TODAY’S AGENDA… Election Update/ Current Events ACT Prep Notes: Sino-Japanese War (1937) Finish “Writing a Research Question” Group Activity Begin Writing Your Own Research Question (Due Tomorrow!)

HOW TO WRITE A RESEARCH QUESTION EXPLANATION, EXAMPLES, AND TIPS

COMPONENTS OF A GOOD QUESTION… ACCORDING TO GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES “A research question is a clear, focused, complex, and arguable question at the center of your research.” WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? Your question should guide all of your research It is something that can be argued in many different ways It is not too broad It is not too simple

STEPS TO CHOOSING A QUESTION… THE PROCESS: Be sure to pick a question that interests you, you can literally chose ANY historical topic for the IA You may want to do some pre-research on the topic to see if you like it, or if you’ll be able to find enough sources A good thing to do is begin asking ‘how’ and ‘why’ in regards to your topic

GOOD QUESTION STEMS… IB RELATED KEY CONCEPTS: Causation Consequence Continuity Change Significance Perspectives COMMAND TERMS FOR QUESTIONS… Account for- Explain an event or outcome, the existence of something How- Explain any historical development. The ‘How’ can be followed by words like far, successfully, effective, or accurate to make the question more focused To what extent- Evaluate the success or failure of an event Why- Requires a reasoned argument for the existence of a historical event

WHICH QUESTION IS BETTER? THIS ONE… Why are social networking sites harmful? OR THIS ONE… How are online users experiencing or addressing privacy issues on social networking sites as Facebook?

THIS ONE… How is glacial melting affecting penguins in the Artic Circle? OR THIS ONE… What is the effect on the environment from global warming?

REAL IA QUESTIONS: ARE THESE GOOD? To what extent were the Hollywood Ten victims of McCarthyism? What was the most important method used by Stalin to obtain power? To what extent was Canada involved in the Cold War in its early development between 1945 and 1959? “The Cold War was caused by fear, not aggression.” To what extent does tis view explain how the Cold War was developed between 1945 and 1949? How successful were the economic policies of the ‘Four-Year-Plan’ in the Third Reich ? To what extent was the Cuban Missile Crisis a turning point in the Cold War?

FOR THE REST OF CLASS TODAY… FIRST: Finish the group activity from Friday. Be sure to think about IB command terms, historical thinking, narrowing down, and complex questions Make sure that everyone has their name on the sheet THEN: You need to finalize your History IA Research Question You need 3 possible research questions for tomorrow! THIS WILL BE TURNED IN AND COUNTED FOR A QUIZ SCORE! This is homework.

RESEARCH QUESTION GROUP ACTIVITY DIRECTIONS: Read through the research questions As a group, decide how to rewrite them to make them better You will turn this in for credit, so be sure that every group members name is on the paper You may write on the paper WHEN YOU FINISH… Begin to narrow down and write your own question Bounce ideas off of your other group members This part of your IA is due by next Thursday, March 24!