Information on General Content of the Paper
The Chemistry in Context paper is a 7-page, single spaced, term paper. It is supposed to be a paper about some topic you are interested in that is not chemistry. Along with other things which have to do with your life or your interests, we want you to see the chemistry that is in that topic. Basically, we are hoping that in Chem 1110 and now 1120 you have started to see the chemistry around you, everywhere. This paper is an application of that idea.
Because chemistry is the study of anything that has mass and takes up space, it should be relatively easy to find Chemistry in any topic that you choose to write about. If, after reading everything here, you have an idea of a topic but don’t know how to include chemistry, post here! We can all help give you some ideas. =)
The paper can be on any topic. Think of a topic that you are PASSIONATE about. Something that, given the opportunity, you could spend an evening talking about with a friend or neighbor. That’s a good topic! Hobbies that you love work well as topics. Anything that you’ve wanted to learn more about can be a great topic. Topics can include anything, including art, fashion, health, cooking, travel, medicine, money, sex trafficking, bookbinding, etc. etc. etc.
When you write on it, you may include anything to do with that topic that interests you. You can talk about history, religion, social mores, politics, stigmas, etc. Aside from writing a paper that makes sense and hits the nit-picky rules (detailed below), you can write about anything you want, so long as you talk about how chemistry interacts with this topic *somewhere* in there. I’m asking for just 2-3 pages of chemistry stuff (if you clump it all together), or 20% of chemistry stuff if you intersperse it throughout the text.
The chemistry you include should ideally be understandable by a typical high-school student, and shouldemphasize process as well as structure (IE don’t just give a list of ‘structures’ of illicit drugs; show or explain how *this* drug interacts with it’s binding site, or how *that* drug moves throughout the body to get to its target depending on whether it’s inhaled, injected, or eaten). Including images of chemical structures is helpful as you talk about these concrete molecules that are otherwise too small to see.
You must submit a Short Draft if your Chemistry in Context paper by June 27, and is submitted via the ‘Assignments’ tab on the left side of this website. It can be attached as a .pdf or a word document.
Formatting, content, referencing, and style RULES.
Your Chemistry in Context paper is dueJuly 25, and is submitted via the ‘Assignments’ tab on the left side of this website. It can be attached as a .pdf or a word document, and if you have an e-portfolio, it can be posted there and you can attach the link in your submission.
Your Chemistry in Context paper should have the following formatting guidelines:
– 7 pages (NOT including references) – single spaced. More is OK, less is not.
– 12 pt font (Times New Roman)
– 1 inch margins
If it looks like you are fudging this, we will copy and paste your paper into word and set the formatting properly to make sure you met these requirements! Failure to follow these rules is the most common reason that students lose points on this project.
Additionally, you should also have the following content guidelines:
– EITHER 2 pages out of the 7, OR 20% of the total text over time needs to be about Chemistry in context of the topic you choose. More is OK, less is not. Those 7 pages do not include your bibliography, if you choose to include one.
– No more than 20% of the material should be images, pictures, or figures. (That does mean that UP TO 20%of the material can be images, pictures, or figures!)
– No more than 10% of the material should be direct quotes. It is OK to rephrase concepts in your own words, though.
Additionally, you should also have the following reference guidelines:
– Anything you quote directly needs to be given in quotes AND have the reference shown explicitly. Failing to do so is A FORM OF PLAGIARISM AND FRAUD and will earn you a 0 and possible expulsion from the class. Anything above a 15% total Unicheck score may be subject to points penalties.
– Anything you borrow heavily from but rephrase into your own words should be referenced as well. It needs to be clear what part of the text is referenced and which parts are your own.
– Wikipedia itself cannot be referenced, however articles which you found on wikipedia can be referenced.
– “Common knowledge” does not need to be referenced (IE you don’t need to provide a reference that a triglyceride is made of glycerol and three fatty acids). – Specialized and often disputed knowledge does need to be referenced (IE if you want to argue that MMR immunizations do cause autism then we need to see what your references are).
– Your references page should be self-consistent and consistent with your text. If you have a reference listed in text, it needs to be listed on your references page. Failure to follow this rule automatically flags the paper for a plagiarism review.
Finally, you should also have the following style guidelines:
– We will not grade on style. You may choose to write in any of the following styles: narrative, persuasive, expository, informational, colloquial, etc.
– We will not grade harshly on spelling or punctuation. This is only a problem if your spelling and punctuation gets in the way of our being able to read and understand the material.