Term (Research) Paper Criteria
The research paper must be between 3 to 5 pages in length. If you have any questions concerning this paper, please feel free to contact me. The paper is a blend of factual (research) material and personal observations. Please read my example below for a further discussion of this matter. In other words, this is not strictly a research paper; it must be factual but I also want your personal comments and observations included in the paper.
Your paper is based on a visit you are to make to any historical site that falls within the scope of this course. Therefore, use the time frame of about 15,000 B.C. to 1877. As I do not know where anyone lives, I can only make my comments general in nature. Pick a historical site and visit it. It can be a site close to where you are or anywhere in the United States, for that matter. I do not require that you travel far and wide for this project; that decision is strictly up to you. If you need any help in picking a spot to visit, please let me know and I will be glad to offer some suggestions. I will need to know your general location and if you have a car or access to a car so I can offer suggestions to you.
As (my school) is in Troy, New York, I am going to use as an example a visit to the Saratoga Battlefield, which is about twenty-five miles north of Troy. Your paper will present factual material about the Battlefield; who fought there? When? What was the outcome of the battle? Why is this location important in American History? Then, I want you to add in your personal reactions to the site. Did you like the battlefield? Why? What parts were your favorite? Did you not like the battlefield? Why? Was there a particular part you did not like? Why? Maybe you visited the Battlefield when you were younger and now you view the Battlefield in a different way; you can comment on that in your paper.