To Kill a Mockingbird Research Project – Research Outline – general history
1. Eugenics in America, against poor whites, Native Americans, criminals and “mental defectives” (late 1800s into 1900s)Your Guiding Research Outline is different. Instead, you need the following:
A. How the eugenics movement started & what it was
1. when/where
3. why
4. who believed in it
5. what they believed
B. What they did - typical action #1
1. description
2. how many times this was done
3. how many people were affected
4. any really important individuals who were involved
C. What they did - typical action #2
1. description
2. how many times this was done
3. how many people were affected
4. any really important individuals who were involved
D. What they did - typical action #3
1. description
2. how many times this was done
3. how many people were affected
4. any really important individuals who were involved
E. What they did - typical action #4
1. description
2. how many times this was done
3. how many people were affected
4. any really important individuals who were involved
F. What they did - typical action #5
1. description
2. how many times this was done
3. how many people were affected
4. any really important individuals who were involved
G. Public opinion- how other people felt about eugenics & what they did about it
1. supporters in the USA
2. detractors in the USA
3. influence on Germany
H. How the eugenics movement ended (if it did)
1. when
2. why
I. Long-term effects of eugenics in the USA – such as, long-term lessons or changes made as a result of these actions. Note that this may be recorded in history or news (new laws passed because of them), but it may not. You might need to figure out how things have changed, or not, as a result of eugenics.
J. Lessons about pride and shame – You will add this section yourself when you have finished researching and you can reflect on your topic. If you do find anything in your research about this idea, you can use it.
è Although it is not a “good” source, Wikipedia offers a helpful list of typical actions. This is a list to help you get started – not a list of all you have to learn.
Immigration restrictions
Unfit vs. Fit Individuals
Compulsory sterilization
Euthanasia programs
Better Baby Contests
Fitter Family for Future
è As you learn about eugenics in the USA, you’ll decide which typical actions to include, and how to group them in paragraphs. Make sure you cover “Compulsory sterilization” in detail.