mod+2

PAF 101—MODULE 2 GRADE SHEET
 * BASED ON CHAPTERS 2, 3, & 4**

Name: Societal Category: Group #:

__MAXIMUM__ __YOUR__ __EXERCISE__ __POINTS__ __SCORE__ __COMMENTS__

2.1 6 2.2 6 2.3 6 __2.4 6__ 2.5 12 __2.6 15__ 2.7 5

__3.1 30__

4.1 16 __4.2 8__ 4.3 15 __4.4 6__ 4.5 8 __4.6 16__

__Subtotal for Paper__ 155

__Points Deducted:__ __Late Paper__ _____ __Writing__ _____ __Organization__ _____ __Participation__ _____

Total Points Deducted

Extra Credit Points: Competition _ Speakers _

__Total Extra Credit Points__ __ = =
 * TOTAL GRADE**


 * MODULE TWO** 155 __#____

Fall 2011

PAF 101 EXERCISES – MODULE 2

 * BASED ON CHAPTERS 2, 3, & 4**

Consider the Formatting & Grammar Guidelines, under the Module tab on the course website, to be part of the directions for this and all modules.**

Exercise 2.1: Locating Quantitative Data Your Total Score:_ (Maximum: 6 points)

Using the ProQuest Statistical Datasets__,__ finda trend line graph and accompanying data table with at least three pieces of data, relevant to your societal category. The data must represent information within the last ten years. Use the database’s ‘export’ and ‘PDF’ feature to download and print the graph and table. Attach the print out directly behind the page on which this exercise appears. (6 points)


 * **Write one sentence describing one data point from your trend line graph and include an internal citation here:**


 * **Identify the Source Organization for this data and indicate that here:**

Exercise 2.2: Finding Periodical Articles Your Total Score:_ (Maximum: 6 points)

Using the ProQuest Central database, locate a news or magazine article relevant to your societal category at any geographic level. Do not use an article from an academic journal. Attach a photocopy or printout of the first page of the article directly behind this exercise. Make sure the article was published within the last six months.


 * **Quote one relevant sentence from the article that is related to your societal category here:**

Exercise 2.3: Locating Books Your Total Score:_ (Maximum: 6 points)

Using the library catalog, find a book on your societal category at any geographic level. The publication date of the book must be within the last fifteen years. Books published by the government may not be used for this exercise. Attach a photocopy of the copyright page directly behind the page on which this exercise appears.


 * **Directly quote a full sentence from the book that is related to your societal category here:**

Exercise 2.4: Using United States Government Publications Your Total Score:_ (Maximum: 6 points)

Using **http://catalog.gpo.gov**, locate one United States government publication relevant to your societal category at any geographic level.
 * The publication should include a clearly identified "title page" and the names of individual or organizational authors, such as those found within formal government agency reports, newsletters, online journals/magazines, etc. These government publications are often posted in "PDF”. Their pages frequently are numbered.
 * The publication you locate should not merely consist of a brief news announcement or other informal online information summary. These types of publications are often posted on the web in "HTML" format only. The document must be more than 10 pages long.
 * Do not use U.S. Census information.
 * Attach a photocopy or printout of the cover or title page of the document directly behind the page on which this exercise appears.
 * Cite source used.


 * **In one sentence, explain briefly why this publication will provide you with useful information about your societal category here:**

Exercise 2.5: Using Policy Publications Your Total Score:­­­_ (Maximum 12 points)

A. Using CQ Researcher Plus Archive, find a publication that contains information relevant to your societal category at any geographic level. Attach a photocopy or printout of the first page of the article directly behind this exercise. (6 points) Part A Score:


 * **Using full sentences, quote no more than three sentences from the article that gives you a better understanding of your societal category** **here:**

B. Using the “Contacts” section of the CQ Researcher article, find one of the organizations from the list (preferably a public policy institute), and retrieve a policy paper, working paper, policy brief, or online report from the past five years on your societal category. The “Contacts” section appears once you have opened an article. It is one of the links in the gray column at the left margin of each CQ Researcher publication. Attach a photocopy or printout of the first page of the article directly behind this exercise. (6 points)

Part B Score: _


 * **Quote one sentence from the publication that gives evidence of a societal problem that exists within your societal category here:**

Exercise 2.6: Using United States Census Data Your Total Score:_ (Maximum: 15 points) Use data from the U.S. Census website (**http://www.census.gov**) to fill out the chart below with the required information for **any county, town or city located in your home state**, for a **comparable county, town or city located in any state that is within 25% of the population size of your original county, town or city**, and for the **United St ates ** as a whole.
 * To obtain data needed for the chart, use the site’s “Find an Area Profile with Quick Facts” link http://quickfacts.census.gov
 * If your county, town or city is too large to find a comparable county, town or city within 25%, choose the largest one you can locate with a population of at least 1 million people.
 * Fill in the top row of the chart with your corresponding information. Do not leave the brackets or what is inside the brackets on your chart.
 * Do NOT include percentage (%) signs or dollar ($) signs when filling out the chart.
 * Do not cite or reference this exercise.


 * || **[Write Name of County or City or Town and State here]** || **[Write name of Comparable County or City or Town and State here]** || **United States** ||
 * **Population** ||  ||   ||   ||
 * **% Persons 65 years and older** ||  ||   ||   ||
 * **% Persons White Not Hispanic** ||  ||   ||   ||
 * **% Female** ||  ||   ||   ||
 * **Per Capita Income ($)** ||  ||   ||   ||
 * **% Persons Below Poverty Level** ||  ||   ||   ||
 * **% Homeownership Rate** ||  ||   ||   ||
 * **% High School Graduates – Age 25+** ||  ||   ||   ||

Exercise 2.7: Narrowing your societal category Your Total Score: _ (Maximum: 5 points)

Based on the research you have done in this chapter, narrow your societal category to a specific societal problem within it. Be sure to state it as a problem.


 * **Write your specific societal problem, indicating a specific geographic location suffering from the problem here:**

Exercise 3.1: Researching Your Players Your Total Score: _ (Maximum: 30 points) List three individuals, either a player or a staff person of the player, who deal with your narrowed societal problem for the geographic location you specified. Use the following url for the Leadership Library Site to search for these players. [].


 * 1.) Write the name and position of an elected government official who serves at the local, state, or national level here. State the geographic location that they represent. **


 * **Write the player’s phone number and email address here (If instead of an email address you find a site that allows you to send a message to the individual, indicate this and provide a link to the site. This applies to all of 3.1):**


 * **Write the url for the page that you used from the Leadership Library Site here:**


 * **Write why he/she will provide you with useful information by describing one policy he/she had worked on previously:**


 * **Write three questions related to your specific societal problem that you could ask the player here:**


 * 2.) Write the name and position of a non-elected player from a governmental department here: **
 * **State the governmental department here:**
 * ** Write the player's phone number and email address here: **
 * **Write the url for the page that you used from the Leadership Library Site here:**


 * ** Write why he/she will provide you with useful information by describing one policy he/she had work on previously: **
 * ** Write three questions related to your specific societal problem that you could ask the player here: **
 * 3.) Write the name and position of a player and the non-profit organization or public interest/lobby group they work for here. Specify where they work by providing their geographic location. The non-profit organization or public interest/lobby group may be local, state or national. **
 * ** Write the player's phone number and email address here: **
 * ** Write why he/she will provide you with useful information by describing one policy he/she had worked on or one service the organization has provided previously: **
 * ** Write three questions related to your specific societal problem that you could ask the player here: **
 * **Write the url for the page that you used from the Leadership Library Site here:**

Exercise 4.1: Gathering Information for and Determining the Purpose of a Survey Your Total Score:_ (Maximum: 16 points)

A. Select a player to be your “client,” and contact them or a member of their staff. This“client” does not have to be a player from Exercise 3.1. Use the information you get from communicating with this person to answer the following bullets. After you receive a reply, send your contact a thank you e-mail with a carbon copy (CC) to your TA in the e-mail. If you are unable to get in contact with any player, expert, or stakeholder, after multiple attempts, attach a labeled copy of the email you sent behind this exercise. (10 points) Part A score:


 * **Name the individual you contacted, his/her organization, his/her title, and the geographic location where work:**


 * **Write the individual’s phone number and email address here. (If instead of an email address you find a site that allows you to send a message to the individual, indicate this and provide a link to the site).**


 * **Briefly describe the purpose of the survey you will be designing here, including a quote from the player that justifies why this survey will be useful:**


 * **Write a piece of factual information that could be gathered through your survey here:**


 * **Write a piece of attitudinal information that could be gathered through your survey here:**


 * **Describe a specific policy the player might develop from the information gathered in your survey.**

B. Quote the definition of the term "target population" from the //Maxwell Manual//. (2 points) Part B score:_


 * **Place definition here:**

C. Identify the target population you will sample for your survey. You cannot use any single K-12 school or a university as your target population. (4 points) Part C score:_


 * **Write a specific description of your target population including its geographic location and approximate size:**

Exercise 4.2: Choosing a Sample and Method of Contact Your Total Score:_ (Maximum: 8 points)

A. Indicate and discuss which of the three methods of contact from the //Maxwell Manual// you will use to contact your sample. (4 points) Part A score:_


 * **State the method using the terms in the Maxwell Manual:**
 * electronic


 * **Justify why you have chosen to use this method here using information from the //Maxwell Manual//:**
 * because subjects cannot see/hear emotion or tone. you can also get a greater sample size in a shorter time

B. Identify one variable you will use to assess the degree to which your sample accurately reflects your target population. (4 points) Part B score:_


 * **Identify the variable here:**
 * random


 * **Explain why the variable you have chosen matters, and why it is important that the distribution of the variable should be similar to the target population:**
 * the variable matters because with a random sample you can get a more realistic set of data

Exercise 4.3: Determining Sample Size Your Total Score:_ (Maximum: 15 points)

A. Clearly and concisely describe the exact procedures you will use to select the sample and contact the respondents. Be detailed and list each step needed to select the sample. Be realistic. (5 points) Part A score:_


 * **List the steps you will follow here:**

B. Complete the following steps to determine your sample size and confidence interval. (4 points) Part B score:_


 * **Restate your target population and its size here:**


 * **Indicate the size of the sample you plan to analyze here:**


 * **Indicate the approximate percentage this represents of the target population here:**


 * **Indicate the 95% confidence interval of responses from a sample of this size here:**

C. Complete the following steps to determine your response rate and required number of contacts. (6 points) Part C score:_


 * **Estimate the __exact__ response rate you expect for your survey here:**


 * **Justify the rate you chose here:**


 * **Using the formula from the //Maxwell Manual//, show the calculations that you used to find how many people you will have to contact here:**


 * **Write how many people you will have to contact in order to obtain your desired number of responses here:**

Exercise 4.4: Creating the Questions Your Total Score:_ (Maximum: 6 points)

Provide examples of two closed-choice questions for your survey. All response categories must be shown. Follow the format in the //Maxwell Manual//.


 * **Write the question that will gather factual information here:**


 * **Write the question that will gather attitudinal information here:**

Exercise 4.5: Examining News Media Treatment of Surveys Your Total Score:_ (Maximum: 8 points)

Using ProQuest Central, locate a newspaper article from the last six months that presents or discusses a survey that has already been conducted on ANY subject, not necessarily the one studied in this module. The article must be on a target population in the U.S. Attach a copy of the entire article directly behind the page on which this exercise appears.


 * **Quote at least one sentence from the article here:**


 * **Using the questions under “Examining News Media Treatment of Surveys” on page 54 of the //Maxwell Manual//, evaluate how thoroughly the author reported the procedures followed for the survey here by using three questions in your response. Rewrite the questions you choose with a 2-3 sentence evaluation under each.**







Exercise 4.6: References Your Total Score:_ (Maximum: 16 points)


 * Prepare a list of references that includes all sources for this module.
 * Follow the APA format.
 * Include all sources used in the exercises.


 * **Start References on the next line or on the next page:**