Why
The purpose of this assignment is twofold:
ONE, to familiarize you with the sociological resources available on the Internet. There is a vast amount of information on a great variety of sociological topics, sociology itself...as well as realities which can be understood sociologically. Awareness of this (as well as for other subjects and disciplines) can aid you immensely in your educational endeavors.
TWO, to allow you to research and learn about some of the areas/topics/issues of Sociology which interest you...to explore the general area of Sociology overall.
What
1. You should explore the Internet and select sites which pertain to Sociology in general and in particular areas of it which interest you. As you explore, keep track of the sites you like and/or find most interesting...then select 5 (Five) for detailed presentation/annotation.
2. Select FIVE (5) more sites as "suggested" sites...but without details.
How (Part 1)
A. For EACH of the FIVE "annotated" sites you pick:
1. Provide the "address" (the URL) for each...and a name/title
2. DESCRIBE the site...what’s there?...what kind of information is provided?...does it have internal Links and/or any external links (where do they go)?
3. EXPLAIN what's there...why you think its a good/useful site or not so useful...what’s it about...from what kind of perspective does it have...how does it contribute to your understanding of Sociology in general or a specific area you've chosen...etc.? Ideas from the course should be incorporated here.
B. For EACH of the FIVE "suggested" sites you pick:
-----Write a short sentence (two at the most) describing what the site is about...no details beyond that. Include the URL and name of the site.
How (Part 2)
Conclude your Internet Assignment with a SUMMARY/SYNTHESIS of what you’ve covered. Indicate what you’ve learned and why.
Guidelines
You have three basic ways to begin and conduct this assignment:
1. Go to an appropriate Room in TSS and branch out from the sites listed there. Although...in general, I don't want you to use these sites as a substitute for doing your owning searching, if some of them are that compelling to you, that’s fine, use them. What I suggest is that you use these sites as portals or avenues to find other sites. There are some "mega" sociological sites with numerous links--these are very useful. You’ll find those kinds of sites in The Sociology Room. For instance, I recommend, among others, Sociosite....or...A Sociological Tour of Cyberspace. My point here is that your "searching" shouldn't be limited to what I've already found--that sort of defeats one of the purposes of the assignment itself.
2. Use Search Engines to search for both general and particular subjects. Think of these as the "Subject" heading in an old library card catalog. There are many good search engines available--Google is one of the best---and some engines utilize multiple engines at the same time. Dogpile is one such site.
3. There are other sources with appropriate links already listed. For instance, our textbook for this course lists very good sites.
4. Notes
1. "Site" can also mean relevant articles/essays--not just websites. However, don't overdo this--a couple or few articles is fine, but explore websites primarily.
2. URL's are "case (upper/lower) sensitive" and very specific...please record them carefully because I will want to visit some of them and even the slightest error will prevent me from doing so.
3. Length is up to you...but remember, this assignment IS worth 50 points...meaning, just a few short comments won't do.
4. If you want to include "printouts" from sites...ok. But...do this very sparingly...don't print out and turn in page after page from the site...be selective. Do it to enhance your presentation, if you'd like. But--especially don't substitute printouts for the description or even the evaluation I've asked for above.
