Dear students,

You will have an extra week to submit your journal. However, I would advise you to submit ASAP (original due date was this Wednesday, 3/11). By the time the 18th rolls around, you will have your midterm to prepare for (which is on the 23rd).

If you did poorly on the previous writing assignments or just want to improve on Journal 2, come see me during office hours for help with a topic. Remember: Absolutely no email/late submissions will be accepted. If you have a habit of running into technical difficulties, use a more reliable computer and submit with plenty of time to spare. If you do not submit a proper format (Word or PDF), you will receive a ‘0.’ Further, if you do not receive a Safe Assign score, you will receive a significant point deduction.

Below are a list of possible topics to help you choose what to write about (Choose a subtopic from lessons 3, 4, 5, or 6):

1. Federalism: Subtopic: Any issue you can personally relate to that has come under scrutiny because of conflict between national and state law

2. Civil Liberties: Subtopic: Choose any of the amendments and make a personal connection to the liberties afforded to you by that amendment

3. Media: Subtopic: If you pay close attention to politics, explore the implications of corporate ownership on the news you are receiving? Where do you get your political news from? Investigate its corporate sponsors, if any, and explain how this impacts the stories covered and how they are covered (slant, framing, etc.). 

These are just to help those of you who might have a difficult time choosing a subtopic. You can choose any narrow topic within the approved chapters (3-6). But remember, you are not simply summarizing the subtopic. The bulk of your journal should be on personal reflection, so choose a topic you can relate to.