Wk1 History – American History Events
First, pick an event or topic in US history that you are interested in (needs to be at least 10 years ago). I know choosing a topic that interest you might seem obvious, but it really does make the writing and research much easier.
- Second, conduct some preliminary research so you have the background and can get some ideas on how to narrow the topic and research questions
- Third, think about what interests you on the topic/event for your research questions. The research questions should be narrow rather than broad as this is a 4-6 page paper.
- You must offer background for your event and why it is significant, meaning why is the event important in history?
- You can use any of the events and scholarly articles (the links to journal articles) that we cover in our weekly themes for your projects.
Once you have decided on a topic, you will then refine your choice into a focused research question. A good research question is imperative for it will set the boundaries for your paper, and help guide your efforts. In developing a research question, you should ask yourself questions such as:
- What happened?
- Who was involved?
- Where did the event take place?
- Why did the event occur?
- When did the event occur?
- How did the event happen?
- What was the outcome, if any?
- Is there an element about this topic that has not yet been explored?