Research project on history?

HIST 100: United States History to 1877

San Bernardino Valley College

Spring 2017

Research Project

Worth: 300 points

Overview

The research project will give you a chance to explore a topic in the course more in-depth. After

you conduct research on your topic, you will put together a ten-minute presentation to deliver to

the class at the end of the semester, using a program such as PowerPoint or Google Slides. I will

be offering a workshop during my office hours demonstrating how to use these programs for

anyone wanting to learn the basics of these programs.

I encourage you to select a topic within this period of American history that is either of interest

to you or somehow relates to your major. This way, it will make the research process seem more

relevant and engaging.

You will have to locate a minimum of one primary and one secondary source for the project,

which will have to be submitted on a Works Cited page on the day of your presentation.

To ensure everyone stays on task with their project, there are required deadlines – with

associated points – that count towards the final score for the project. The breakdown is as

follows:

The topic for the project 15 points

Works Cited page 25 points

Mini report on your project 35 points

Presentation Up to 225 points

TOTAL PROJECT 300 points

Please do not hesitate in seeking me out for guidance at any point and time for assistance on this

project or any other in this course. I am always willing to offer any assistance or guidance.

Parts of the Project

Topic Selection

You will select a topic relevant to the course and submit it to me for approval and/or suggestions.

A partial list of suggested topics is provided on the next page. The topic MUST PERTAIN TO

UNITED STATES HISTORY. Failure to do will affect your grade negatively.

Source Selection

Once you have selected your topic, you must locate a minimum of two sources – one primary

and one secondary source – relevant to your topic. You must submit your sources on a Works

Cited page to me for any recommendations.

A primary source is an original document from the era of the topic you are researching. Several

examples include:

- Diaries

- Journals

- Letters

- Memorandums

- Photographs

- Newspaper clippings from the era

- Magazines from the era

A secondary source is a historical document which interprets the story of a historical actor or

event. Examples include:

- Biographies

- Monographs (books on events or people)

Mini Report on Project

Towards the end of the course, you will be writing up a two paragraph (minimum four-sentence

per paragraph) report on how far you’ve gotten with your project. You should be honest and

candid in this report. If you have encountered “roadblocks” in your research – you can’t find

information, or the information you find constantly seems to contradict itself – say so. All these

details are part of the learning experience.

One the due date of the mini report, you will be divided into small groups in class to share your

reports and discuss the various findings you have made. You will likely find you have many

common experiences with your classmates.

Research Project

The final part of the project involves you presenting your project to the class. I will present you

with a basic rubric of what I will be looking for in your presentation. You will be expected to

present a finalized list of resources you used on the day of your presentation.

Alternative Project

If you suffer from “presentation anxiety” – I understand completely as I used to fall into this

category – I offer you an alternative choice: you may write a research paper on your topic.

It must be a minimum of five pages in length, include a cover page and include a works cited

page. It should be double-spaced and in 12-point Times New Roman font. It should include

citations in MLA format to indicate where you got all your information from.

Resources

For guidelines on MLA format, use this link:

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/

Topic Suggestions for Research Project

- Roanoke Island

- George Washington

- Sally Hemmings

- Thomas Jefferson

- Jefferson-Hemmings Affair

- Jamestown

- Transcontinental Railroad

- Trail of Tears

- Pontiac’s Rebellion

- The Salem Witch Trials

- Fredrick Douglass

- The Abolition Movement

- The Civil War

- The Battle at Gettysburg

- Jefferson Davis

- General Ulysses S. Grant

- Stonewall Jackson

- Manifest Destiny

- California Gold Rush

- The Oregon Trail

- Kit Carson

- Junipero Serra

- The Louisiana Purchase

- The Declaration of Independence

- The Quakers

- John Adams

- Ralph Waldo Emmerson

- Abraham Lincoln

- The Emancipation Proclamation

- Harriette Tubman

- The Underground Railroad

- Andrew Johnson

- The Pueblo Revolt

- Pueblo Bonita

- Cahuilla

- Serrano

- Diegueno

- The Great Awakening

- The Second Great Awakening

- San Manuel Band of Mission Indians

- The Westward Expansion

- The Donner Party

- The Mormons

- Joseph Smith

- Brigham Young

- Collis P. Huntington

- Erie Canal

- Charles Crocker

- Theodore Judah

- Leland Stanford

- The Whig Party

- The Lowell Factory

- Mark Hopkins

- Florida

- New Mexico

- California

- Connecticut

- Pennsylvania

- William Penn

- Nat Turner

- The Stamp Act

- Sam Houston

- Benjamin Franklin

- John Hancock

- “Negro” spirituals in the antebellum South

- Nat Turner’s Rebellion

- Uncle Tom’s Cabin

- The Boston Tea Party

- The Battle of Saratoga

- Republican motherhood

- The Whiskey Rebellion

- The Texas Revolt

OR ANY TOPIC YOU CAN FIND!

Presentation Grading Rubric

Name of Student:____________________________________________________

Title of Presentation:_________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Format of Project: ____ Presentation ____ Research Paper

RESEARCH PAPER PRESENTATION

Basic Information Basic Information

Length: __________ Over □ Length: __________ Over □

MLA format: Yes □ No □ MLA format: Yes □ No □

Area of

Competency

Description Score/Points

Possible

Percentage of

Grade

Subject The topic does not deviate

from the approved topic.

/25 11%

Citations The project includes clearly

evident citations.

/40 18%

Grammar The project has been

thoroughly checked for

proper word choice and

major grammatical errors.

/50 22%

Clarity The topic is presented clearly

and coherently, with visuals

used to enhance the

presenter’s message.

/50 22%

Preparation The presenter demonstrates

thorough preparation on the

topic, is easy to follow for

the audience and follows a

logical progression from a

beginning to an end.

/60 27%

Grade

/225

100%