Milestone Four Guidelines

Analyzing a Popular-Culture Artifact Through the Lenses of History and the Natural Sciences

Overview: For the first part of your final project, the critical analysis portfolio, you will select an artifact from popular culture and critically analyze it through the four general education lenses: history, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.

By viewing the artifact through these lenses, you will gain insight into how the mediated nature of popular culture affects society as well as both your own individual framework of perception and the choices, attitudes, and behaviors of others in the world around you.

For this second milestone, due in Module Six, you will analyze your popular-culture artifact through the lenses of history and the natural sciences. Like Milestone Two, this task provides you with an opportunity to dive deeper into your analysis of the artifact through these two lenses.

Prompt: First, review your work in Modules Four and Five as well as pertinent chapters from our text, especially Chapter 2.

Next, analyze your popular-culture artifact through the lens of history by exploring the following questions:

• How does this artifact interact with the history lens and impact social issues?

• What theoretical framework from Chapter 2 frames or constructs your reading of this artifact through the history lens?

Next, analyze your popular culture artifact through the natural sciences by exploring the following questions:

• How does this artifact provide a social commentary through the natural sciences lens?

• What theoretical framework from Chapter 2 frames or constructs your reading of this artifact through the natural sciences lens?

This milestone provides you with a chance to practice analyzing your artifact through these lenses and receive feedback on this practice attempt.

Note: Although it is not required, you are encouraged to include a visual with your submission. For example, you might choose to present your analysis as a short paper for each lens that includes a concept map, poster/infographic, game, or a table. Your visual or infographic can be created using Piktochart, Cmaps, MindTools, etc., but also feel free to use a tool that you are familiar with and have easy access to. It is recommended that the graphic fit within a single page of a Word document (8.5 x 11'').

Also note: You are completing two separate analyses: one from history and one from the natural sciences. You must submit two papers within a single Word document.

Be sure to use evidence from theory and research to support your analysis. Reference the textbook, videos, and the 1-2 Popular Culture

Dictionary: Key Terms discussion in Module One as well as any other pertinent course resources to support your responses. Incorporate instructor feedback into your final project.

The following critical elements must be addressed:

I. Lens Analysis: In this section of your assignment, you will analyze your popular-culture artifact through two of the four general education lenses.

A. Analyze your artifact through the lens of history for determining its impact on various institutions. Utilize evidence from theory and research to support your analysis.

B. Analyze your artifact through the lens of the natural sciences for determining its impact on various institutions. Utilize evidence from theory and research to support your analysis.

Guidelines for Submission: Final Project Milestone Four should be submitted as two papers in a single Word document. The entire submission should be 2-4 pages in length, double-spaced, using 12-point Times New Roman font, with one-inch margins. Support your responses with at least two sources from the assigned course resources.