Topic: Early Islamic History

Southwest Asia

Honors Research Project

Topic: Early Islamic History

How did Islam start?
Basic Terms – Mohammed, Koran (or the Qu’ran), 5 Pillars of Islam, Ramadan, the Haj, Mecca, Medina, Caliph.
The spread of Islam (How did Islam spread outside of Arabia? Where did it spread to, when did it spread?)
Islam and politics (how did early Muslims govern themselves?)

There should be 3 people in your group:
Researcher – Someone to do all the general research and makes sure that the PowerPoint has all the information required
In-Depth Researcher/Writer – Chooses, researches, and writes an essay on a “special topic” (see below for details)
Technician – Puts together the PowerPoint
Make sure you include the above information in your PowerPoint, you do not need to follow the order listed above, but make sure you present your information in a logical format
Have at least 20 slides, the following slides must be:
1st slide must be a title slide with the students names on it
2nd slide must have the Klein copyright information on it
Last slide needs to be a works cited slide (MLA format)
No blank (black) slide is required at the end of the presentation (nobody in real life does that anyway)
Have at least 5 (more is better) properly cited photographs (photographs of paintings do count, Clipart does not)
Use animated bulleted items with no less than 30 point font (except when citing photographs)
Refer to information on my website concerning good and bad PowerPoints
Must use at least 3 sources for your presentation, including at least 1 Internet source, and 1 printed source

Be sure to give me a good overview of the entire subject, but also choose one aspect of the subject (referred to as the Special Topic) and go into greater detail. Choose something that interests you about the subject and give me a lot of information about it (if in doubt about what to work on, ask me).

One person in your group should be responsible for the research of the Special Topic and write a 750 to 1000-word essay with the history and detail of that topic. Do not write the essay on the general topic (that is what the PowerPoint is for). Write it on the in-depth Special Topic.

Southwest Asia

Honors Research Project

Topic: Ottoman Turkish History

Where did the Turkish people come from?
How did they begin their empire?
Personalities – What were some of the major leaders of the Ottoman Empire?
Describe the government of the Ottoman Empire?
How did the Ottoman Turks treat non-Muslim minorities in their territories?

There should be 3 people in your group:
Researcher – Someone to do all the general research and makes sure that the PowerPoint has all the information required
In-Depth Researcher/Writer – Chooses, researches, and writes an essay on a “special topic” (see below for details)
Technician – Puts together the PowerPoint
Make sure you include the above information in your PowerPoint, you do not need to follow the order listed above, but make sure you present your information in a logical format
Have at least 20 slides, the following slides must be:
1st slide must be a title slide with the students names on it
2nd slide must have the Klein copyright information on it
Last slide needs to be a works cited slide (MLA format)
No blank (black) slide is required at the end of the presentation (nobody in real life does that anyway)
Have at least 5 (more is better) properly cited photographs (photographs of paintings do count, Clipart does not)
Use animated bulleted items with no less than 30 point font (except when citing photographs)
Refer to information on my website concerning good and bad PowerPoints
Must use at least 3 sources for your presentation, including at least 1 Internet source, and 1 printed source

Southwest Asia

Honors Research Project

Topic: Islamic Art & Architecture

Types of Islamic Art (Did Islamic culture have paintings and sculpture? Why?)
Architecture – Trace Islamic architecture from Roman and Byzantine origins and how the religion change it.
What makes Islamic art and architecture different?
Show lots of examples

There should be 3 people in your group:
Researcher – Someone to do all the general research and makes sure that the PowerPoint has all the information required
In-Depth Researcher/Writer – Chooses, researches, and writes an essay on a “special topic” (see below for details)
Technician – Puts together the PowerPoint
Make sure you include the above information in your PowerPoint, you do not need to follow the order listed above, but make sure you present your information in a logical format
Have at least 20 slides, the following slides must be:
1st slide must be a title slide with the students names on it
2nd slide must have the Klein copyright information on it
Last slide needs to be a works cited slide (MLA format)
No blank (black) slide is required at the end of the presentation (nobody in real life does that anyway)
Have at least 5 (more is better) properly cited photographs (photographs of paintings do count, Clipart does not)
Use animated bulleted items with no less than 30 point font (except when citing photographs)
Refer to information on my website concerning good and bad PowerPoints
Must use at least 3 sources for your presentation, including at least 1 Internet source, and 1 printed source

Southwest Asia

Honors Research Project

Topic: Sunni’s vs. Shi’ites

What is the difference between Sunni’s and Shi’ites?
Where do most Sunni’s live? Where do most Shi’ites live?
What forms of government do the Sunni’s and Shi’ites believe in ?
Vocabulary – Caliph, Ayatollah, Wahhabi sect
History of the conflict
Recent history of both the Wahhabi sect in Saudi Arabia and the Shi’ites in Iran and Iraq.

There should be 3 people in your group:
Researcher – Someone to do all the general research and makes sure that the PowerPoint has all the information required
In-Depth Researcher/Writer – Chooses, researches, and writes an essay on a “special topic” (see below for details)
Technician – Puts together the PowerPoint
Make sure you include the above information in your PowerPoint, you do not need to follow the order listed above, but make sure you present your information in a logical format
Have at least 20 slides, the following slides must be:
1st slide must be a title slide with the students names on it
2nd slide must have the Klein copyright information on it
Last slide needs to be a works cited slide (MLA format)
No blank (black) slide is required at the end of the presentation (nobody in real life does that anyway)
Have at least 5 (more is better) properly cited photographs (photographs of paintings do count, Clipart does not)
Use animated bulleted items with no less than 30 point font (except when citing photographs)
Refer to information on my website concerning good and bad PowerPoints
Must use at least 3 sources for your presentation, including at least 1 Internet source, and 1 printed source

Southwest Asia

Honors Research Project

Topic: Israel vs. Palestinians

Basic history of Palestine from Ancient times to the present (with special emphasis on 20th century Palestinian history).
Geography of the dispute. Be sure to include lots of maps and tell about the quality of the land (desert, close to water, etc.) that each side possesses.
History of wars between Israel and its neighbors.
History of peace negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis.

There should be 3 people in your group:
Researcher – Someone to do all the general research and makes sure that the PowerPoint has all the information required
In-Depth Researcher/Writer – Chooses, researches, and writes an essay on a “special topic” (see below for details)
Technician – Puts together the PowerPoint
Make sure you include the above information in your PowerPoint, you do not need to follow the order listed above, but make sure you present your information in a logical format
Have at least 20 slides, the following slides must be:
1st slide must be a title slide with the students names on it
2nd slide must have the Klein copyright information on it
Last slide needs to be a works cited slide (MLA format)
No blank (black) slide is required at the end of the presentation (nobody in real life does that anyway)
Have at least 5 (more is better) properly cited photographs (photographs of paintings do count, Clipart does not)
Use animated bulleted items with no less than 30 point font (except when citing photographs)
Refer to information on my website concerning good and bad PowerPoints
Must use at least 3 sources for your presentation, including at least 1 Internet source, and 1 printed source

Southwest Asia

Honors Research Project

Topic: Iranian Revolution

Basic history of Iran from ancient times to the present (with emphasis on late 20th century Iranian history).
Vocabulary – Shah, Ayatollah
Describe the how the Iranian government works.
Current events in the Islamic Republic or Iran (reform, nuclear weapons).

There should be 3 people in your group:
Researcher – Someone to do all the general research and makes sure that the PowerPoint has all the information required
In-Depth Researcher/Writer – Chooses, researches, and writes an essay on a “special topic” (see below for details)
Technician – Puts together the PowerPoint
Make sure you include the above information in your PowerPoint, you do not need to follow the order listed above, but make sure you present your information in a logical format
Have at least 20 slides, the following slides must be:
1st slide must be a title slide with the students names on it
2nd slide must have the Klein copyright information on it
Last slide needs to be a works cited slide (MLA format)
No blank (black) slide is required at the end of the presentation (nobody in real life does that anyway)
Have at least 5 (more is better) properly cited photographs (photographs of paintings do count, Clipart does not)
Use animated bulleted items with no less than 30 point font (except when citing photographs)
Refer to information on my website concerning good and bad PowerPoints
Must use at least 3 sources for your presentation, including at least 1 Internet source, and 1 printed source

Southwest Asia

Honors Research Project

Topic: Saddam Hussein and Iraq

Iraqi history from ancient times to the present (with emphasis on 20th century Iraqi history)
How did colonialism create modern Iraq (why did the Shi’ites and the Kurds not get their own state, why did the Kuwaitis get their own country)?
Vocabulary, events, and personalities – Saddam Hussein, the Baath party, the Iran/Iraq war, the 1991 Gulf war, UN sanctions, Food for Oil program, the 2002 Iraq war, Rebuilding Iraq.

There should be 3 people in your group:
Researcher – Someone to do all the general research and makes sure that the PowerPoint has all the information required
In-Depth Researcher/Writer – Chooses, researches, and writes an essay on a “special topic” (see below for details)
Technician – Puts together the PowerPoint
Make sure you include the above information in your PowerPoint, you do not need to follow the order listed above, but make sure you present your information in a logical format
Have at least 20 slides, the following slides must be:
1st slide must be a title slide with the students names on it
2nd slide must have the Klein copyright information on it
Last slide needs to be a works cited slide (MLA format)
No blank (black) slide is required at the end of the presentation (nobody in real life does that anyway)
Have at least 5 (more is better) properly cited photographs (photographs of paintings do count, Clipart does not)
Use animated bulleted items with no less than 30 point font (except when citing photographs)
Refer to information on my website concerning good and bad PowerPoints
Must use at least 3 sources for your presentation, including at least 1 Internet source, and 1 printed source

Southwest Asia

Honors Research Project

Topic: Petroleum in the Middle East

Why is Petroleum important?
The consumers of Oil – Discuss the oil needs of Europe, the United States, and China. What are the top 15 consumers of oil?
The producers – discuss the major producers of petroleum with special emphasis on Middle Eastern producers. What are the top 15 oil producers in the world? What are the top 15 countries in proven oil reserves? What are some of the problems of relying on unstable countries to supply petroleum?
Discuss how petroleum is transported from the Middle East to consumers.

There should be 3 people in your group:
Researcher – Someone to do all the general research and makes sure that the PowerPoint has all the information required
In-Depth Researcher/Writer – Chooses, researches, and writes an essay on a “special topic” (see below for details)
Technician – Puts together the PowerPoint
Make sure you include the above information in your PowerPoint, you do not need to follow the order listed above, but make sure you present your information in a logical format
Have at least 20 slides, the following slides must be:
1st slide must be a title slide with the students names on it
2nd slide must have the Klein copyright information on it
Last slide needs to be a works cited slide (MLA format)
No blank (black) slide is required at the end of the presentation (nobody in real life does that anyway)
Have at least 5 (more is better) properly cited photographs (photographs of paintings do count, Clipart does not)
Use animated bulleted items with no less than 30 point font (except when citing photographs)
Refer to information on my website concerning good and bad PowerPoints
Must use at least 3 sources for your presentation, including at least 1 Internet source, and 1 printed source