New Citizens and American Historyportfolio Project Part 1
United States History B
New Citizens and American HistoryPortfolio Project Part 1
How Did a Particular Historical Event Affect American Society?
Each year, thousands of people become American citizens. Thousands more native born Americans become full citizens when they turn 18 and can vote. What should these new citizens know about the history of their country? What events will help inform them as they participate in American democracy and society?
For example, what lessons can new citizens take from the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II? What lessons can they learn from the rise of totalitarian regimes in the 1930s and the U.S. response?
Description
For this portfolio, you will choose a topic and resources fora research paper and write a works cited page. The paper will focus on a specific historical event and its importance to American citizens. Your paper will answer the question: Why should American citizens learn about this event?
You will complete Part 1 of the Unit 1 portfolio as follows:
• Choose a topic or event
• Choose resources for research
• Write a works cited page
Step 1: Choose a topic or event to research
Choose a topic or event to research. Here are some suggestions:
• The Espionage Act of 1917 and The Sedition Act of 1918
• Prohibition
• A specific New Deal program, such as the WPA
• Japanese-American Internment Camps
• The Dropping of Atomic Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
• Senator McCarthy’s anti-Communist hearings
• Various Civil Rights Movements
• The Watergate Scandal
• Another event of your choice (check with your teacher for approval)
Write down your event and one or two sentences describing why you have chosen this event. You will submit this to your teacher with your works cited page.
Step 2: Choose your resources
Next choose the resources you will need for your research. Use what you learned in the World War II through Primary Sources lesson as a guide. Use the following guidelines as you choose your sources.
• You need to have at least five different sources of information.(Note: You may use your textbook, but it should not be included in the five sources.)
o Two of the sources need to be primary sources.
o Two of the sources need to be print sources, such as books or magazine articles.
There are many sources of information about events during this time period, including your textbook, Discovery Education™, and Grolier Online® (linked from your LMS home page). Below is a list of other resources:
• Many PBS documentaries have companion websites with useful information.
• The Library of Congress has many primary sources from this time period. http://www.loc.gov/library/libarch-digital.html
• Ask the librarian at your local library to help you find books and articles on your event.
Step 3: Complete a works cited page
Once you have chosen your resources, you will need to create a works cited page to submit to your teacher.
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Works Cited Page Guidelines
• Your works cited page should be typed.
• Your works cited page should be written in MLA format.
Select the link in the lesson to read an explanation of why we make works cited pages and how to make one.