EssayYour first research essay should be a fully completed work of 5 pages. Your topic may be related to the development of any idea that has already been expressed as part of the course; your thesis should be a synthesis of carefully documented research and critical analysis of this topic. The essay should incorporate the general parts of an academic essay—an introduction and thesis, a body of specific evidence/support/analysis, and a conclusion that emphasizes the answers to questions you may have asked within your research.Your writing should address the Core Learning Outcomes of the course and the Instructor Specific Learning Outcomes, as specified on the syllabus. I have included them here for your convenience:Analyze the disciplinary content in its own context and in relationship to the issues, questions, and positions of other disciplines.Compare and contrast differences and similarities among the disciplines in terms of central concerns, values, methodologies, and relationships to public life.Synthesize diverse perspectives to achieve an interdisciplinary understanding.Analyze the relationships among academic knowledge, professional work, and the responsibilities of local and global citizenship.Interpret and critique the possible “real world” connections or behaviors associated with the viewing or playing of media violence.Instructor Learning OutcomesIdentify, discuss and critique the representations of serial killers as heroes, celebrities, and icons in modern media forms. Explain the characteristics of the media forms, genres, and methods for each subject.Describe and analyze the popular culture forms that encourage audience identification or participation through violence or vicarious experience.Evaluate multiple perspectives, modes of inquiry and expression, and processes for decision-making in the disciplines.SpecificsYour essay should conform to the MLA format for citations within the text and in your works cited. Therefore, your writing should be double-spaced, with one-inch margins, in a 10-12-pitch font. The grading of this essay will be based upon the objective skills we have focused upon in our course lectures and discussions—incorporating your research sources seamlessly within your own writing, building upon your skills as a “close-reading” expert and analysis of your topic, and answering the larger questions about “why” we are studying serial killers as heroes (as well as, “why” your topic is popular? important? significant? worthy of study? definitive of its audience?)ResourcesYou should carefully construct your essay by looking at the examples we have studied within our course—the popular culture essays that have been part of your reading assignments, our in-class examples, and the writing process that has been investigated in our class assignments (Reader Response Essays, Discussion Postings, etc).MLA: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/02/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.APA: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/02/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.RubricThe Final Project will be graded according to the following rubric.CompetencyExceeds Expectation (3)Meets Expectation (2)Does Not Meet Expectation (1)No Evidence (0)Core Learning Outcome #1 Outcomes Demonstrates a detailed and sophisticated understanding of the disciplinary content in relationship to its contexts. Demonstrates an accurate understanding of the disciplinary content in its own context.Disciplinary knowledge represented is incomplete or contains errors and/or omission of contextual factors; or CA guidelines are not followed. Core Learning Outcome #2 OutcomesReflects more than a simple description of similarities and differences between disciplines to illustrate the interaction of the discipline’s concerns, values, methodologies, and relationships to public life.Accurately identifies similarities and differences between the relevant disciplines’ central concerns, values, methodologies, and relationships to public life. Fails to address either central concerns, values, methodologies, or relationships to public life for both disciplines; offers only a superficial discussion of all; addresses these issues for a single discipline; or addresses only similarities or differences; or CA guidelines are not followed. Core Learning Outcome #3 Outcomes(part of Core Assessment)Moves beyond simple interdisciplinary perspectives to achieve a sophisticated synthesis of perspectives that offers unique insights to the problem/issue. Generates valid interdisciplinary perspectives relevant to the problem/issue. Illustrates a single disciplinary perspective or offers a simplistic view of the problem/issue; or CA guidelines are not followed. Core Learning Outcome #4 Outcomes(part of Core Assessment) Applies a sophisticated and creative interdisciplinary understanding to various academic, professional, and civic concerns, uncovering the interconnectedness of those concerns. Applies an interdisciplinary understanding of academic professional and civic concerns. Fails to tie the interdisciplinary understanding to one or more of the following: academic, professional, or civic concerns; or CA guidelines are not followed. Core Learning Outcome #5 OutcomesGoes beyond simple understanding to achieve a detailed, in-depth analysis and evaluation, highlighting strengths and weaknesses of the disciplinary modes. Evaluates various disciplinary modes of thinking in pursuit of holistic understanding. Exhibits only superficial evaluation or evaluates a single mode of disciplinary thinking; or CA guidelines are not followed. Overall project effectiveness OutcomesOutcomes 6.1-6.5Project goes beyond meeting expectations to represent a creative/innovative and persuasive perspective. Project meets audience and genre expectations for coherence, organization, and mechanics/documentation. Project fails to illustrate effective audience analysis or fails to meet genre expectations in one or more areas: coherence, organization, and mechanics/documentation; or CA guidelines are not followed. Technical Skill in Communicating OutcomesOutcome: University Mission Statement Employs conventions of Standard Written English with grace and style in a well-organized, fully developed essay.Employs conventions of Standard Written English in a well-organized, adequately developed essay. Illogical statements, lack of development and organization, and persistent problems with use of Standard Written English interferes with reader's ability to understand the point of the paper.

Chosen Film: Dante’s Peak Ultimately, you will write an essay about 700-1000 words long (5-10 paragraphs) maximum. You should also include at least one diagram, figure, or map, which must be correctly cited in your bibliography. Now, you should watch the movie, paying special attention to the following aspects of the plot: How was this film related to the disaster? How was the disaster used to move the story forward? What is the science behind the phenomenon you chose to research? This should be the most significant section of your paper! Describe the direct and indirect effects of the disaster. What could the government have changed? Explain the long-term global impacts of the disaster.