We have started the NHD process, talking about the importance of bibliographies and staying organized. Since then, we have been focused intensely on topic selection. Here is a recap of some of the things we discussed.
DISCUSSION ON BIBLIOGRAPHIES
Source: someone or something that supplies information (books, interviews, websites, databases, newspapers, journals, etc.)
Bibliography: a list of sources you consulted during your research
Important things to note for your NHD Bibliography:
- Alphabetized by author's last name
- Separated into two separate lists, one for primary sources and one for secondary sources
- It is annotated (You need to write 2-3 sentences about how you used each source and included this with the bibliographic information.)
We will open ONE Google Document, on which we will copy and paste (from the source itself sometimes or from an "Easybib" type site) or type properly cited (MLA) sources.
DISCUSSION ON STAYING ORGANIZED
Keeping yourself organized is imperative to your success (and sanity) during this project!
Some tips on ways to do this:
Have a designated folder or binder for NHD materials
Save electronic sources to your Safari Reading List.
"If you write it, cite it." In other words, as soon as you start to take notes on a source, add it to your bibliography right away. You can always go back and delete a source if you end up not using the information. It is far more difficult to go back and hunt for the source's information.
DISCUSSION ON TOPIC SELECTION
Choosing a topic to research is a critically important step in the process. Below are a few different items we used to focus on the idea of selecting an appropriate NHD topic. Click on the name of each one, and you should be led to a copy of the assignment in the case that you have lost yours.
Topic Exploration Sheet: This was the sheet that Mrs. Watson gave to students when we were in the LMC. Your task was to skim through the various nonfiction books we had provided and write down topics of interest to you.
For full credit, you were supposed to find at least 15 topics that were at least remotely appealing to you. (Topics like WWI, WWII, Vietnam War, Dark Ages needed to be narrowed down into smaller subtopics.)
On the back, you were supposed to write your top three choices in topics, as well as the name of any partner you were thinking about having.
Topic-Narrowing Strategies: To help students narrow their "ginormous" topics down, two strategies were offered: the inverted triangle method and the concept map method. Students were supposed to attempt one of these by the end of the hour on Tuesday, November 12.
Topic Proposal Sheet: This sheet is due Thursday, November 14. Students will need to delve into their desired topic to complete this sheet with success. They are expected to converse with their parent/guardian about this as well and get a signature from their parent/guardian that shows approval of their topic. At the bottom, backside of this sheet, there is a spot for a partner approval, as well as parent permission for this as well.
Remember, your ultimate goal for your research project is to PERSUADE your audience that your topic is historically significant while focusing on historical barriers that were present at the time. In order to do a high quality job, you need to focus your research on a topic that is both historical AND significant. Slacking on this first step will cause your more struggle later.
