Special Topics in North American Studies-Independent Project (NAMS 1405)

For 2 OP/ECTS, write a Blog post based on your attendance at Ambassador Charles C. Adams, Jr.’s 30 November lecture on International Diplomacy.

The blog post will be written in groups of three.

In addition to earning a pass or fail grade for the credits, the five best blog posts will be featured on the JMC Current Issues Blog (https://blogit.utu.fi/jmcblog/) in early December.

Sign up on Moodle by 18 November 2015. Dr. Parks will assign groups after this date. However, if you have chosen your own group of three, email Dr. Parks with the names of your group members after signing up on Moodle.

The blog post must 6000 characters in length.

It must include 4-6 relevant images, with their public domain source clearly indicated. For open access images, try Wikimedia Commons, Every Stock Photo, Pixabay, Morgue File, and Flickr Commons. Please make sure to check the license for each picture you wish to use, as all of the pictures in these sources are not public domain."

The blog must include a minimum of 4-6 in-text hyperlinks that bring the reader to your source material and/or further relevant information. 

The blog must have a catchy headline. It must be written in a clear and concise manner that will be of interest to those who attended the lecture, but also to those who did not. 

The blog is NOT a summary of the lecture. The blog should instead reflect on the broader significance of the topic, how it relates to issues in the world, and what it made you think about.

The blog will cover three main components:

BACKGROUND:  Before attending the lecture, what does “international diplomacy” mean to you and what can you find out about.

LECTURE: What were the main issues and themes addressed by the lecture and what thoughts and questions did it raise?

AUDIENCE Q&A: What kinds of questions and discussion came up after the lecture?    

The assignment is due on Monday, 7 December 2015, and should be submitted on Moodle. To be considered for publication on the JMC Blog, the assignment must be submitted by 12 PM.