You will choose a topic from the list of topics on current educational problems in Philadelphia (assignment description attached here). You will gather research on the current problem and trace its historical roots, and connect the problem to the course readings and themes. Below is a list of topics, with some resources to start your research process. This is not an exhaustive list. I also recommend reading this list of demands from teacher groups for additional ideas for topics, as well as this list of “coded language in education” (any of these could be their own topic!).
Please ensure that your topic addresses an educational problem (or you connect another societal problem to its impact on schools/education), specifically discusses Philadelphia, cites at least ten (10) credible sources from your own research and at least five (5) course texts. Your project should speak to at least some of the following questions: What are the historical roots here in Philadelphia for this problem/issue? If your topic does not explicitly have to do with schools (e.g., redlining or housing discrimination), how does it impact schools and students’ experiences within schools? How is this problem/issue similar or different from the themes we have explored both in the US and abroad? What can educational traditions from other areas of the world teach us about this problem and how to address it? You may also include a list of recommendations or future points of consideration, if your research leads you to have them, but such a list is not required.
Your final project can take many forms: a blog post with infographics, op-ed for a local newspaper, letter to your congressperson, or arts-based research project, or a traditional 5-7pp paper. You may also propose a format not listed here, but be sure to get my approval first, and follow the final project rubric. Your annotated bibliography is an important part of the research process. Please locate and review 10-15 credible sources on your final paper topic and summarize in an Annotated Bibliography. Pass/Fail.
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