THE CORNERSTONES OF THE SHEPARD ACADEMY
2022 Theme:
Debate & Diplomacy in history
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Presentation POwerpoint |
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Project Categories
Project Proposal
A project proposal is the presentation of an idea that you wish to pursue. A good research proposal presumes that you have already thought about your topic and have devoted some time and effort in doing some preliminary research, reading, and then organizing your thoughts. The research proposal is worth 50 points.
Each project (individual, pair, or group) proposal is to be written in essay form and include
from credible sites. Wikipedia is not a credible electronic source. Think databases.
Each project (individual, pair, or group) proposal is to be written in essay form and include
- Subject of your paper: The subject is the broad area.
- Topic of your paper: The particular issue, aspect, or problem within the subject
- Research Question: The open-ended question that drives and focuses your research
- Your interest in this topic and how creating this project about it will be beneficial to you: If you are not vested in your topic, chances are your incentive to write about the subject will be weak. If you are interested in the topic, you will probably write a better paper.
- Your preliminary thesis: The thesis is generally a sentence or two, which states the main point/s in your project by answering your research question. The thesis itself is NOT a question. After giving the topic some thought, what do you think your argument will be? Understand that you may (and probably will to some degree) change your thesis along the way.
- Connection to the National History Day theme: Explain how your project addresses one or more of the theme's concepts: Exploration, Encounter, Exchange
- Type of Project: What type of project do you envision?
- Individual Exhibit
- Group Exhibit
- Individual Documentary
- Group Documentary
- Individual Performance
- Group Performance
- Paper (individual only)
- Individual Website
- Group Website
- Project Content: At this point, what do you envision as the content of your project? What will it look like? What information will it contain? What components will it have?
- Preliminary Research: What research have you done up to this point? What types of sources have you located?
- Continuing Research: Moving forward, what information do you still need in order to develop your project? What plans do you have for locating this information?
from credible sites. Wikipedia is not a credible electronic source. Think databases.
Thesis Statement
Develop a Thesis Statement
NHD projects should do more than just tell a story. Every exhibit, performance, documentary, paper and website should make a point about its topic. To do this, you must develop your own argument of the historical impact of the person, event, pattern or idea you are studying. The point you make is called a thesis statement. A thesis statement is not the same as a topic. Your thesis statement explains what you believe to be the impact and significance of your topic in history. Example:
Topic: Battle of Gettysburg
Thesis Statement: The battle of Gettysburg was a major turning point of the Civil War. It turned the tide of the war from the South to the North, pushing back Lee’s army that would never fight again on Northern soil and bringing confidence to the Union army.
NHD projects should do more than just tell a story. Every exhibit, performance, documentary, paper and website should make a point about its topic. To do this, you must develop your own argument of the historical impact of the person, event, pattern or idea you are studying. The point you make is called a thesis statement. A thesis statement is not the same as a topic. Your thesis statement explains what you believe to be the impact and significance of your topic in history. Example:
Topic: Battle of Gettysburg
Thesis Statement: The battle of Gettysburg was a major turning point of the Civil War. It turned the tide of the war from the South to the North, pushing back Lee’s army that would never fight again on Northern soil and bringing confidence to the Union army.
Annotated Bibliography
Rule16 / Annotated Bibliography
An annotated bibliography is required for all categories. List only those sources that contributed to the development of your entry, i.e. sources that provided usable information or new perspecitves in preparing your entry. Sources of visual and audio materials and oral interviews must be included. Bundle photos or other materials from the same collection in a single citation (for example, images from the National Archives or other collection of photos).
The annotation for each source must explain how you used the source and how it helped you understand your topic. Your annotated bibliography is not included in the word count.
Writing Annotations
An annotation normally should be about 2-4 sentences long. Really long annotations generally do not impress people. Get to the point! Please understand that it is NOT the purpose of an annotation to summarize the book but to assess its value to your research.
A good annotation contains three components:
- It identifies what type of source this is (song, poem, book, website, journal article, diary entry, newspaper article, you get the drift….)
- How was the source used?
- How did the source help you understand your topic and create your project?
For example:
Bates, Daisy. The Long Shadow of Little Rock. David McKay Co., 1962.
Daisy Bates was the president of the Arkansas NAACP and the one who met and listened to the students each day. The source was used to show how the conflict affected the students involved in the desegregation This firsthand account was very important to my paper because it made me more aware of the feelings of the people involved.
Photo Archives. United States Holocaust Museum Memorial. Washington, D.C. 18 February 2018.
These images from the United States Holocaust Museum Memorial were used to tell the story of the atrocities committed in Nazi Concentration Camps. The images helped our group to understand the conditions of the camps.
Key Formatting Elements of an Annotated Bibliography
Some key elements to consider when creating an annotated bibliography:
- Your list should be titled “Annotated Bibliography." Put this title in the top center of your first page.
- Divide your Annotated Bibliography into two sections, labeled Primary Sources and Secondary Sources.
- In each section, entries should be alphabetized by the first word excluding “A,” “An,” and “The.”
Other key formatting instructions:
- Single-space each entry and skip one line between entries.
- All source citations are tabbed 1/2 inch (one tab) after the first line.
- URLs (web addresses) should NOT be hyperlinked.
Citing Sources
Create your bibliographic entries using MLA8 format. Dig deep into the source to include as much information about the source as you can.
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Process Paper
Rule 15 / Process Paper
All categories, except historical paper, must include a process paper with the entry. It must describe in 500 or fewer words how you conducted your research and created your entry. The process paper must include four sections that explain:
1. how you chose your topic;
2. how you conducted your research;
3. how you selected your presentation category and created your project; and
4. how your project relates to the NHD theme.
All categories, except historical paper, must include a process paper with the entry. It must describe in 500 or fewer words how you conducted your research and created your entry. The process paper must include four sections that explain:
1. how you chose your topic;
2. how you conducted your research;
3. how you selected your presentation category and created your project; and
4. how your project relates to the NHD theme.
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