Your task is to explore a controversy or complex issue in human development, taking into consideration various points of view and what research has to say on the subject. It isn’t necessary to take sides. You may come to your own conclusions; just be sure your conclusions make sense given the facts you present.

Important note on topic selection: “Nature vs. Nurture” is not an acceptable topic, as there is no controversy surrounding this issue. Research is clear that human development involves both biology and experience.

Also, I DO NOT want encyclopedic papers that just reports facts.  You should write on a topic you are interested in thinking about.

Paper Requirements:

All papers are to have a professional appearance. They are to be typed and free of grammatical and spelling errors. Papers should be about 850 words long (3 pages). The title page and reference page is NOT included in the 3 pages. You must use the equivalent of 3 journal articles. Cite your sources using APA style. An example of APA format is attached. You do not need to include an Abstract with this paper.

Begin by introducing the topic, explaining why it is a controversy and its relevance to human development.  Include relevant background information from the textbook.

Explain the different points of view in the controversy and the relevant evidence. For example, if one side argues that people are influenced by experiences they had before the age of 3, what experiments demonstrate that such memory exists? What experiments demonstrate that such memories have lingering influence?

Summarize the points of view. If you have formed a conclusion of your own, state it and state how you came to your conclusion. If you have not formed a conclusion of your own, say why not. Do you need more information? If so, what questions remain in your mind?

The writing assignment grading rubric is attached.