THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT RESEARCH PAPER PROJECT [Title of Your Paper]
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A POWERFUL COMBINATION OF CIVIL RIGHTS AND COLLEGE READINESS: THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT RESEARCH PAPER PROJECT [Title of Your Paper] Your Name United States History, Mr. DeNardo May 1, 2015 [Date You Submit Your Paper] Guiding Question: How effective are research papers as a way to deepen one’s understanding of history and develop the skills one needs for higher education? 0 Civil Rights Movement Research Paper Project Table of Contents Research Paper Requirements Page 1 Due Dates & Internet Links Page 2 List of Guiding Questions Pages 3-4 Using Wikipedia Page 4 How to Do Source Cards Page 5 How to Do Information Cards Pages 6-7 Quoting, Paraphrasing, Summarizing Pages 7-9 Your Thesis Statement Page 10 Creating an Outline Page 11 Sample Outline Page 12 Sample Vignette and Intro Paragraph Page 13 Topic Sentences Page 14 How to Do Footnotes Pages 15-16 Plagiarism vs. Citing Sources Properly Page 17-19 Writing the Conclusion Page 20 How to Do the Bibliography Pages 21-23 Rubric—Source & Info Cards Page 24 Rubric—Outline Page 25 Rubric—Introduction (Vignette + Intro Paragraph w/Thesis) Page 26 Rubric—First Three Pages of Paper w/Footnotes Pages 27-29 Rubric—Final Paper + Bibliography Pages 30-33 Sample Bibliography Page 34-35 1 YOUR MISSION: Your mission is to write a 6-7 page paper that responds to a historical question. The paper you write must demonstrate both detailed research and analytical interpretation of historical relevance. Your paper should not simply be a report of information on your topic, but rather, should be a logical and thoughtful examination guided by a probing question answered with a clear thesis, supporting evidence, and original analysis. Your research will cover a topic related to one of the several civil rights movements of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Writing a research paper helps to develop the skills of researching (hunting for something in the information universe), problem solving (the principal work of most people), critical thinking (a lifelong skill if ever there was one), writing (language is the most powerful weapon on earth), perseverance, and commitment. It follows that the more you learn and develop these skills, the more effective you will be in your future lives. Required Components of the Paper: You will pick a Guiding Question from the list given to you by Mr. D. There can be no overlap of topics within the same class. If you have another idea, it may be ok, but it must be cleared with Mr. D. Once you have chosen your Guiding Question, you should begin your research by reading about the event or person you have chosen (remember to record information about each source you consult on a source card for reference in your bibliography). As you research, you will take notes on information cards that are linked to your source cards (to make citation/footnoting of your evidence easier). Once you have gathered enough information you can begin writing your paper. Each paper must include the following common elements: Title Page: Use the front cover of this packet as a model. Since you will already have identification information on the title page, you will not put your name or identification info on the pages of your paper. Remember to use vivid, provocative language in your title to capture the interest of your reader. Opening Vignette: This is a brief, creative application of historical information to a description of a scene taken from the time period of your paper. Focused Introduction: The introductory paragraph (actually the second paragraph of your paper) must clearly give an answer to your guiding question in the form of a clear, debatable thesis. Proving your answer to your guiding question, your thesis must be the overriding focus of everything in your paper. That is what the whole paper is about. In this paragraph you will also outline the subtopics of your paper. Thesis: Not to belabor the point, but a clear and focused thesis summarizes the answer to your guiding question and sets the specific course for the rest of your paper. The thesis statement must be in the introductory paragraph of your paper and should be bolded to be easily found. Background: After the introduction, a few (2-3) paragraphs should discuss the historical context of your topic. This is where you should tie your topic into the greater historical trends of the era. Analysis: In the body of your paper, it is very important to personalize your writing with insight and interpretation. Your analysis will interpret the evidence given and offer commentary on that evidence that links to your thesis; this is what makes the paper “yours” and not just a regurgitation of facts you found. Your analysis should show a skillful use of primary and secondary sources. Blending thoughtful analysis in your own voice with the facts and details you discover is the most important part of a successful research paper. Superficial or minimal analysis will greatly decrease the score your paper earns. This is the most important and should be the longest section of your paper (3-5 pages). Conclusion: The final section of the paper should integrate all of the other parts of your paper. It should not be a simple restatement of your thesis. It is in the conclusion that you may explain what you learned about your topic. Bibliography and footnotes in proper format. You are required to consult and cite from at least six (6) substantial, relevant sources for your paper. Of these six sources you must have: o At least two (2) primary sources. o At least two (2) books and/or periodicals (magazines, newspapers) Follow proper format for footnotes and bibliographic references a described later in this packet. Remember that footnotes run in a continuous sequence from the beginning of your paper until the end. We will be using Chicago style of citation for this paper. We will NOT use MLA or APA. Typed & 6-7 pages long not including Title Page or Bibliography. Your final paper should be double-spaced, 12- point font (either Times New Roman or Palatino) with 1 inch margins. Also, be sure to include page numbers so that you, peer editors, and I can easily reference the page of the paper we are talking about. Conventions. There is no “I,” “we,” “you,” or “our” in this paper. Contractions and informal language/slang have no place in a formal paper. The paper should be free of grammatical and spelling errors. Transition sentences. Writers often report that one of the most difficult parts of essay writing is making the transition from one paragraph to another. A good transition sentence involves a two-part sentence. The first part refers back to the previous idea or paragraph, while the second part moves on to the new idea. Transitional devices are like bridges between parts of your paper. They are words or phrases that help carry a thought from one sentence to another, from one idea to another, or from one paragraph to another. And finally, transitional devices link sentences and paragraphs together smoothly so that there are no abrupt jumps or breaks between ideas. Important Dates and Deadlines: Choose Guiding Questions Friday, March 13 Evidence of Research: Source and Notecards. (Turn in at least 4 Source Cards—with correct citation—and their accompanying information notecards. Tuesday, March 24— You should have at least 6 notecards per source card. PEER EDIT You will also turn in a formal outline of your paper on this day. Introduction (Vignette + Intro Paragraph with Debatable Thesis) Due Tuesday, March 31— PEER EDIT First 3 Pages of Body Paragraphs With Footnotes & Title Page + Tuesday, April 7— Final Revised Paper Outline Due PEER EDIT Final Paper Including Footnotes, Transition Sentences & Bibliography Due You will also turn in: Friday, May 1— Previously turned in Introduction with my comments PEER EDIT Draft outline and first three pages with my comments Internet Searches and Links Note on internet research: For your research, use the Advanced Search option on Google searches and specify one of the following domains: .edu , .org , or .gov Avoid the .com domains and websites. You can reach the Advanced Search page by clicking the gear icon in the top right corner of the search results page then clicking Advanced search. You can also simply type in “Google advanced search” General searches that may be of interest: Marin Public Library (http://marinet.lib.ca.us – contains several reference databases Redwood High Library website (http://rhsweb.org/library/) --contains several reference databases for student use Redwood Library Social Studies Resources http://rhsweb.org/library/Social_Studies.htm Marin County Library http://www.marinlibrary.org/ Website Credibility This link from George Mason University has a series of questions to help you evaluate the credibility of a website for research and annotated bibliographies. http://mason.gmu.edu/~montecin/web-eval-sites.htm History Matters Designed for high school and college teachers and students, History Matters serves as a gateway to web resources including in-depth articles and interviews with historical figures U.S. history http://historymatters.gmu.edu/ Chicago Style Footnotes—This link shows you how to properly footnote any type of source imaginable. http://history.hanover.edu/courses/handouts/footnotes.htm 2 Guiding Questions African American Civil Rights Movement 1. In what ways has the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case lived up to and not lived up to its promise? 2. To what extent was Jackie Robinson impactful or not impactful as part of the Civil Rights Movement in the years after his baseball career was over? 3. Which event was more important to the Civil Rights Movement, James Meredith’s admission to the University of Mississippi or the Freedom Rides campaign? 4.