PART I

Write an essay about the cultural impact of popular music on society, and how it reflects the social issues of its time of production.

- Select a popular song from the era of your choice (1950's - 2000's), and discuss its cultural impact.
- Analyze the meaning of the lyrics, and discuss how this song represents an element of popular culture/ American society.
- The main focus of your essay should be regarding symbolism, and the symbolic nature of the song you have chosen.
- Give some background into the musician or musical group you have chosen.
- Then, discuss some of the social and political issues present in American and, if relevant, international culture that were going on at the time of the song's release.

This paper should be 2-3 pages, in APA style. A minimum of one scholarly article should be included in your essay.

PART II
For this portfolio assignment, you are required to research and analyze a TV program that ran between 1955 and 1965.
To successfully complete this essay, you will need to answer the following questions:
- What is the background of this show? Explain what years it was on TV, describe the channel it aired on, the main characters, setting, etc..
- What social issues and historical events were taking place at the time the show was being broadcast?
- Did these issues affect the television show in any way?
- Did the television show make an impact on popular culture?
Your thesis for the essay should attempt to answer this question:
- Explain the cultural relevance of the show, given the information gathered from the show's background, and cultural history. How can television act as a reflection of the social, political, and cultural current events?
This essay should be 2-3 pages, in APA style. Please include at least one scholarly resource as a minimum in your essay.

PART III
Analyze one of the required readings from this week, but only one of the articles from the 1970's. There are several on feminism, from different perspectives, as well as one on the Nixon era.
To successfully complete this essay, you will need to answer the following questions:
- Explain the cultural relevance of the article. Who funded this magazine? What are their political biases?
- What is the main point of the article? What is the writer's message to his/ her readers?
- Did the magazine make an impact on popular culture?
Your thesis for the essay should attempt to answer this question:
- Explain the cultural relevance of the article. How did this particular magazine article reflect and/ or attempt to manipulate the cultural values of its audience? How can you prove this?
This essay should be 2-3 pages, in APA style. Please include at least one scholarly resource as a minimum in your essay.

PART IV
This week, you are to write a course project portfolio essay on the issue of globalization. Give an example of a current, active website that is based in the US, which expresses the values of globalization, and analyze the site.
Your essay should answer the following questions:
- What is globalization, and in what ways has the Internet served as a vehicle for it?
- What cultural values do the site you chose reflect?
- What political values are reflected?
- Is the site culturally or politically biased in some way? Explain.
- How are these values that are reflected by the website distinctly American?
Your thesis for this essay should attempt to argue why this site is an example of the values of globalization, and use your answers from the questions above to explain why this is true.
This essay should be 2-3 pages, in APA style. Please include at least one scholarly resource as a minimum in your essay.

PART V

A critical analysis serves as a way for you to examine the different elements of popular culture discussed in this course. For your final written assignment, discuss the media forms you have written about for your previous course portfolio essays. This essay should reflect upon your experience studying each form, and make distinctions as to how each one of them uniquely reflects American popular culture.
Your essay should attempt to answer the following:
- How are all of these forms of media connected through popular culture?
- Is there one form of media that in your opinion is more powerful in affecting its audiences than the others?
- Is there one medium that is more problematic for American culture than the others?

Your thesis should include the answer to one of the questions above, and be the focus of your essay. Evidence of library research is required.

This essay should be 2-3 pages, in APA style. Please include at least one scholarly resource as a minimum in your essay.