World History Research Paper

Research Paper

The goal of the project is to give students experience finding a variety of sources, learning about a topic, creating a thesis, and writing what they have learned in a formal paper. Students can choose a topic to research from a list that covers a wide variety of world issues or they can create their own teacher-approved topic.

Papers will also be submitted through at the time the paper is due.

Requirements

Title page
______pages for the essay portion of the paper. The essay must be original. No plagiarism.Anything taken from another source must be quoted and documented accurately, with references in the text.

Cited quotes and use of MLA format
A minimum of ______sources, including at least one encyclopedia and one book or text book. Other suggested sources include interviews and magazines.

Works Cited Page

Paper Format

Typed, double spaced, with a 12-point fontTimes New Roman
1-inch margins
Staple the pages together in the top left corner
Compile your research material in this order:
Title Page (includes your name, the class, the teacher, the date and the title of your paper)
Essay (This starts at the top of the page)
Visual(s)Note: your visual may be on your title page, embedded in your essay or stand alone. Make sure to cite your Visual!
Annotated Works Cited
Works Cited
All Notes Pages
All Additional Materials and Handouts (Outline, Rough Rough Draft etc.)

Important Dates for the Research Paper
Class periods you should NOT miss! / Due Dates/Check off Dates

WORLD HISTORY RESEARCH TOPICS

Note: The topics below are contemporary themes and might require outside research!
1 / The Crisis In Darfur / What caused the world’s largest refugee camp? What is behind attempted genocide in Africa? What are the UN and other nations trying to do to help?
2 / Kashmir Conflict / This beautiful mountain region is caught between northwest India and northeast Pakistan. Both nations claim it and have battled for control. Why is this one of the most dangerous conflicts in the world today?
3 / Problem with North Korea / NK is one of the few communist dictatorships left from the Cold War. It is led by a rogue and dangerous leader? Why is North Korea dangerous? What is happening in this poor country?
4 / Emerging Power of China / China was once huge, but poor, communistic country. Now it is the 2nd richest country on Earth. How did that happen? What is happening with the communists? How does this effect 21st century (and US)?
5 / Where is Al Qaeda Now? / It has been nearly9 years since 9/11. What is being done to find Al Qaeda? Where is Osama? What is the world doing about terrorism?
6 / Nuclear Power Plants – the future? / In 1980s couple of Nuclear Power Plants had dangerous accidents. Has technology improved? Are they still to dangerous? Are they the future of the world energy need? What is the status of NP?
7 / Dirty Bombs – a threat? / In Cold War thousands of nuclear weapons were built. Many are now being dismantled. What is the catch a rogue enemy organization gets a nuke? How are dirty bombs (home made mini nukes) a world threat?
8 / Got Water? / In 20th century it was all about oil. Some think the 21st century will be about fresh water. What is the fresh water crisis in the world today? What is being done? Or should be done?
9 / Drug Wars in Mexico / While the Mexican anonym is improving the power and strength of Mexican drug cartels is also increasing. What is the issue and development of this dangerous conflict? How are Mexicans dealing with this crisis?
10 / Human Trafficking / While slavery is technically illegal it still exists in many forms. How does the world wide trade in humans exist? Where is it the worst? How are nations dealing with this human rights violation?
11 / Roots of Democracy / What ideas arose in ancient Greece and ancient Rome that contributed to the development of democratic values?
12 / Roots of Democracy / Plato and Aristotle’s influence on the rise of democracy: with a focus on their ideas on the rule of law and illegitimacy of tyranny
13 / Roots of Democracy / England’s shift from Monarchy to Constitutional Monarchy and its impact on other countries.
14 / The Enlightenment / John Locke, Charles-Louis Montesquieu, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Simon Bolivar, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison: How did Enlightenment thinkers inspire revolutionaries to push for radical changes in government and society?
15 / The Enlightenment / Revolutionary texts: Magna Carta, the English Bill of Rights, French Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, the US Bill of Rights, the American Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution. How did the principles in these texts create enduring effects on the political expectations for self-government and individual liberty?
16 / The Revolutions: France / What were the causes and effects of the French Revolution and how did the revolution lead to the Napoleonic era?
17 / The Revolutions: Latin America / How did the revolutionary ideals from Europe spread to Latin America?
18 / The Revolutions: Industrial / Industrial Nations: England, France, Germany and Japan. What factors enabled these countries to industrialize?
19 / The Revolutions: Industrial / What were the technological, social, economic and cultural changes that occurred as the Industrial Revolution took place?
20 / The Revolutions: Industrial / Change in Living: Explain the growth of population, the rural to urban migration and the growth of cities associated with the Industrial Revolution.
21 / The Revolutions: Industrial / Utopianism, Social Democracy, Socialism and Communism: Why did these new Economic theories emerge as a result of the Industrial Revolution and what was the impact?
22 / The Revolutions: Industrial / How did shifts in art and literature express the changing attitudes from the Industrial Revolution?
23 / Imperialism / Guns, Germs, and Steel- Why were European countries so willing and able to colonize African and Asian people and regions? What did they need from these areas? How did they treat those they colonized?
24 / Imperialism / Explain what it was like to be colonized using one specific region or ethnic group as an example. Explain the benefits of colonization for the colonizers using one specific country as an example. Was this a justifiable situation morally?
25 / Imperialism / How did Sun Yat-sen lead a revolution against the groups that tried to colonize China? Was he successful? Why or why not?
26 / World War I / Explain the four MAIN causes of World War I (Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, and Nationalism). Use two rival countries as examples and explain why these countries were willing to risk their citizens to fight in the Great War. Define “Total War.”
27 / World War I / Describe the weapons and technology of World War I. How did the weapons lead to the most devastating war fought until that time? What strategic military advantages or drawbacks did each side have in terms of technology and military strength?
28 / The Russian Revolution / Describe the role of Russia in World War I. What effect did the Russian Revolution have on the ability of this country to fight? How did the United States aid the allies after the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk?
29 / World War I / Discuss and give statistics for the financial and human costs of World War I. Focus your research on one country from each side and whether their losses were justified by the outcome of World War I.
30 / World War I / Compare and contrast the Treaty of Versailles and Woodrow Wilson’s 14 Points. Which do you believe was a better plan for lasting peace why? Why did the United States refuse to join the League of Nations and what were the US government’s complaints about the Treaty of Versailles?
31 / World War I / What was the lost generation after World War I? What characteristics of the War changed these people’s perspectives on life and art? Why? Use at least two examples to support your claims and include excerpts from these examples in your research paper.
32 / The Russian Revolution / Describe the process of changing Russian government from the Tsar to the provisional government to the Communist Party. What consequences did these changes have for the classes in Russian society? Discuss the effects on the Bourgeoisie, the middle class, and the Proletariat. Define and discuss the Gulag.
33 / Totalitarian Leaders / Discuss the reign of Josef Stalin over Soviet Russia. How did he control the press, the economy, and his own party to improve Russian industrial output? Discuss the human rights violations and how people in the Ukraine suffered under the “Terror Famine.”
34 / Totalitarian Leaders / Compare any two totalitarian regimes from Pre World War II. (Germany, Soviet Union, Japan, Italy, and Spain) How are they different? In what ways are they similar? What characteristics of these regimes helped them to gain popular support and to rebuild the economy after World War I? Why were Fascism and Communism after World War I?
35 / World War II / Japanese Atrocities in China – the Rape of Nanking and other Japanese brutalities in China
36 / World War II / Stalin-Hitler Pact – aka Nazi-Soviet Pact – why did these sworn enemies create a peace treaty between each other before the outbreak of WWII?
37 / World War II / Why did Europe let Hitler get away with expansion before Sept. 1939?
38 / World War II / Blitzkrieg on Poland – this starts WWII, what happened and what did Germany do to Poland?
39 / World War II / Nazis in France – how did the Germans take Paris and how did they control France during most of the war?
40 / World War II / Operation Barbarossa – Nazis invade Russia in biggest military movement of the time
41 / World War II / Crimes Against Humanity. What happened at the Nuremburg War Trials and War Crimes Tribunal in Japan? What was the legal process to prosecute and punish war criminals?
42 / World War II / After WWII some Jews hunted down escaped Nazis. How did the Jews and Israel accomplish this?
43 / World War II / War in Africa – the greatest tank battles in history were in North Africa against Rommel’s Afrika Korp Panzer Division
44 / World War II / April 1945 – many events happened in this month including FDR, Hitler and Mussolini dying, the Soviets taking Berlin, UN established, the last battles and others
45 / World War II / Winston Churchill – the Lion of Britain, what did he do to keep Britain active and fighting?
46 / World War II / RAF – the Royal Air Force almost by itself saved Britain from being taken by the Nazis
47 / The Holocaust / Nazi Aryan Racial Theory – the Germans taught that Aryan Race was biologically superior, describe their convoluted science.
49 / The Holocaust / Death Camps – there were other camps besides Auschwitz, describe the camp system
50 / The Holocaust / Why West didn’t Stop the Death Camps – one of the lasting questions of the war… what did the west know and why did they ignore the slaughter
51 / The Holocaust / Final Solution – Hitler’s controversial plan to finally eliminate all Jews from Europe
52 / World War II / Battle of Stalingrad – one of the most incredible stories of the Russian war with Nazis
53 / World War II / Yalta & Potsdam Conference – the two big meetings of the Ally leaders to decided what would happen after the war… starts the Cold War
54 / The Cold War / Origins of the Cold War – how id the conflict between USSR and US develop
55 / The Cold War / Cold War & China – how China became communist under Mao
56 / The Cold War / Cold War & Cuba – Cuba is one of the few communist nations still around – what is this history and our relationship with Castro
57 / The Cold War / Cold War & Germany – how Germany was divided and the Berlin Wall meant to the Cold War
58 / The Cold War / Cold War in South America – US and USSR compete in Latin America
59 / The Cold War / Cold War & Africa – US and USSR compete in Africa
60 / The Cold War / Arms Race – the race to build more and better nuclear weapons
61 / The Cold War / Space Race – the competition to rule the skies and space programs
62 / The Cold War / Fall of the Soviet Union-Why did the original communist country, sworn enemy of the US and Western allies finally collapse?
63 / The Cold War / Break up of Yugoslavia-What caused this once independent communist nation to fall apart? What has happened to this Balkan region since 1919?
64 / The Modern World / Why did Europe create the European Union?
65 / The Modern World / International Monetary Fund-What is the IMF? How did it evolve? What are its functions and limitations?
66 / The Modern World / World Court-What is the World Court? How does it prosecute war criminals and crimes against humanity?

Research ProjectName______

Notes from Source #1Date______Period ___

Directions: Correctly cite your source below

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Directions: Write a detailed annotation of your source. Refer back to your notes if you are unsure of how to do this!

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Directions: Take notes from your source in the space below. Make sure to use quotes around anything you copy directly and record the page numbers if it is from a book. Refer back to your note taking handout if you are unclear of how to take notes!

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Directions: Correctly cite your source below

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Directions: Write a detailed annotation of your source. Refer back to your notes if you are unsure of how to do this!

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Directions: Correctly cite your source below

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Directions: Write a detailed annotation of your source. Refer back to your notes if you are unsure of how to do this!

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Directions: Correctly cite your source below

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Directions: Write a detailed annotation of your source. Refer back to your notes if you are unsure of how to do this!

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Notes from Source #5Date______Period ___

Directions: Correctly cite your source below

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Directions: Write a detailed annotation of your source. Refer back to your notes if you are unsure of how to do this!

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Notes from an Additional SourceDate______Period ___

Directions: Correctly cite your source below

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Directions: Write a detailed annotation of your source. Refer back to your notes if you are unsure of how to do this!

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Category / Score
Introduction / First paragraph is catchy and the writer works hard to draw in the reader’s attention.
10 / First paragraph has a weak “grabber.”
8 / A catchy beginning was attempted but was confusing rather than catchy.
6 / Very little effort was made to catch the reader’s attention in the first paragraph.