Assignment description: The purpose of this project is to allow you to demonstrate what you have learned through this course…

Assignment description: The purpose of this project is to allow you to demonstrate what you have learned through this course in regard to the Core Learning Outcomes through the investigation of a topic that is of interest to you. The final product that must be submitted is a paper, which must be AT LEAST 5 pages long (minimum 1250 words)—not including cover page, images/maps or bibliography. There is no maximum, just make sure that you are able to fit in all of the important points. The first part of this assignment is choosing your topic. Your research topic should be something that interest you personally. The topic choice is more or less wide open, but it does have to incorporate all of the following criteria. 1. Your topic has to be geographic in nature. In other words, your topic has to deal directly with a geographic component. For example, you can choose a region, a country or a supranational organization to write about, preferably, one that interest you personally. You can also write about your location. 2. In addition to dealing directly with a geographic component, your topic should deal directly with an economic component. For example, if you choose to write about a certain country or city, the economic profile of that place should be the primary focus of your topic. You can also choose some of the economic processes we cover in the course materials to help focus your paper (uneven development, brain drain, informal economies, slum settlement, cash crops, etc.) Here are some example topics to give you an idea of what fits the geographic and economic subject matter criteria. • Rural to urban migration in Latin America. • Shanghai’s expanding economy and growing role in the world economy. • Ethanol production in Brazil and it’s affects on the Brazilian economy. Urban decay in Detroit Michigan (you can choose almost any major American city for this topic). • The affects of gentrification in St. Louis, Missouri (again, this topic could easily work in any city. Gentrification and urban decay could also be applied to multiple cities). • Rural depopulation and job loss in the great plains. • Outsourcing (job loss in core countries, affects on peripheral country economies). When deciding on your topic, try not to let the scope of your paper get too large. Make sure your paper is not too vague. For example, if your topic is simply “uneven development” you will not be able to properly cover the scope of that topic. Some better examples would be “uneven development in China” or “education access in less developed countries”, ect.. Topic approval: After you submit your topic, I will either approve it or suggest slight alterations to make sure it incorporates economic and geographic criteria. Further instructions: • Include your name, the date and the class on your cover page. • Remember to cite your work! I do not care what citation method you use (MLA, ALA, Chicago style, ect..) as long as you use the same method consistently throughout your entire paper. Every reference needs to be cited, not only in your bibliography, but in the text of your paper as well. If you use maps or other images, you must cite these as well. If you use online sources, use credible source materials (for example, Wikipedia is a good place to get images and useful links to source cites, but it is NOT an adequate source of information).