Purpose

    The ability to gather, organize and interpret information is an essential task you will continue to do throughout your lifetime. Whether it be diagnosing a problem in an automobile and proposing a solution, composing an application for a grant to paint a mural, or preparing a marketing report on the impact of a new competitor, your ability to filter out important information from irrelevant data is important. Many times your response will reflect a certain point of view; for example, why the customer should choose your solution to her car problem, why the mayor should choose your idea for the city's mural, or why the company you work for should make the changes you have suggested. You will depend on many sources of information to construct your viewpoint.
    Historical topics present the same challenges. For this assignment, you will be researching a topic, forming a hypothesis and supporting your interpretation with valid resources and reasoning. This paper is a reflection of your analysis and a defense of your viewpoint, not a biography or a narrative of historical facts.

Goal

    You will choose your topic. You will then narrow your topic to form your hypothesis, or specific viewpoint on a broader topic. The goal of the paper will be to analyze your hypothesis and explain its relevance to the world today. Therefore, you must synthesize research from the past with situations that are currently going on in the world. Your paper must include a historical analysis of your topic supported with valid resources and documentation. In addition, you will explain how the topic relates to the world today. Again, this interpretation should be supported by valid resources and documentation.

Universal Requirements

1. All work MUST be typewritten, double-spaced, 12-point font size and have 1-inch margins. No exceptions.

2. All work is due by the beginning of class on the due date. For every class day your work is late, the paper will drop one (1) letter grade. No exceptions.

3. Sources must be varied among books, magazines and electronic (internet, CD-ROM, SIRS, etc.). No more than one (1) reference source may be used; that includes dictionaries, encyclopedias and almanacs of any type. Your textbook does not count as a source.

4. All sources MUST be cited in your paper and a properly formatted Works Cited page is required. Listing a source in the Works Cited and not citing the work in the paper is unacceptable and will be given no credit.

5. Identical hypotheses within a class will not be allowed.

Specific Requirements

Grading Criteria - 1. Content, 2. Structure

Minimum Number of Pages - Five (5)

Minimum Number of Sources - Seven (7)

Point Value - Counts as 20% of the 2nd Semester Grade (Equivalent to the Final Exam)