America on Trial

ok kiddies, here is the information for our trial project. The following is mostly for the non-profit section of the project, but most of you are using the same arguments for the trial.

Non-Profit Organization

Overview:

You are being asked to create a new organization. This organization will have a mission statement and goals for which you will strive. In finding a cause to take action for, keep in mind that you are nor replicating an organization already in existence, you are breaking new ground This your new organization and its purpose must be sincere. You may choose to address a grievance of society or a moral/ethical issue (Students against Whiners). Or, you may choose to, in some way, revolutionize a current aspect of society for the better (Coalition against Pennies). The purpose is up to you and your group, but you must have a purpose that is beneficial. Keep in mind that you will need to be able to write more than ten pages of related research on the subject – so, make sure it is a real concern.

After a cause has been found and research has begun, you will begin participating in the outside world. You will need to send business letters to companies/corporations to find out more about topics that concern you. You will also need to begin setting your own goals and finding a mission statement for your organization to stand by. During this transitional phase, you will also be creating a website that will be the base of your organization with related links, historical research, and current domestic/world examples, etc. Toward the end of this project, you should have a completed website for your organization, anywhere from 10-30 pages of research and persuasive papers that you have composed about the background of this topic, written business letters to obtain information and also to seek change, a pamphlet printed in mass quantities that outlines what the problem is/how you plan to solve it, and the final aspect that you will need to do is physically go out into the world in some manner to make your point heard. This project will take place not just in the classroom, but many parts will come from and be taken to the outside world.

Specifics: The project is composed of 8 separate elements.

1. Project Proposal: addressing how you plan to complete the following components of this project. A description for each is necessary – write as much as you need to explain the element. Obviously, for number two, you only need a few words, while for the elements such as your historical essay or business letters, you will need to have an idea of what you will research or who you will send letters to.

2. Logo/Name: clearly every organization needs to be referred to as something and needs some sort of logo that encapsulates the goals of this organization. Due Thursday, May 8

3. Business letter(s) Seeking Information: In this letter(s), you will be asked to find the addresses of companies/people/organizations that have information that will help you complete your research for this project. You will be mailing out letters to these places requesting information and insight they can offer your organization. Minimum three letters per individual member. Due Monday, May 12

4. Mission Statement: that outlines not only the problems this organization is attempting to address, but the possible solutions or ideas this organization has to solve these issues. Usually a good mission statement should explain why your organization exists and what it hopes to achieve in the future. It articulates the organization’s essential nature, its values, and its planned work. This should be done in an abstract outlining the essential problem, and also offering part of this organization’s goals to address that problem. Due Thursday, May 8

5. Historical Research Paper: perhaps the largest single component of this project, your non-profit organization needs to be well-grounded in knowledge. Without knowing all of the issues surrounding your cause, you lose any legitimacy your organization might have. Therefore, you must research all issues surrounding your cause and create an argumentative paper that is based in historical and current fact. Unlike other papers, this paper will require historical facts with your own analysis applied to them that shows how the problem has evolved. You need to prove through your research the history of your cause and the reasons why the society we live in today needs reform. This paper is five pages per person. Each group member should address a different but related topic for research. For example, if your organization were to study gangs, one group member might research local San Diego gangs, another might look at international gangs, and a third might look at organized crime or the mafia…Nonetheless, it should be fully annotated and contain a bibliography as well, all in MLA format.
Due Monday, May 19

6. Persuasive Essay Outlining Solution(s): Differing from the historical paper, this essay should contain more opinion and offer how you plan to solve, or help the cause for which you are fighting. It should lead a convincing argument using some of the facts of the historical paper and try to persuade the reader that your solution is the best way to achieve your goal. This paper should be between 1-2 pages per person. It should also be annotated, but if the bibliography is the same as the historical paper, a new one is not needed. This essay is crucial because the purpose of an organization is that they have ideas how to fix a problem, and just presenting historical essays with facts does not fix anything. You must show how you plan to solve the problem, in your opinion. Due Wednesday, May 21

7. Comprehensive Pamphlet Produced in Mass: Like many organizations you have already seen, most have some sort of brochure or pamphlet that informs you about them. You, too, will create a pamphlet containing your mission statement, a brief summary of your historical research, and also the best arguments from your persuasive essay. It should be informative and should outline the basis for your organization. It may also include pictures or other information that you feel pertains heavily with your organization. I will look into making mass quantities of them for you. Due Monday, May 26

8. An Informative Website: Along the same idea as the pamphlet, you will need a central base for your organization. This will be done in this project through the creation of a website. This website will contain the same overview as your pamphlet, but should be able to link to other informative related sites and your full research papers. It should also have ways to get in touch with the founders of this organization and be a place where people interested in your cause can go to find more information and ways to help support your organization. Due Friday, May 23

9. Events: You will need to put on two events, but one can include the exhibition night.
Due Monday, June 2

Throughout this project, we will also be working on our trial arguments - via debates, papers, mock trials, etc. I am so excited! This is going to be great! :)