Research Assignment
Task: Complete a research paper on How did the New Deal policies implemented during the Great Depression transform American economic and social structures?
Length: 1200 words (4-6 pages double spaced).
Sourcing: Your paper must include at least five trustworthy sources, at least two of which are primary sources. You must cite the sources parenthetically in the text, as well as in a properly formatted bibliography following the text. (MLA Style)
Thesis Selection (Due 3/13)
Question – In order to write a research paper, you first need to develop a question related to American history. Your question can cover anything. Make your question specific, although one that you can still answer with research.
Question: How did the New Deal policies implemented during the Great Depression transform American economic and social structures?
Example questions:
What caused….?
What was the impact of….?
How did _______ lead to ________ ?
What are the origins of….?
Why did …. decide to…..?
Was …. Moral?
Thesis – Your thesis statement should be a 1-2 sentence statement that provides your answer to your question, that you will argue in your essay. This can change as you conduct more research, and develop a stronger thesis statement.
Preliminary Thesis:
The New Deal policies helped the United States recover from the Great Depression by creating jobs, helping the poor, and changing how the government worked with the economy. These changes helped build the social programs we have today.
Sources – You do not need to find all of your sources immediately, but you do need to conduct some introductory research on your topic prior to developing a thesis. Provide the citations for two sources that help support your thesis, one primary and one secondary. Then write a brief summary on how this source helps you with your topic.
Source One (Primary Source):
Roosevelt, Franklin D. “First Inaugural Address.” 4 Mar. 1933.
How does this source assist my research?
President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s First Inaugural Address is a speech that shows why he wanted to start the New Deal. It helps us understand what the government wanted to do to fix the problems caused by the Great Depression.
Source Two (Secondary Source):Kennedy, David M. Freedom from Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929-1945. Oxford University Press, 1999.
How does this source assist my research?
This book explains what happened during the Great Depression and how the New Deal helped. It gives a lot of information about the time period and helps us understand the changes that happened because of the New Deal.
Length: 1400 words (4-6 pages double spaced, size 11 font, not including headings).
Sourcing: You must include at least five trustworthy sources, two of which are primary sources. You must cite the sources parenthetically in the text, as well as in a properly formatted bibliography following the text. (MLA Style)
Thesis: Paper has a clear and complex thesis statement answering a question related to United States history from 1818-2008. The information presented in the paper clearly defends the thesis.
Organization: Paper is clearly organized into paragraphs with clear topic sentences. Paper flows smoothly and organizes information clearly. Paper presents the information in a compelling and readable format.
Information+Research:
Paper is well researched, and contains relevant, in depth information taken from a variety of sources that argue the thesis statement. Information is well-synthesized from the sources, and not copied. Writer shows the ability to understand and accommodate perspective in sources.
Style: Paper observes the grammatical standards of written English. Paper uses correct spelling, grammar and is formatted with a heading/title. Paper does not use first person, strong voice or other unsuitable academic language.
Sourcing: Paper uses a minimum of five trustworthy sources, two primary and three secondary sources in MLA style. Paper uses appropriate parenthetical citations. Sources are accurately documented in a bibliography following the text.
Final Score: _____________
Additional comments: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
