Jump to content

Wikipedia:Wiki Ed/Robert Morris University/Pennsylvania Politics (Spring 2018)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This Course Wikipedia Resources Connect
Questions? Ask us:

contact@wikiedu.org

Course name
Pennsylvania Politics
Institution
Robert Morris University
Instructor
Philip Harold
Wikipedia Expert
Shalor (Wiki Ed)
Subject
Political Science
Course dates
2018-01-08 00:00:00 UTC – 2018-04-30 23:59:59 UTC
Approximate number of student editors
19


This course examines city and state government and politics in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The political and legal structure of city and state government in Pennsylvania is examined, as well as interest groups, public opinion, political parties, campaigns and elections. Current local and state issues are covered as well.

Student Assigned Reviewing
Breannamccann Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 38, Voter ID laws in Pennsylvania User:Arj1028/sandbox, User:Terriharris97/sandbox
HR516 Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 2, Pension reform in Pennsylvania
Riane97 Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 3, Property taxes in Pennsylvania
J.Vilcek Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 48, Funding for the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education User:Tjc101/sandbox, User:Tssa1926/sandbox
SimsCity75 Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 159, Hydraulic fracturing in Pennsylvania
A.diyanni Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 33, Opioid epidemic in Pennsylvania
SydneyC123 Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 88, Gambling in Pennsylvania
ErinMacLeod Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 4, Opioid epidemic in Pennsylvania User:Twillak98/sandbox, User:J.Vilcek/sandbox
Tssa1926 Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 97, Gun control in Pennsylvania
MattMMarkulin Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 22, Hydraulic fracturing in Pennsylvania
Jay.Darbs Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 6, Pension reform in Pennsylvania
Eelst175 Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 5, Labor unions in Pennsylvania
Neonviper7 Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 77, Minimum wage in Pennsylvania
Mike Smooth Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 123, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 11 Gambling Expansion in Pennsylvania
Tjc101 Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 12, Gun control in Pennsylvania
Andrewlane41 Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 45, Minimum wage in Pennsylvania
Arj1028 Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 27, Abortion in Pennsylvania
TraficantiZ Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 17, Privatization of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board
Jacobfunck Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 7, Property taxes in Pennsylvania
BradleyIrwin95 Property taxes in Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 9
Ashleighpresnar School Choice in Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 13, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 10, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 15, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 16, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 46, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 47, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 49, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 50, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 51
Twillak98 Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 123, Sanctuary cities in Pennsylvania
Srast234 Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 21, Pension reform in Pennsylvania
Laurendunegan Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 56, Privatization of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board
Terriharris97 Criminal justice reform in Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 8
Ajwst221 Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 14, Pension reform in Pennsylvania
Rmufb68 Judicial Elections in Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 68, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 18, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 19, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 20

Timeline

Week 1

Course meetings
Thursday, 11 January 2018
In class - Introduction to the Wikipedia project

Welcome to your Wikipedia project's course timeline. This page will guide you through the Wikipedia project for your course. 

NOTE: this timeline is subject to change over the course of the semester.  


 This page breaks down writing a Wikipedia article into a series of steps, or milestones. These steps include online trainings to help you get started on Wikipedia. 


 Your course has also been assigned a Wikipedia Content Expert. Check your Talk page for notes from them. You can also reach them through the "Get Help" button on this page. 


 To get started, please review the following handouts: 


Week 2

Course meetings
Thursday, 18 January 2018
Assignment - Receive assigned topic and begin to get sources

After choosing and being assigned your article, start compiling a list of relevant sources. 

Search Google (click on "News" after you do the search), Google Scholar, US Newsstream in Proquest, and the different sites on the LibGuide for the course (Google site search may be helpful with these sites). 

Also run your search through the RMU Library's Discovery Service and EZ Borrow (link available off of the library's home page), in case there are sources there that might be helpful.  

Assignment - Complete a PA House district Wikipedia page

Upgrade a PA House district Wikipedia page, so that it looks like this.  

Follow the instructions on the Blackboard course shell to complete this.  

You may complete other House district pages over the course of the semester for extra credit.  

In class - Discussion
Thinking about sources and plagiarism
  • Blog posts and press releases are considered poor sources of reliable information. Why?
  • What are some reasons you might not want to use a company's website as the main source of information about that company?
  • What is the difference between a copyright violation and plagiarism?
  • What are some good techniques to avoid close paraphrasing and plagiarism?

Week 3

Course meetings
Thursday, 25 January 2018
Assignment - Continue to get sources, and take notes on them

This week, get additional sources by running your search through various search engines.

Continue to search Google News, Google Scholar, US Newsstream in Proquest, and the different sites on the LibGuide for the course (Google site search may be helpful with these sites).  

Find at least 15 sources, and start taking notes on them in a Word document that has one page per source (and thus is 15 pages long).  Put the url or citation at the top of the page, and your notes, including any direct quotes, underneath.  Make sure that direct quotes are clearly labelled and differentiated from your own words.  

Assignment - Complete Two Trainings

Week 4

Course meetings
Thursday, 1 February 2018
Assignment - Submit sources and notes

Submit a document with 15 good sources you have read on your topic, and your notes on them, to the Blackboard course shell.  

Assignment - Plan what you want to write about

In your sandbox, write a few sentences about what you plan to contribute to the selected article. 

Week 5

Course meetings
Thursday, 8 February 2018
Milestones

Everyone has completed a PA House District Wikipedia page

Assignment - Start your article

You've picked a topic and found your sources. Keep reading your sources as you prepare to write the article.



Resources: Editing Wikipedia pages 7–9


Milestones

Week 6

Course meetings
Thursday, 15 February 2018
Milestones

Everyone has submitted fifteen sources on their topic to the the Blackboad course page. 

Milestones

Everyone has begun writing their article drafts.

Assignment - Expand your draft

Keep working  over the next four weeks on transforming your article into a complete first draft.

If you'd like a Content Expert to review your draft, you can do that now.  Click the "Get Help" button in your sandbox to request notes. 



Week 7

Course meetings
Thursday, 22 February 2018
Study for the midterm

Study for the midterm exam this week.  

Week 8

Course meetings
Thursday, 1 March 2018
In class - Midterm Exam

This week the midterm exam will be taken in class.  

Week 9

Course meetings
Thursday, 15 March 2018
Assignment - Take training on how to insert references

Week 10

Course meetings
Thursday, 22 March 2018
Assignment - Get article ready for peer review

Get your draft ready for peer-review. 


A Content Expert can review your draft.  Click the "Get Help" button in your sandbox to request notes. 

Week 11

Course meetings
Thursday, 29 March 2018
Assignment - Peer review and copy edit

Behind all good writers is a good editor.  Peer review is the best way to improve your writing. 

Peer review on Wikipedia involves leaving suggestions on on the Talk page of an article, or sandbox, that someone is working on. 

Look for the comments of other Wikipedia editors, and be sure to acknowledge feedback from other Wikipedians.

When you review articles, make spelling, grammar, and other adjustments. Pay attention to the tone of the article. Is it encyclopedic?

First, take the "Peer Review" online training.

Then, sign up for an peer review session on Intertwine, doing an hour-long peer review session with students from other courses.  Sign up for a sessionhere using the Intertwine training module below. 

Week 12

Course meetings
Thursday, 5 April 2018
Milestones

Every student has finished reviewing their assigned articles, making sure that every article has been reviewed.

Assignment - Continue improving your article

Do additional research and writing to make further improvements to your article, based on suggestions and your own critique.

  • Read Editing Wikipedia page 12 to see how to create links from your article to others, and from other articles to your own. Try to link to 3–5 articles, and link to your article from 2–3 other articles.
  • Consider adding an image to your article. Wikipedia has strict rules about what media can be added, so make sure to take the 'Contributing Images and Media Files' training before you upload an image.

Week 13

Course meetings
Thursday, 12 April 2018
Assignment - Respond to your peer review

You probably have some feedback from other students and possibly other Wikipedians. It's time to work with that feedback to improve your article!


  • Read Editing Wikipedia pages 12 and 14.
  •  Return to your draft or article and think about the suggestions. Decide which ones to start implementing. Reach out to your instructor or your Content Expert if you have any questions. 


Assignment - Begin moving your work to Wikipedia

 Once you've made improvements to your article based on peer review feedback, it's time to move your work to Wikipedia proper - the "mainspace." 



  • Read Editing Wikipedia page 13, and follow those steps to move your article from your Sandbox to Mainspace.
  • You can also review the [[../../../training/students/sandboxes|Sandboxes and Mainspace]] online training.

Week 14

Course meetings
Thursday, 19 April 2018
Assignment - Polish your work

 Continue to expand and improve your work, and format your article to match Wikipedia's tone and standards. Remember to contact your Content Expert at any time if you need further help! 

Milestones

Everyone should have finished all of the work they'll do on Wikipedia, and be ready for grading.

In class - Class Presentations

Everyone will give a 10-minute presentation in the last two weeks of class on the topic they worked on, and their experience writing a Wikipedia article.  

Assignment - Final article

It's the final week to develop your article.


  • Read Editing Wikipedia page 15 to review a final check-list before completing your assignment.
  • Don't forget that you can ask for help from your Content Expert at any time!