World History and Cultures

HONORS WORLD HISTORY RESEARCH PAPER PACKET 2016 - 2017 Research Paper Packet

A step-by-step process for producing a quality research paper! Key Due Dates

National History Day Topic Proposal – November 21st - Each student must hand in a topic proposal (even if you are in a group) - Proposal must be typed, handed in as a hard copy, and include the names of all of your group members. Please indicate if the student is in Mrs. Reilly’s class or is in another one of my classes. - Proposal must include topic idea and explanation as to how it fits in this year’s theme. - 10 point grade

Individual Research Paper Topic – December 5th - Student must indicate which part of their research will become the research paper. - See the example on my teacher webpage - Each student must do research to contribute to NHD project - 10 point grade

Research Paper Outline – December 14 - Students will outline their research paper - See the format below - Outline must be as detailed as possible - 20 point grade

Rough Draft – December 22nd - Rough draft must be submitted to Turnitin.com - Student must bring a hard copy of the rough draft to class on that day - Remember to include your citations, footnotes, cover page, etc. - All rough draft must have rubric stapled on top. - 30 point grade - FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE STEPS WILL RESULT IN A LATE GRADE

Final Draft – February 27th - Final draft must be submitted to Turnitin.com - Student must bring a hard copy of the final draft to class on that day - Final copy must be handed in on that day it is due. Even if a student is absent, it must be handed it in. - Remember to include your citations, footnotes, cover page, etc. - All Final draft must have a rubric stapled on top. - 130 point grade - FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE STEPS WILL RESULTS IN A LATE GRADE. FOR EACH DAY LATE, THE PAPER WILL LOSE A LETTER GRADE.

2 Honors World History Research Paper Introduction

Task: Write a 4 – 6 page double-spaced, typed paper that researches some aspect of student’s NHD project for this year. Be sure that you interpret the significance of your topic (why was it important?). Furthermore, when choosing your topic, make your topic broad enough to write a 4 – 6 page paper, but not so broad that you have difficulties including details and depth about your topic. You MAY NOT do your research paper on a person in history (a biography). Keep in mind this is a RESEARCH paper, and it would be in your best interest to choose a topic you have never done a report on before. Remember the paper should be directed toward your History Day project.

Due Date: The paper must be downloaded to Turn-it In.com by Monday, February 25, 2016. Be sure to include a bibliography of at least fifteen sources. At least five of your sources have to be non-internet.

Beside the final draft of the paper, there will be components due on different dates. Several of these components will be graded (see “Research Paper Packet”) for a total of 30 points. We will also be having conferences in class for some of the components to ensure that you are on the right track with the paper. The following is a breakdown of the due dates of various paper components: Rough Draft 12/22/16 20/10 points Final Draft: 2/27/17 see below

Finally, below is a chart showing the point value for your research paper itself. This information is repeated in your “Research Paper Package.” Points Paper Element/Description 10 Format (4-6 pages, title page, double space, margins, font, page #s, neatness) 15 Writing Mechanics (spelling, grammar, punctuation, capitalization, contractions, fragments, run-ons) 20 Organization (Logical/sequential order, good paragraphs, stick to subject) 30 Scholarship (historical accuracy, no plagiarism) 20 Clarity (unfamiliar terms are explained, clear expression of ideas) 15 Necessary Elements (introduction, thesis statement, conclusion, human perspective [feelings]) 20 . Sources (minimum of 15 sources, 10 citations in body, 2 primary sources, correct 130 bibliography format)

3 PAPER RUBRIC

Format (4-6 pages, title page, double space, margins, font, page #s, neatness) 10 points

Writing Mechanics (spelling, grammar, punctuation, capitalization, contractions, fragments, run-ons) 15 points

Organization (Logical/sequential order, good paragraphs, stick to subject) 20 points

Scholarship (historical accuracy, no plagiarism) 30 points

Clarity (unfamiliar terms are explained, clear expression of ideas) 20 points

Necessary Elements (introduction, thesis statement, conclusion, human perspective [feelings]) 15 points

Sources (minimum of 5 sources, 10 citations in body, primary source, correct bibliography format) 20 points

TOTAL POINTS EARNED (out of 130)

4 Guide to Bibliography World History & Cultures

A bibliography is an alphabetical list at the end of the paper that provides complete information about the sources you used to prepare your paper. References come in several different styles. For our purposes, we will use the Chicago Manual of Style. Sources

When using the Chicago Style, you will identify each of your sources after you write about them in the body of the paper by assigning that citation a number in superscript format (i.e. 1). The best way to do footnotes for your paper in Microsoft Word is to go to “Insert” at the top of the page, go to “Reference,” and then click on “Footnote...”. Be sure the location is “bottom of page” and that the format is set for numbers (1,2,3). You will then be able to go to the bottom of the page (footer) and type in the information for the footnote. The number for the footnote at the bottom of the page has to be in normal (not superscript) text. To achieve this, highlight the number. Then, go to the top of the page in Microsoft Word, click on “Format,” and pull up the “Font” menu. From there, you will see “Effects” listed. The “Superscript” effect is the third one down on the left column. Unclick it and click “OK”. You will then provide a complete description of the source in your bibliography. Here is an example of a citation: In the body of the paper : Large numbers of fish have been observed around artificial reefs near Oahu and Maui. However, according to studies by Hawaii’s marine biologists, sharks do not seem to be attracted by these artificial reefs.1 In the footer of the paper : 1Edwin Tanji, “Big Sharks Eschewing Artificial Reefs,” Honolulu Advertiser, November 1, 1993, p. 24.

In the Bibliography :Tanji, Edwin. “Big Sharks Eschewing Artificial Reefs.” Honolulu Advertiser 1 Nov. 1993: 24.

For a more information about this documentation style, please visit Mr. Trzepinska’s teacher webpage or use the following guide on how to cite properly using Chicago Style

Easy Bib (Get the Add On in Google Docs) - http://www.easybib.com/ Purdue Online Writing Lab - https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/12/ Ultimate Chicago Style Guide - http://librarybestbets.fairfield.edu/citationguides/chicagonotes- bibliography

When researching, it is important that you give credit for any information you gain that is not common knowledge. For example, statistics and dates that are not known by everyday people should be cited. You need to give credit for a source EVEN IF YOU DO NOT DIRECTLY QUOTE. This is known as paraphrasing. You must give credit to information that is directly quoted. This information will be put in quotation (“ ”) marks. Citations of more than 25 words need to be put in quotations marks, single spaced, and indented on both sides. These citations should be used sparingly throughout your paper (usually, no more than two) and can often be paraphrased, limited to under 25 words, or eliminated entirely.

5 Guide to Making an Outline World History and Cultures

According to Dewitt Scott in his book, The Secrets of Successful Writing, you will need a “road map” to help you get to where you want to go. A writer’s road map is the outline. Scott says, “You save yourself work with an outline. With it you can ask yourself about every fact, anecdote or quote you write: Does it relate to a point in my outline? If not, you’re getting off the track (or else you’ve discovered another point you should have included).”* The most important topic will probably be the First Main Point in your outline. Or, you may chose to organize your outline chronologically, which means that the First Main Point will be the topic that occurred first in historical time. Below is a model of an outline. Notice that there are no correct numbers of letters and numbers for each section of the outline. The sections of the outline will be determined by the number of points you want to make and the length of your paper. This outline covers only the body of the paper. The complete research paper will also include the title page and a Bibliography. YOU MAY USE WHATEVER FORMAT YOU WANT FOR ANY OUTLINE, THE BELOW IS A SUGGESTION ------Title of Paper I. Introduction A. Background information connecting the reader to the subject. B. Thesis statement.

II. First Main Point A. First sub point 1. Supporting information 2. Supporting information 3. Continue with supporting information as needed B. Second sub point 1. Supporting information 2. More supporting information as needed. C. Third sub point, etc. (continue with sub points as needed)

III. Second Main Point A. First sub point 1. Supporting information 2. Supporting information 3. Continue with supporting information as needed B. Second sub point 1. Supporting information 2. More supporting information as needed. C. Third sub point, etc. (continue with sub points as needed)

6 IV. Third Main Point A. First sub point 1. Supporting information 2. Supporting information 3. Continue with supporting information as needed B. Second sub point 1. Supporting information 2. More supporting information as needed. C. Third sub point, etc. (continue with sub points as needed)

V. Fourth Main Point, etc. (Continue with main points as needed)

VI. Conclusion A. Review the main point or points made in the paper. B. Offer your own ideas or judgments about these events. C. Explain why this information is important or useful.

7 Guide to Report Writing The Title The title of your report should be a brief headline of what your paper is about, probably six words or less. Or, your title might focus on an interesting and important aspect of the subject designed to grab the reader’s attention. Make sure you capitalize all important words in your title. The Thesis Statement The thesis is a one-sentence statement about the focus of your report. It states the main idea or point-of-view you will support in your paper. You might not discover the thesis until you have completed most of your research. The thesis may change as you continue to research or write your report. Here is an example of a thesis statement: “Julius Caesar was ambitious and power-hungry, but he restored order to the Roman world.” The thesis statement should be included in the introduction of the paper and is typically found at the end of the introduction. The Introduction The introduction is the first one or two paragraphs of your paper; it provides an overview of the information presented in your paper. Try to begin the introduction by finding a way to connect the reader to your subject; you might mention a modern day situation that relates to your subject. Once you have provided background information, include the thesis statement in the introduction, and provide a brief preview of the main points you will cover. Main Body of the Report Keep to the subject The main body of the paper will contain paragraphs explaining the key points you wish to make about your subject. These paragraphs should stick to the main subject of the paper and make clear the title and thesis of the paper. Discard information that does not help to explain the subject of the paper. Use logical organization DO NOT jump around! Paragraphs dealing with similar information should be grouped together. Using good note cards makes this easy. You might wish to organize your paper chronologically; that is, those events that happened first are described first, and later developments are described later in the paper. Or you might choose to cover ideas in their order of importance. Explain terms and ideas Do not assume that your reader knows your topic. Clearly explain terms and concepts used in your paper. If you tell what it is and why, you will probably have a good explanation.

Sources Remember, sources appear in two places, in the main body of the report, and they are listed in the Bibliography at the end.

Use Your Own Words While it is good to include quotes from reliable sources in your paper, most of the paper should be written in your own words. Do not copy directly from any source unless you put quotes (“ ”) around the material and identify the source. When paraphrasing another person’s work, do not use quotes, but make it clear where you obtained the information. Otherwise, you are guilty of plagiarism. Although your paper should be written in your own words, it should be based on solid research and historical fact. Your paper should not include unsupported opinions. Your opinions matter only if you back them up with factual information.

8 Keep the Paper Formal and Use Proper Format Contractions such as don’t and can’t are generally not used in formal writing such as a research report or a journalism article. Contractions may be used as part of a direct quote, however. Using words like “you” or “I” (or any other first person word such as “our”, “we”, etc.) are also part of an informal writing style and should not be used in a formal research paper. Do not use slang in your research paper (including text messaging language). Also, your paper should be written in the past tense since it is discussing historical events of the past.

Include the Human Perspective A report that is nothing but facts will be less interesting than a report that describes how people reacted to events. Try to tell your reader how people felt about what happened to them. This is a good place to use some quotes.

Conclusion The conclusion is probably the best place to offer your own ideas and judgments about the historical events described in your paper. First, restate the main point or points you have attempted to make. State any conclusions you have reached. If historians have conflicting views of the historical event, you might wish to support one of them and state your reasons. You might also wish to suggest why the information presented in your paper is beneficial or how it might be used in the future. Remember, you are to do this without using first person. The conclusion should be approximately one or two paragraphs in length.

Writing Style - What makes good writing?

Clear Thinking Much has been said and written about writing style, but the most important element of good writing occurs before any words are placed on paper. You must have a clear idea of what you want to say. Dewitt Scott begins his book on writing with these words of advice: “Think it through first...Your report may make many points, but it should focus on one main idea or theme.”* Can you sum up the theme of your report in a one-sentence thesis? An outline can be very helpful in clarifying your thinking.

Simplicity In his book on good writing, newspaperman, editor, critic, and university professor William Zinsser emphasizes simplicity. He says we should get rid of, “Every word that serves no function, every long word that could be a short word, every adverb that carries the same meaning that’s already in the verb...the secret of good writing is to strip every sentence to its cleanest components. Simplify, simplify.”**