| United States History and Government Honors Final Project Assignment DUE Date: Tuesday, May 30 2006 Essay #1: Compare the “home front” of World War I with that of World War II. Some issues to consider would include the role of women and minorities, propaganda, and the extent to which the government took control of the economy, and the impact of the wars on civil liberties. Essay #2: Compare the social, political and economic life of America in the 1920s to the 1950s. What were the similarities; what were the differences? Essay #3: Compare the goals and programs of FDR’s New Deal to those of LBJ’s Great Society. OR, compare the goals and programs of the Progressive Era to those of the New Deal. In either case, consider the historical background of the periods in your answer. Essay #4: Compare the Black Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s to the Anti-Vietnam War Movement of the 1960s and 1970s. What were the goals and strategies of the movements? What were the results? Requirements: You must choose 2 of the 4 essays above. 1. Each essay must have a strong thesis statement. For example: “While there were many similarities between life in America during World War I and life in America during World War II, the United States Government took far greater control of the economy during World War II.” Your essay must prove the thesis statement. Here is a link for more information on thesis statements 2. Essays must be typed with standard 1” margins, double spaced, in a standard font. No exceptions. There is no “required” length, however, use your best judgment to determine how long the essay should be to adequately address the topic. I would recommend about 3 typewritten pages. If you are writing much more than that, your thesis statement is probably not focused enough, or your essay is straying from your thesis statement. 3. Grammar, spelling, punctuation, and usage do count. Remember to proofread. 4. Outside sources must be used and must be properly cited in MLA style (Modern Language Association). If you do not know how to cite, go to http://www.liu.edu/cwis/cwp/library/workshop/citmla.htm for some simple examples of proper citations of books, encyclopedias, journal articles and web sources. For a more extensive explanation of MLA style citations go to http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/MLAstyle.pdf 5. If you are quoting a source, or using someone else’s ideas, introduce the information by telling the source and then use a parenthetical cite to give the page number. For example: According to historian Thomas Bailey, Woodrow Wilson "must bear a significant portion of the blame for the failure of the Senate to ratify the Treaty of Versailles." (67) Quotes should only be used for important statements of historical figures or unique interpretations by historians...otherwise just paraphrase your source (but you still need to cite it). This means DO NOT quote from encyclopedias or other sourses of that nature. Remember...if it is worth quoting (particularly in a historical essay!) it must come from a respected historian OR it must be a quote from a historical figure...OR perhaps a quote from someone living through the event. Use quotes sparingly; they should help to underscore your argument...they should NOT be the backbone of your work. 6. For all web sources—be sure to assess the validity of the source. As you know, the internet contains just as much junk (perhaps more) as it does valid information. Be suspicious of any website that does not give you an author, or at the very least a valid organization that sponsors the web page. Check the bottom of the page for this information, or check their homepage. Whatever you do, do not make the mistake of reading a propaganda website and taking it as truth!! Better yet, use your library card to access published historical journals online. Many of these are in pdf, in exactly the same format as they are published. 7. Plagiarism will not be tolerated and will be handled as the serious academic violation that it is. This assignment will count as 2 exam grades for the 4th quarter, so do your best. If anyone needs help or would just like some guidance on forming thesis statements and/ or writing these essays, I am available during periods 2, 4, and 6. You generally can find me in my room or in 503. |