Individual+History+Essay

=Topic= The first thing you need to do is decide on a topic.

Where to get ideas
Try going to a bookshop such as Boarders: Look at the biographies, history and politics sections. have a look at the History Magazines. Go to the BBC web page. Go to your local library Use the workbook. Check the suggested sites such as the Learning Curve and Spartacus. [] []

Look at journalists such as John Pilger for contemporarycontroversal topics.

Keep a record of your investigation. Start a folder on your computer. Add to Favourites and bookmark sites.

Find a good website then post a comment on the Internet resources page.

If you already have a favourite topic it must fit into one of the 12 Topic Options [] **page 59** or go to the workbook.

After you have chosen a topic and ssabsa option, you need to decide on the **time** and **place** for your historical essay.

Example.
So, you could investigate Elvis Presley but not his whole life!, This is too big..Choose a time, for example, the **1950s ,** then decide on a topic, for example, **youth rebellion** in **America.**

Because this is a history essay you need to know about what else was happening at this time. So, if you were investigating Elvis in the post-war era you would also have to mention/show an awareness of othe events such as the growth of consumerism, beat poetry, the rise of teenage culture etc.. This means that that you really want to limit your time period. You only have 2,000 words.

What am I saying...well choose your topic but before you spend too much time get an overview and limit your discussion. You can do this by googling and reading a wiki to get some fast information before you go into an indepth investigation.

Remember

 * 1) Modern History is after 1500 to the present.
 * 2) You cannot do a purely Australian topic as there is another subject, Australian History. However, you can discuss Australia in a global context.
 * 3) You must use at least 3 sources. A source is any reference that you use.
 * 4) It is an essay that uses sources as evidence to support your proposition/argument. You should not interrogate your sources. It is not a source analysis although, you can mention relevant aspects such as bias.

Remember
This essay is not about proving a point or an idea that you feel to be a truth. Just as with the exam essay questions you must argue. If you only argue one side then you will not have a balanced essay and this will be detrimental to your mark.


 * So from the start of your investigation you need to be looking for //the other side of your idea.//**

I like to look at the past exam papers' source analysis questions to get ideas for a question and topic.

2003
What conclusions could you draw about the existence of a conspiracy to assassinate President Kennedy? (You could change this to Hitler...there was a film about this recently...)

2004
Evaluate the proposition that youth rebellion was at the heart of the Zoot Suit Riots. (You could change Zoot Suit Riots to Grunge music.)

2005
Evaluate the proposition that dramatic changes occurred in post war France. (Post war France could be any other country...Think of dramatic change in some other time and place)

2006
'The problems of eighteenth-century London centred on the drinking of gin.' Evaluate this proposition. Here you could investigate an artist/writer/film +a social issue +time +place. Just as in the exam you would discuss the artist's work but also other sources (primary or seconday) to give another point of view on the problem/issue that you are discussing.

Go to [] to look at past exam papers for ideas. [] []

Post a comment
Discuss... What topics are you thinking of??? On this page and I will give you some feedback. I will look at this page daily and respond to you.

=Essay Draft= __**Essay** (Send as an attached Word document (one document, please!) to arooney@muirden.sa.edu.au__ __) Read the essay format in the workbook. (one and a half line spaced, 12 pt, Times New Roman) Write your essay question at the top. I need to check this. //Please include with your essay a works-cited page which includes all bibliographic information for both texts used, as well as any websites or references used in writing your paper.//__

=//__Warning!__//=

__**Any attempt at [|plagiarism] will result in the usual academic consequences.**__

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__Send me a draft as you develop your ideas.__