The Term Project will build upon the research and general overview students have already prepared in the Term Project Proposal.
The purpose of the assignment is to demonstrate the ability to conduct research, understand varying interpretations of historical themes, events and individuals, to think critically, and to write at an advanced level.
The deliverable for the Term Project is an eight-page (dou.hle-spaced) paper which conveys your ideas and research and must have a specific argument or thesis about how Canadian history is presented in different mediums and with different intended audiences_ Be sure to include footnotes and a bibliography to cite all works (ideas and direct quotations)
The content requirements for the Term Project are as follows:
• Select a 'First Generation' Heritage Minute from the list below. The film clips are available
Find the corresponding piece from the Course Textbook, Conrad and Finkel, Ilistrory of the Canadian Per
• Find the corresponding piece from the Course Textbook, Conrad and Finkel, History of the Canadian Peoples
• Find three peer-reviewed academic works that focus on the topic, one must be a scholarly book, while the other two can be journal articles.
The analysis considerations for the Term Project should include!
• How is the pet n, event or theme interpreted in the He Minute? What is the messaging? at is the key takeaway that we are asked to accept? What are the prominent themes (e.g., patriotism, sacrifice, culture)?
How is the situation interpreted in Canada: A People's History or CiiWilla: The Story of us? The focus might be on a broader story rather than the specific individual or historical episode., but what themes are given priority in a longer format? What is the messaging?
What is the key takeaway that we are asked to accept? How is this different than what was presented in the Heritage Minute?
• Turning to your course textbook, how does what is presented in our class lectures and in the course textbook differ again? What is the interpretation provided by the Hist°ly the Canadian Peoples? Does the medium or the intended audience alter the interpretation?
• What about in the academic research that you have undertaken'? How have historians iwTitten about the topic under consideration?
When were the pieces written? What is prioritized? What evidence is utilized'? How does the interpretation and focus differ? Is there agreement between the scholarly sources'? is there agreernen.t between these sources and the films or textbook?
What can you say about the presentation and interpretation of historical characters, events and themes as a result of your investigation? What relevance does audience, medium_ evidence, and/or time period have?
Make sure you gel an early start on your research_ Many students will be vying for the same resources, so avoid putting yourself in a position where you cannot access the appropriate materials for your topic. For a research project like this you should consider:
dp Using the Novanet Catalogue. This is your access point to the collection at Saint Mary's University and the other university libraries in Nova Scotia.
• Going to the library! The staff at the Research Help Desk can help you with your research questions.
• Scan the shelves around the books you find in Novanet. The Library of Congress
organization system means that the books surrounding the one you looked up are related, arid often very useful for your paper_
a Using databases that are available to you as a student at Saint Mary's University_ You can find many of the journal articles you will need for your paper on databases like! JSTOR
a Ebsco Academic Search Premier
America: History and Life
Proofreading is an important step in this process, and it is always recommended that students rev ievii their work or, better yet, have a friend proofread it A useful source for citation style and general term paper guidance is Kate L Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (Patrick Power Library LB 2369 TS 1996). While crafting your Term Project make use of the instructors' posted office hours and visit the on-campus Writing Center (115 Burke Building, 902-491-6202, ext_ 6203).