PLATINUM OPTION: FORMAL ESSAY SEMESTER PORTFOLIO OPTION SERIES

SEMESTER PORTFOLIO STANDARD and HONORS SIMILARITIES DIFFERENCES Choose your topic and acquire resources Conduct & Analyze Research Create your outline Write rough draft Receive teacher feedback Revise & submit final draft STANDARD and HONORS SEMESTER PORTFOLIO DIFFERENCES Standard USH Honors USH Why should American citizens learn about this event? 6-8 paragraphs C&A Research questions ONE grade to rule them all! How does this event shape modern American society? 1,500-2,000 words C&A Research questions Submit individual parts along the way

1 Choose A Topic Do not take this “first step” lightly, as the topic you choose will have a direct impact on your overall enthusiasm and motivation for completing this semester portfolio project. The Espionage Act of 1917 and the Sedition Act of 1918 The Dust Bowl New Deal Programs Japanese-American Internment Camps WWII Leadership Comparison (speak to Mr. Snell if interested) Dropping of Atomic Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki McCarthyism and Blacklisting Cold War America Cuban Missile Crisis 1960s Civil Rights Movement Separate, But Equal Integration The Space Race Watergate Scandal American Culture- “The 60s” Vietnam War The First Computers Reagan and Gorbachev Other (Must get teacher approval)?

Research STANDARD US 2 Conduct & Analyze What are the basic facts of your event? What is the historical context of your event? What were the causes of your event? What were its effects? Why is this event important for new citizens to understand? What perspective do your primary sources bring to understanding the event? How do your primary sources help you make your argument? Research STANDARD US Conduct & Analyze What facts about the event does your reader need to have in order to understand the event’s importance to new citizens?  Why is this event important for new citizens to understand?  What perspective do your primary sources bring to understanding the event?  How do your primary sources help you make your argument?

Research HONORS US 2 Conduct & Analyze What are the basic facts of your event? What is the historical context of your event? What were the causes of your event? What were its effects? How does this event connect to the modern world? What lasting influence has the event had on American government, culture, society, or interaction with the world? What perspective do your primary sources bring to understanding the event? What biases do your primary sources reveal? How reliable is the information presented within your primary sources? How do historical primary sources evaluate the event? How do modern primary sources evaluate the event or events that have resulted from it? How do your primary sources help you make your argument? Research HONORS US Conduct & Analyze What facts about the event must your reader have in order to understand the event’s importance within U.S. history? What is the event's historical context? Why is this event important for American citizens to understand? How does this event connect to the modern world? What influence has this event had on modern American government, culture, society, or interaction with the world? What perspectives do your primary sources bring to understanding the event? What biases do they reveal? How do your primary sources help you make your argument?

OUTLINE 3 Thesis sentence (hook) Section for each subtopic or claim Supporting detail Statistic Analysis Subtopic or claim 3 OUTLINE Thesis sentence (hook) Section for each subtopic or claim Subsections for details, facts, graphics, statistics, etc. x3 Conclusion- connections, predictions, etc

ROUGH DRAFT 4 Step 1: Crafting a Thesis Statement A thesis statement should sum up the main argument of your paper. For this paper, your thesis statement should answer the question: Why should new American citizens learn about this event? A thesis statement is usually a sentence long. Click on the link in the lesson to watch the "Thesis Statement" Discovery Education™ streaming movie. You will organize your essay around this statement. Step 2: Writing a Rough Draft 1. Be sure to include transition words between topics such as then, next, secondly, and also. 2. You may have more ideas than paragraphs for a section. Think about combining two related ideas into one paragraph. 3. Check that all of the ideas presented in your essay support your thesis statement. 4. Include at least one quotation from each primary source to help enliven and support your thesis. Be sure that the primary source quotes you select relates closely to your argument and offers information that could not have been obtained from a secondary source. Also ensure that you identify the quote's speaker within the text of your essay. You may wish to provide historical context on the speaker to help the reader better understand that person's point of view and experiences. Step 3: Edit You need to edit your rough draft to fix mistakes and make your report better. Print your essay, then write your corrections on your rough draft. Lastly, have another person you trust do the same process. ROUGH DRAFT

5 WAIT…..WAIT FOR IT……WAITING…… DO NOT submit final draft without teacher feedback.

FINAL DRAFT 6 Step 1: Final Revisions Step 2: Submit Final Draft Address feedback from self-critique, your additional chosen editor, and all teacher comments/concerns as well. Step 2: Submit Final Draft This is it! This is your best version of you, your best foot forward. You should feel confident in what you are about to submit, and resolved to accept whatever final grade you may receive. In other words, should feel as though there is nothing else you could do or want to do for this portfolio.  FINAL DRAFT

DIFFERENCES Honors USH Standard USH SUBMIT PORTFOLIO the