Comprehensive Final/ Application Paper

Purpose of the Paper:

To demonstrate knowledge of the biological (ethology, heritability, nutrition), cognitive (Piaget and Information Processing), social (the meso, exo, macro and chrono systems), and emotional (self-regulation, maturation of emotions) processes that contribute to child development.

Choosing a topic:

Some suggestions:

• Describe the factors that made you who you are.
• Describe the factors that you would like to make your child who he or she is.
• Describe the social policies that would lead to self-actualization for everyone.

Writing the Paper

Start by making a list of the influences and factors above and summarizing each.  Then, think about how each might be applied to the topic you have chosen.  I am very willing to help with this point. Write them all down.  Now you just have to organize your thoughts into a paper. 

This paper requires no research.  I just want you to apply what you have learned. You will, of course, need to use the textbook extensively.  Be careful not to plagiarize. Use your own words and cite.

Many students do not realize the seriousness of plagiarism.  Writing about complex material is difficult, and often it seems that the author has said it so well that your own words will be inadequate.  There are however two important reasons for doing it the hard way.  

1.  If you can’t put something in your own words, it usually means you don’t understand it yet.  If you don’t understand it, it has no business in a paper you are writing.  Please see me for help understanding difficult articles. 

2.  Plagiarism is theft.  

It can result in an “F” for the assignment, being dropped from the class, or even dismissed from school. 

I will be glad to review drafts with you.

Grading: