Research writing project calendar and due
dates:
Week 1-2: Book selection process.
Week 3-4: Reading and
drafting period; in-class time for reading.
Week 5: Book Review drafts due at end of week
Friday, 2/1/2013; see instructor for extensions
Week 7: Independent Research Topic proposal due
at end of week by Friday, 2/14/2013.
Week 8:
First round of Capstone Project
Proposals due by Friday, 2/22/2013.
Week 10:
First Draft of Independent Research
Paper, due by Friday, 3/8/2013.
Final round of Capstone Project Proposals due by
Friday, 3/8/2013.
Week 13:
Final Draft of Independent Research
Paper, due by Friday, 4/12/2013.
Week 16:
Oral History Interview Projects due
by Friday, 5/3/2013.
Week 18-19: Capstone Project Presentations and
Exhibitions.
II. Assignment Descriptions:
Book Reviews: write a 2-3 page review of a book chosen specifically to begin
the research process for your research topic. Hopefully, choose a book about a
topic that is interesting, and think about what would make the book interesting
and important for others to read in the future. Make sure to read the
introduction and get to know the author's intentions in writing the book; focus
then on reading an interesting and hopefully important chapter of the book.
Take notes on what strikes you about the book, how it is written, what one can
learn from it, if the author(s) successfully accomplished what they set out to
do, and/or any questions, comments or criticism you might have. Begin to look
through the book reviews featured online, especially the New York Review of
Books (http://www.nyrb.com) to start. Outline and
compose first draft for peer and teacher review and further revisions (See also Book Review Guide handout from
class and online).
Research Topic Proposals: 1. write a one-page document that includes a 3-5
sentence paragraph, and proposes an initial topic and problem of interest,
e.g., Modern Germany and the latest research on Nazism and the Holocaust, or Modern
European fashion and the politics of design; 2. include a meaningful research
question about your topic, and a comment on why you think your research is
important to the study of world history in our class. 3. include a working
bibliography (MLA format; see MLA style guide handout) with a list of the
primary and secondary sources collected. In preparation for this proposal,
begin to research primary and secondary source materials on your topic; use
available resources in the library collection, as well as the library access to
online resources, e.g., JSTOR and the Gale Reference Collection; see
instructor, as well as talk to the librarians and other teachers who may be
specialists in your area of interest for additional help.
Independent Research Papers: 1. For the rough draft,
write at least five pages on your research topic. The draft should include an
introduction that presents the topic to the reader (assume your reader knows
nothing!), and your thesis, i.e.,
the argument you want to make based on your research (review dialectical argument, i.e., thesis, antithesis, synthesis).
The second paragraph should provide an overview
of the scholarship, i.e., what experts on your topic in the secondary
sources have already done on this topic, i.e., what they have argued based on
their research, then what might still need to be done on your topic, e.g.,
rebut an argument, offer a new interpretation of available materials on a given
topic, synthesize available research to compile a more comprehensive understanding
of your topic, offer a new interpretation of available primary sources, and/or
make use of new primary sources to revise our understanding of your topic, and
outline what you aim to demonstrate in the body paragraphs that follow (this
should also provide the basis for your thesis, i.e., the argument you want to
make. Body paragraphs should focus
on key points you want to make in order to build your argument; these body
paragraphs should have a clear topic sentence that makes a sharp point and
should also make use of primary and secondary forms of evidence to support
those points. Conclusion paragraphs
should sum up your research and reiterate the significance of your findings in
relationship to the scholarship.
Presentations: Prepare an 8-10 minute presentation based on your research for
class. Presentations should include a discussion of how you developed your
research, why you are interested in this topic, a summary assessment of the
scholarship, i.e., an overview of the secondary sources, what has been done,
what needs to be done, and what you aim to demonstrate through your research,
and make effective use of at least one primary sources in support of your
thesis. Consider use of handouts, materials objects, music, video, a brief
PowerPoint presentation, etc. Choose a week to present and discuss with the
instructor.
Oral History Interviews: Conduct an oral history
interview with family members, friends or acquaintances on any topic that
relates to the study of modern world history. As part of this process, students
should research the general topic on which the interview will focus, as well as
organize and prepare a 45-minute to one-hour interview. The final product
should include a transcript of the interview questions and responses of the
interview subject; additional products may include an audio-video recording of
the the interview, but is not required.
Capstone Projects: Finally, in lieu of a final exam,
students may help conceptualize, plan and organize a final set of exhibitions,
based on the entire body of their course work and independent projects on
modern world history at the end of the semester. The final look of these
capstone projects will be determined by the students themselves in close
coordination with the instructor, over a series of discussions starting at the
beginning of the spring semester. Examples of capstone projects could include a
Santa Fe Prep Human Rights Reader, Oral History collections, a primary and
secondary resource collection for future student use, a student illustrated
guide for the course, a performance based on student research, film, podcast,
etc. Students may also opt to take a
final exam instead, which would follow the same format as the final exam in
the fall, i.e., covering all materials from the spring semester with objective,
identification, short answer and essay sections. Worth twenty percent of the
final grade.
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