Social issues faced by people with disabilities

SPED 117 Final Project Outline and Rubric
The purpose of this project is to enhance your understanding of select social issues faced by
people with disabilities by writing a research-based reflection after watching a documentary.
Please read these directions thoroughly before starting this assignment.
1. Select a documentary from the sign-up page. Read this description and rubric thoroughly.
Watch the documentary, taking notes as you do so on the social issues identified in the
documentary.
2. Then, research the social issues (e.g., exclusion, access, stigma, relationships, sexuality,
employment, etc.) related to the documentary (you may need to pick one or two major
topic areas to research if there are multiple in your documentary). Please do NOT
research the disability from a medical perspective. For example, if you watch a
documentary about people with Downs Syndrome, do not write about trisomy 21or other
medical related issues. This class addresses the social constructs of disability not the
causes, prevalence or medical impact of various disabilities.
3. Identify at least 4 reputable scholarly sources. Reputable sources include academic
journals, and text books. Do not use newspaper or magazine articles as those are not
considered scholarly sources. To find sources, please use an academic search engine such
as the Education and Social Sciences library search page
(https://www.library.illinois.edu/sshel/). Do not search for sources on Google. These
sources need to be sources outside of sources we have used in this class. Please refer to
the guide at the top of the Moodle page to find out more about how to find scholarly
sources.
4. Please use the following headers and sub headers in your paper. A description of what is
expected in each section and the point total for each section is included.
a. Summary: Write a ½ page summary of the documentary that highlights the
critical issues. (10 points)
b. Research Section: In this section, use the sub headers below to discuss the
scholarly research you found. Make sure you have identified 4 scholarly sources
related to the issues you identified in the summary and cite them in this section.
Total length of this section should be 1 and ½ to 2 pages. The following sub
headers should be included:
i. Search Process: Describe how you found your sources (length should be
¼ of a page). What search engine did you use? Reflect on how difficult or
easy was it to find reputable sources. How did you decide on the ones you
ended up selecting? (10 points)
ii. Review of the Research: Provide a 1 to 1 and ½ page review of the
research you found related to the issues you identified from the
documentary. The research needs to relate to the issues you highlighted
from the documentary. This section should describe what you learned
about the issue through your research. You need to provide citations
throughout this section (25 points for review, 10 points for citations)
This section will also be graded for the quality of your sources. Ensure
that they are scholarly, reputable sources and that they are relevant to the
issues you raised from the documentary. (10 points)
iii. Questions and Future Ideas: After doing your research and writing your
paper, what questions do you have about the issues? Write at least 2
questions. Also, include ideas you have about how to promote positive
changes in the future regarding the issues you identified. (Length ¼ to ½
page long, 10 points)
c. Self-Reflection: Include a ½ page self-reflection on your overall participation in
SPED 117. Answer each the following questions in your response:
i. Why is this content important for you to learn?
ii. Why is it important for others around you and for society at large to learn?
iii. How will this content be useful to you in the future and professionally?
(10 points)
d. References: On a separate page, list your references using a professional writing
style such as APA style. Please do not post URLS or websites as references. Make
sure that any reference you cite is in your reference list and do not include
references that you did not cite in your reference list. (10 points)
Below are two examples of references in APA style. There are many helpful
websites such as the Purdue OWL that can help with putting references in the
correct format.
Additionally, your paper will also be grading for formatting. The following
formatting guidelines should be followed: (5 points)
• You must use a professionally writing style such as APA style for grammar,
citations, and reference list
• You do not need a title page
• Use the headers and sub headers listed above
• Your paper should be double-spaced using 12-point font in Times New Roman
• Use 1-inch margins for the top, bottom, and sides of the paper.
• The entire paper should be 3 to 3 & ½ pages (not including the reference list).
Grading Rubric
(Please read the descriptions above to ensure that you are including all required information in
each section.)
Paper Section Description Points Points
Earned
Summary ½ page summary highlights critical issues 10
Research:
Search Process
¼ page description of how sources were found; includes
reflection on the process and how easy/hard it was
10
Research:
Review of the
Research
1 to 1 & ½ page review of the research found. Student
discussed how the research was relevant to the issues
raised in the documentary.
25
Research:
Review of the
Research
Student uses at least 4 scholarly sources and sources
were appropriate for the issues being discussed in
review section
10
Research:
Review of the
Research
Student provided citations throughout the research
review section to provide support for their points
(included at least 4 different citations)
10
Research:
Questions &
Future Ideas
Student posed 2 lingering questions after research
review and provided suggestions to promote positive
changes related to the issues they described.
10
Self-Reflection All three self-reflection questions are answered
thoughtfully.
10
Reference List Reference list is complete, in a professional writing
style, and does not include references that were not cited
10
Formatting Paper uses professional writing style throughout and has
been edited for content and grammar.
5
Total Points 100