Handout #4: Research Project: Using Essential Questions To Explore Chinese History Page 1
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Handout #4: Research Project: Using Essential Questions to Explore Chinese History page 1 Date Assigned: Date Due:
Step One: Choosing a Topic and Developing Questions Over the next six weeks, you will write a research paper about a social, cultural or political topic, event, or movement in Chinese history as a lens to explore one of the Essential Questions. This means, for example, that in order to explore the question about expectations and roles of women in society, you may choose to write about how the former practice of footbinding affected women at that time in history and what it says about the expectations and roles of those women.
A research paper requires the writer to read extensively from a wide variety of sources, take notes on key questions, and draw some conclusions, which will be presented in the paper. A research paper is a reading project as much as it is a writing project.
Requirements for your paper: 7-10 page paper, typed, doubled spaced, 12 point Times New Roman, black ink, one inch margins all around Your paper will have the following components: . A cover page with the title of the paper, your name, the date, and a suitable illustration or graphic . A table of contents . The body of the report, including direct illustrative quotations . Bibliography/works cited list Your final draft, which should follow two previous drafts, should be factually accurate, free from errors in grammar, usage, and typing. Handout #4: Research Project: Using Essential Questions to Explore Chinese History page 2 Step One: A. Review the Questions and Topics below and select one for your research project. (You may suggest a topic related to Chinese society, culture or history but you must be able to use it to explore one of the Essential Questions.) Choose ONLY ONE of the possible topics. Essential Question Possible Topics to Explore Do the goals of the government justify actions which might Mao Zedong “Thought Study Courses” violate people’s rights? “Self-Criticism” Subsidiary Questions Great Leap Forward What is the relationship of an individual to her/his Confucian thought and behavior government? Cultural Revolution Should the collective good take precedence over Annexation of Tibet individual's rights? Red Guards Should a person’s responsibility to society take Re-education camps precedence over their individual lives? Tiannamen Square Uprising/Massacre Does the end ever justify the means? Barefoot Doctors Why have expectations of women’s roles and rights been Footbinding historically different from expectations of men?* Concubinage Subsidiary Questions Female infanticide Are women and men true equals in every Polygamy way? Is anatomy destiny? Does society benefit from gender roles?
B. Write a three-to-five sentence description of the chosen topic here:
Handout #4: Research Project: Using Essential Questions to Explore Chinese History page 3
C. Write down a few preliminary responses to the Essential Question that goes with your topic here. You may refer to the text, your own personal experiences, other readings you have done or any other source of information. You may be able to use all or part of what you write here in your final paper:
Handout #4: Research Project: Using Essential Questions to Explore Chinese History page 4
D. Copy the graphic organizer below on a full sheet of paper and use it to establish some preliminary relationships between your topic and its Essential Question.
Topic Essential Question Handout #4: Research Project: Using Essential Questions to Explore Chinese History page 5
Rubric: Keep this assessment rubric in mind as you work on your project. To receive a Your research project will contain: grade of : A All of the criteria listed for "B" below AND: Evidence of extensive research Flawless (or nearly flawless) mechanics, spelling and usage Evidence of unique and original thinking A well-written thesis statement which establishes a clear relationship between the research and the Essential Question All of the criteria listed for "B" below
B Evidence of research in the form of citations and developed ideas Few errors in mechanics, spelling and usage Evidence of time spent A well-written thesis statement which links the research to the Essential Question Carefully selected quotations which support the thesis statement Careful and neat presentation All components of report are present Correct format Conclusion supported by evidence C Evidence of limited research Several errors in mechanics, spelling and usage A thesis statement which may or may not be fully developed or show little connection to the Essential Question Few or no quotations which support the thesis statement Presentation may demonstrate little attention to neatness and creativity All components of report are present but not fully developed Mostly correct format Conclusion which may or may not be fully supported by the body of the report No Credit Projects meriting a grade of less than “C” will not be accepted and will be returned to the student for revision. Reasons for earning no credit include (but are not limited to): Sloppy presentation Numerous grammatical, spelling and usage errors Numerous errors in content More than 10% of the material is directly copied from another source Material is quoted without attribution One or more components of the report are missing (cover, table of contents, bibliography) Lack of thesis statement Incorrect format Lack of organization Lack of conclusion or conclusion which does not clearly follow body of report Lack of quotations or citations Obvious lack of effort