feedback towards writing the final op-ed due at the end of the course.

Step 2: Write the final op-ed by Week 8.

Final Op-Eds will receive an A grade if:

• Contains ~1000 words, double-spaced turned in online
• Has a headline title
• Have a clear, engaging lede that gets the reader interested in the topic
• Have a clear, timely news hook - Why is this important to talk about right now?
• Have a clear argument, established within the first three sentences - What's are you making the case for?
• Have a clear outcome - What should be done about this issue?
• Incorporate and cite at least one of the theoretical frameworks from the course as a form of evidence to support their argument
• Use evidence from outside the course to support their argument, i.e. a statistic, an event, a quote from someone familiar with the topic
• Address contrary opinions
• Has a clear conclusion
• Contain no glaring spelling or grammatical errors
• Contains only factually correct statements
• Uses citations appropriately
• Include a short credibility-building biography at the end