Drug and Substance Use Among Universities and Association with African Americans and Police

OVERVIEW
Policing and Big Data are important topics of ongoing debate in the United States. The below prompt is open-ended, allowing you to choose a specific example within either of these topics that interests you most. The objective of this assignment is for you to refine your critical analytical skills by connecting assigned course materials with outside examples of your choosing. You are welcome to use the discussion board as a space to contribute your own knowledge and/or share additional examples that you have encountered in your studies or everyday lives. To receive full points, you must also introduce, summarize, and apply authors and key ideas from at least two assigned readings into your response (at least one must be from Module 5), along with specific examples of your choosing.
INSTRUCTIONS
Write a short presentation (3-4 short paragraphs, between 275-650 words total) that addresses the three main points from the below prompt. See guidelines below for specific instructions on formatting your presentation as well as the grading rubric and citation guidelines
Prompt: You have been named head of a Critical Knowledges Committee on Race and Racisms for the University. You have identified as a priority the need to develop a series of initiatives to identify and challenge ways that notions around race and/or racist practices are reproduced in complex ways during some of the most critical moments of peoples’ lives, from going to college to borrowing money, getting harassed by the police or sent to prison, or finding and holding a job. As head of the Committee, your first task is to prepare a written statement that:
1) INTRODUCES THE ISSUE: Discuss specific examples that illustrate the problem or issue as it relates to broad themes from Module 5 (policing and/or big data). Address your (imagined) audience, state the aims of the presentation (narrowing your objective from the above prompt),
2) ELABORATES ON THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM: Select at least one reading from Module 5 that will help you explain the complexity of the problem.
3) PROPOSE SOME ALTERNATIVES: Select at least one additional reading (can be from Module 5 or from any previous week) and apply that reading to your topic to generate concrete proposals for alternate approaches that might address the problem.
FORMATTING & GUIDELINES
While open-ended, your written presentation should follow the following Three-Part structure. You do not have to label each section in your written presentation but you are certainly welcome to do so, as it helps you to ensure you incorporate all of the required elements for the assignment. (See also the Planning Worksheet from Discussion Section for further ideas.)
PART 1: INTRODUCTION (75-150 words)
Discuss specific examples that illustrate the problem or issue as it relates to broad themes from Module 5 (policing and/or big data). Address your (imagined) audience, state the aims of the presentation (narrowing your objective from the above prompt),
PART 2: ELABORATE THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM (100-250 words):
Select at least one reading from the class that will help you explain the complexity of the problem to your audience.
Introduce the author and summarize their argument, key concepts, objective and/or contributions Elaborate on the nature of the problem with a specific example.
Apply the concept or idea from the reading to your example by discussing how it helps to offer a more nuanced understanding of race or racism illustrated by the example you introduced for Part 1: What does the reading you are referring to help your audience understand? What type of framing or lesson does it offer to explain the problem?
PART 3: PROPOSE SOME ALTERNATIVES (100-250 words):
Within the framework of the prompt - and following a Critical Race Theory approach - the objective of this part is to generate proposals for alternatives. Approach this part by “thinking with” specific examples and concrete proposals from readings you have learned from in this course.
EXTRA CREDIT (Optional for 2 points extra credit; word count flexible)
Write a closing paragraph to elaborate on additional ideas and proposals for change.
Basic Grading Criteria:
3-4 short paragraphs. You do not need to label your Parts, but do be sure to follow the above guidelines to include each Part in your presentation.
To receive full points, you must also introduce, summarize, and apply authors and key ideas from at least two assigned reading into your response (at least one must be Christina Aushana or Cathy O’Neil from Module 5).
You are welcome to use the same reading from your podcast project but need to actively cite your work in their written presentation, which means incorporating it into your written presentation by introducing the author and then discussing the podcast episode and how your group applied the reading to the specific focus question of the podcast and how it helps to understand similar/ different issues in the context of your topic for the written presentation for Discussion Board 5.
In your presentation, be sure to use specific examples that help illustrate the problem or issue to your audience. There is no requirement for the number of specific examples you should use. It helps to identify and remember your audience in Part 1, to ensure that you slow down and explain the issue you choose to discuss carefully.
Examples can include any of the assigned media or draw from lecture slides, previous discussion board activities, in-class discussions, your peers’ podcast (accessed via our shared google drive), or any other relevant outside examples of your choosing.
The objective of this assignment is for you to refine your critical analytical skills by connecting assigned course materials from Module 5 with outside examples of your choosing. Be creative and connect ideas!