Shan(HIST) A Short Paper Assignment allows you to demonstrate your research skills to your instructor and to receive feedback that will benefit you when you write research papers for future courses. With this assignment, you will learn how to do proper research and write a short paper. You are allowed to choose your own topic, as long as it pertains to the subject of this course. If you have any questions on subject matter, please contact your instructor. This is your opportunity to look a little deeper at a subject that interests you. This short paper is at least three double-spaced pages of text (Times New Roman, font size 12) and you must consult a minimum of two academically credible sources. Your bibliography and citations may be in APA, MLA, or Chicago Style format. Students majoring in history must use Chicago Style format. The short paper needs to be turned in through the assignment section for grading. If you use any of the information from your sources word-for-word, you must cite the source by using endnotes, footnotes, or parenthetical citations. If you read the information and write it in your own words and it is not common knowledge, then you must cite the source because you are paraphrasing someone's information. The short paper must include a cover page with your name, course number and course title, instructor's name, and date. You must also include a bibliography at the end of your paper. While composing your paper, use proper English. Do not use abbreviations, contractions, passive voice, or first/ second person (I, you, we, our, etc). Before submitting your paper, check your grammar and use spell check. Remember, the way you talk is not the way you write a paper. Please label your paper as follows: lastnamefirstnameHIST101ShortPaper.

Shan(HIST)


For this assignment, you need to visit the National Archives Experience at http://digitalvaults.org/ Historians typically use two types of materials, secondary source, and primary source documents. Secondary sources are typically books and articles written on a particular historical event, well after the fact. Primary source documents are usually generated by first-hand participants. Good historians rely heavily on original materials created at the time of the event. For this reason, historians spend a good deal of time at the archives. There are many types of archives, but by far, the largest in the United States, is the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

The National Archives contains more than 10 billion documents, and they have collected over 1,200 of those in the National Archives Experience. After you have opened the above link, click on continue in the bottom right corner. This will take you to the Experience site. Here, you can select a topic, and collect documents relevant to that aspect of history. The system will then allow you to create posters, or even a video.

There are a number of ways that you can complete this assignment. Once you have collected your documents, you can create three posters, a video, a powerpoint, or use them as evidence for writing a 3-5 page essay. Naturally, you will need some other information, and you can gather that through your textbook, the internet, or other books and articles

A Short Paper Assignment allows you to demonstrate your research skills to your instructor and to receive feedback that will benefit you when you write research papers for future courses. With this assignment, you will learn how to do proper research and write a short paper.
You are allowed to choose your own topic, as long as it pertains to the subject of this course. If you have any questions on subject matter, please contact your instructor. This is your opportunity to look a little deeper at a subject that interests you.

This short paper is at least three double-spaced pages of text (Times New Roman, font size 12) and you must consult a minimum of two academically credible sources. Your bibliography and citations may be in APA, MLA, or Chicago Style format. Students majoring in history must use Chicago Style format.

The short paper needs to be turned in through the assignment section for grading. If you use any of the information from your sources word-for-word, you must cite the source by using endnotes, footnotes, or parenthetical citations. If you read the information and write it in your own words and it is not common knowledge, then you must cite the source because you are paraphrasing someone's information.

The short paper must include a cover page with your name, course number and course title, instructor's name, and date. You must also include a bibliography at the end of your paper. While composing your paper, use proper English. Do not use abbreviations, contractions, passive voice, or first/ second person (I, you, we, our, etc). Before submitting your paper, check your grammar and use spell check. Remember, the way you talk is not the way you write a paper. Please label your paper as follows: lastnamefirstnameHIST101ShortPaper.