American History Research Papers Mr. Houston
Harwich High
School
Topics Listed at the Botton
of the Page
All students in US History are required to do a
major
research paper as a collaborative effort for their English 11 and US
History
courses. The grade for the project will count for 300 points (three
test
grades) on the third quarter grade in history. Students taking US
History, but
not English 11, should make arrangements with Mr. Houston early in the
year to
get the project finished by the deadline. Students who transfer between
sections
must be sure to arrange with the teacher for when the paper will be
done.
Students who fail the
Topic/Thesis: The purpose of the project is to
answer a key
question in American history, literature, art or music about a person,
event,
movement, or other historical phenomenon. Topics and theses must be
analytical
and must be approved by both the English and history teacher. A list of
topics
for each school year will be handed out at the start of the project.
Topics may
be subdivided at the teachers’ discretion; topics are assigned on a
first-come,
first-serve basis.
Scope: Advanced Placement and Honors students should
produce
a paper with 10 pages of text (12 font, Times New Roman, double
spaced). A bibliography, outline, and citations page should
also be
included. College Prep students' work should be 8 pages in length.
Length
can be further modified for students with an IEP. Students will be
graded on
what is turned in on the due date; modifications/clarifications will
not be
accepted after the grade is released.
Sources: A variety of sources must be used to
fulfill the
goals associated with the project. Papers should include at least one
of all the
following types of sources unless prior permission is acquired:
periodical
(historical magazine/journal), newspaper, book, and internet source.
One major
source on the topic should be read early in the process to provide a
foundation
in the topic, but it should not ultimately become more than 30% of the
citations in the final paper. This is not a book report. A minimum of 8
sources
in required. Multiple website pages under the same domain do not count
as
separate sources. If a website that is restricted or that requires a
fee is
used, then the student should print out the page in question so that
the
teacher can check the source. At least one catalogued source from the
Brooks
Free Library or CLAMS system must be used. Note the CLAMS call
number on
the citations page. All Students must acquire a CLAMS card with a
password for remote use as part of this project; a separate quiz grade
will be
attached to the card checkup.
Citations (noting author and page) may be made in
parentheses in the text of the paper. The bibliography/works cited page
should
include title, author, publisher, date, and web address if applicable;
see
English teacher for style sheet (MLA). Available at: http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Style.html
. Encyclopedias are good sources for general information on the topics,
but
they should not be counted/used towards the required number of
citations.
Each paragraph of the paper that includes new information or
interpretations
other than the student's own ideas must include a citation.
Paraphrasing should
be done with care; changing a few words in a sentence is not sufficient
to
avoid plagiarism. Be very precise when filling out note cards in order
to
simplify documentation in the writing process. Improper documentation
or
plagiarism will result in a failing grade. Outlines should follow
standard
format with Roman numerals for main headings (e.g. I, II, III, etc.),
capital
letters for subheadings (e.g. A, B, C, etc.) and Arabic numbers for
sub-subheadings (e. g. 1, 2, 3, etc.). Avoid use of extended sentences
and
paragraphs in the outline. See the following website for info: http://www.lib.jjay.cuny.edu/research/outlining.html
Due Date: All papers must be turned in
one week before the closing date for the quarter (second or third) in
which the
paper is assigned. Ten points will be deducted for each late day.
Extenuating
circumstances must be brought to the attention of the teacher ahead of
time in
order to qualify for an extension. Be sure to consult this sheet before
printing final draft. All papers should be given to the teacher on a
disk or as
an e-mail attachment in Microsoft Word as well as in printed form.
Please merge
all files into a single document before sending to the teacher.
Standards: Although the history grade will be more
focused
on content than the English grade; structure, grammar, spelling and
other
writing standards are considered in the grading process. See the
grading rubric
listed below.
Grading Rubric:
Analytical Thesis: 5% Does the research analyze as well as
describe the
topic? What is the question addressed? Example:
Do not
simply list the events in a person's life, but also explain the
person's impact
in changing society. Why was he the greatest president?
Length of Paper: 10% Points will be deducted for each page short
of the
stated requirement.
Eight Sources; 30% Limit on major source: 5% See teachers
early in
the project to address difficulty in finding materials.
CLAMS Source: 5% Does at least one source come from the CLAMS
net?
Is it labeled in the bibliography?
Quality of Sources: 5% Is the internet source from an unreliable
personal
website or from the National Archives? Is the book from the
children's
section of the library or from a collection of primary documents?
Four Types of Sources: 5% Points will be deducted for each type
of source
that is not utilized.
Works Cited Page/Bibliography: 5% Is the proper format used?
Quality of Outline: 5% Is the outline an accurate guide to the
organization of the paper. Is the proper format used?
Digital and Paper Copy: 5% Points will be deducted if both
versions are
not submitted on the due date. Points
will not be issued if the digital version in not “readable” on school
computers.
Grammar, Usage, Style, MLA Format: 10% Be sure to make
improvements after
English teacher reviews rough draft. Complex sentence structure used?
Historical Information, Analysis, and Overall Quality: 40% How
accurate
is t he information? How extensive and insightful is the
analysis?
What is the overall impact of the student's project?
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