This assignment is the first step to completing M2A1 in which you will assess the critical thinking skills of a military leader during a time of conflict.
Begin working on M2A1: Essay 1, (due in Module 2), by choosing a military leader who was confronted with a strategic challenge. An example is General Robert E. Lee with Pickett’s Charge at Gettysburg, PA. Consider the critical thinking that informed the strategy during the chosen conflict and apply your assessment to the leader’s approach. Based upon your critical thinking, would you have taken the same approach, or would you have chosen a different strategy?
Here are your instructions for this M1A1 assignment that will form the foundation of your Essay 1 (due in Module 2):
Create a research question from this military leader’s situation and your perspective. For example:
Situation and leader: Caesar must cross the Rubicon River and enter Rome with his army, considered an act of war and forbidden by the Senate.
Research question: “Knowing what we do now about the outcome, would I recommend that Caesar cross the river and enter Rome?”
Briefly identify the critical thinking skills from your reading that you will be applying to analyze fully this situation and the leader’s actions.
Create a short (2+ pages) outline for this research question detailing how you will examine both perspectives (yours and the leader’s) objectively and then use research facts and data to arrive at a responsible conclusion.
List 2 academic resources you will be using, one for each perspective. Give complete APA style references for each.
Essay 1, DUE in Module 2, should be 1500 to 2000 words in length (not including title page and reference page). The paper must contain in-text citations and references in APA style. Papers submitted without in-text citations and a reference page will not be accepted.
Refer to the Excelsior College Library and the Excelsior College OWL for tips on citing and how to avoid plagiarism. If you did not dream it up, then you must cite it!
Here are links to assist you with your writing:
APA Citations Style Tip Sheet [PDF File Size 177 KB]
Smarthinking (writing tutors are available)
Grammarly (to assist with your grammar electronically)
Additional Tutorials & Tip Sheets from the Library
Library databases to search for scholarly resources
Purdue OWL outline instructions
Purdue OWL sample outline [PDF File Size 65.43 KB]
Compose your work using a word processor (or other software as appropriate) and save it frequently to your computer. Be sure to check your work and correct any spelling or grammatical errors before you upload it. When you are ready to submit your work, click “Browse My Computer” and find your file. Once you have located your file, click “Open” and, if successful, the file name will appear under the Attached files heading. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click “Submit.”
Each essay, along with the Topic and Outline proposal, is worth 20% of your final grade.
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PORTION BELOW SHOULD BE WRITTEN FROM THE OUTLINE ABOVE! DO NOT USE WIKIPEDIA AS A RESOURCE!!!!
This essay is the foundational start to your writing in this course. In this essay, you will write about a military leader in your area of interest. Search for and choose a military leader who faced a strategic challenge during a time of conflict. A good example might be General Robert E. Lee who planned and executed the famous Pickett’s Charge at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Be sure to review the resources on the use of critical thinking when completing this assignment.
In M1A1, you selected a topic/research question and crafted an outline for this paper. That was your first step. For M2A1:
Research your chosen military leader using the Excelsior College Library or other academic resources. The Liberal Arts Capstones Research Guide is a useful place to start. You can also use websites that are scholarly. Scholarly sites are typically .org, .gov, or .edu. If you are not sure, please ask your instructor. Do not use Wikipedia.
Select 10-14 scholarly research pieces about your military leader and the topic. To learn more about how to tell if the research you found is scholarly, please visit the EC Library’s Scholarly vs. Popular Video [Video File] [03 min 41 sec].
Using the article by Elder and Paul, Analytical Thinking, refer to pages 5 and 6 for examples of how to apply the “8 Elements of Reasoning.”
Referring to your chosen military leader during a time of conflict, discuss how the leader may have applied the 8 elements of reasoning.
Use your references to support your answers. Cite the research you use appropriately using APA style.
This paper is to demonstrate your critical thinking skills. As such, you are to take what you have researched and analyze and synthesize what is written. You are to form educated responses to the Elder and Paul list, which means you need to include evidence from your chosen military leader.
Some remaining guidelines:
Length: 1500 words
Double space, font 10-11, include page numbers
Include a separate title page (not counted in page total)
Refer to the SLA Written Assignment Grading Rubric for details on the grading expectations
Include a “References” page using APA style
Do not include an “Abstract”
Use APA formatting style for your citations
Do not plagiarize – (if you did not think it, then cite it!) To learn more about plagiarism, please see Excelsior’s OWL and the Excelsior College Library tutorials on proper citations and avoiding plagiarism. http://libguides.excelsior.edu.vlib.excelsior.edu/tutorials-and-tip-sheets
Refer to Excelsior’s Online Writing Lab to assist you with your writing process.
Here are links to assist you with your writing:
APA Citations Style Tip Sheet [PDF File Size 177 KB]
Smarthinking (writing tutors are available)
Grammarly (to assist with your grammar electronically)
Additional Tutorials & Tip Sheets from the Library
Library databases to search for scholarly resources
Purdue OWL outline instructions
Purdue OWL sample outline [PDF File Size 65.43 KB]
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