25 Jan With approval, select

HIST365 Recent America 1945 to the Present

Research Project Thesis or Claim Statement

Instructions

The research paper assignment makes up a total of 50 percent of the final grade and consists of multiple sections:

1. Topic Selection and Thesis Statement (due this week, 5% of grade)

2. Primary resource analysis (10% of grade due in Week 4)

3. Annotated Bibliography (15% of grade due in Week 6)

4. Final 6 page research paper (20% of grade due in Week 8)

Each section of this assignment builds on the previous ones and will assist you in completing the final paper which is to be submitted by the middle of week 8.

Research Paper Topic Selection and Thesis Statement

With approval, select a topic from within the historical parameters of this course (the United States during the period of 1945 to 2001) that is relevant to the course outcomes. You will perform preliminary research and create a working thesis statement with the understanding that it may be slightly modified later in the research process. Your topic/thesis is due by the end of week 2 and must show that you’ve done some preliminary research.

If you need to brainstorm examples of topics, a good place to look is at our discussion forum questions. These may spark some level of interest in you. You can include an American historical event, the effectiveness of a leader, policy, piece of legislation, or Supreme Court decision.

My suggestion is that your topic should correlate with your major of study. For instance, if you are a Criminal Justice major look at the Warren Court cases and their impact. If you are a Business major, look at the impact of the North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement. If you are an education major, look at the impact of Brown v. Board of Education, or Swann v. Charlotte Mecklenburg or Title IX.

If you need a brainstorming session with me. Feel free to message me within the course.

Once you have selected a topic, submit your proposal and your thesis statement in the folder by Sunday!