Essay Assignment
In Units 9-10 of CP World History & Geography, our primary focus was on the Cold War and the developing world.
In this final project there will be four parts. In the first part, you will create a graphic organizer. In the second part, you will synthesize your knowledge through the construction of an essay. The last part of the mid-term will allow you to play the role of an investigative historian and will ask you to provide primary and secondary sources. In the last part, you will connect content from the semester to current day affairs.
Part 1:
Create a thematic graphic organizer.
• Choose 1 of the 5 World History themes
o Interaction between humans and the environment
o Development and interaction of cultures
o State-building, expansion and conflict
o Creation, expansion, and interaction of economic systems
o Development and transformation of social structures
• Create a chart/organizer that connects at least 5 events/concepts or ideas from each of the units to this theme.
Example:
Theme: Development and transformation of social structures
Unit 09: Post-WWII and the Beginnings of the Cold War
Unit 10: Our World Today
Part 2:
Using the information created in the graphic organizer, construct a cohesive essay that analyzes the effects of the Cold War into modern day events.
Be sure to:
• Address whether a policy of containment was beneficial in the long run or not
• Included perspectives from both western countries and Eastern.
• Align the analysis to one of the 5 themes of world history below:
o Interaction between humans and the environment
o Development and interaction of cultures
o State-building, expansion and conflict
o Creation, expansion, and interaction of economic systems
o Development and transformation of social structures
Outline for the Essay
• Introduction: open with a topic sentence: frame the background of the subject you are addressing Identify the WHO, WHAT, WHEN and WHERE!
o Describe the historically relevant details about setting and its context, as well as briefly introduce the sources you will be referring to in this essay.
o Define the parameters of the question you are asked to respond to
o Your thesis is an argumentative statement.
o Take a stance in this statement, one which you will later back up with evidence from the sources you will be referencing.
o Your statement should contain at least two-three general main points that you will be arguing.
• Body Paragraphs #1-3
o Introduce the first (then second, and third) point from your thesis that you will be defending.
o Provide historically relevant background information and context
o Use the appropriate source(s) as evidence for this portion of your overall claim
• Conclusion
o In the conclusion, you want to paraphrase your thesis and briefly reference the claims you elaborated on in the body paragraphs of your essay.
Part 3:
Become an investigator and find 2 primary or secondary source that supports the argument you made in your essay.
1. Attach the link and or image/document to your submission.
2. Give a brief summary (no more than a paragraph) of what the artifact is.
What is a primary source? An artifact or resource that was created during the period of time that is being discussed. An example would be a photography of the a concentration camp, taken during WW2.
What is a secondary source? An artifact or resource that was created after the time of the event. An example would be a journal/article on the Civil War, created in the 21st century.
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
1. The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.