Research Paper

World History – Andrews

Spring 2019 Research Project

Introduction

Your Research Project this semester will give you an opportunity to explore a historical topic of your own choosing in which you have a special interest. You’ll write a traditional research paper on this topic and I will read it. 

            Other than me, who else should care about the topic you write about? Elementary school teachers? Scientists? Young girls? Young boys? Presidents of large companies? The President of the US? Why should they care? Why is it important? What could they do with that knowledge? How could you communicate it to them – a letter? a newspaper article? a poem? a YouTube video? a brochure? a painting? a lesson plan? Keep these questions in mind as you select your topic, do your research and write your paper.

Your Research Topic or Question – due January 29

What interests you about the period of history we’re covering this semester? What would you like to be more knowledgeable about? Define your topic so it is not overly broad. Here are some examples. You can use one of these sample topics if you’d like to:

Too Broad ààBetter

Slavery. ààThe impact of African slavery on the early success of the USA.

Women’s rights. ààWomen’s rights in pre-revolutionary North America.

Women in science. ààA study of a specific female scientist working in the 1800s.

Environmentalism. ààThe early environmental movement in the USA, or India, or Brazil, etc.

Colonialism. ààSpanish silver mining in colonial Bolivia.

The fur trade. ààRussian fur trading along the western coastal regions of North America.

Colonialism in Africa. àà“Shithole Economics.” The Scramble for Africa and the European role in creating so-called “shithole” economies in post-colonial Africa.

Your Annotated Bibliography – also due January 29

Use the resources in NDNU’s library to prepare an Annotated Bibliography on your selected topic… this will ensure that you have sufficient breadth and depth of information readily available to you before proceeding to write your paper. You are required to spend a minimum of 75 minutes working on your Annotated Bibliography. You can do this during our normal class time on January 24, or at an alternate time. Be sure to ask a librarian for help to improve the quality of your work… on the final version of the Annotated Bibliography you turn in, be sure to indicate which librarian you worked with and what he or she did. 

Your Traditional Research Paper – 5 pages          DRAFT due February 21 

                                                                                    FINAL VERSION due March 214

Creative Presentation of your Research – to be done after midterm break

(this will be your “analytical essay” for spring 2019) -- Stay tuned!