Creating Focus for History Day Projects Courtesy of Minnesota State History Day 2010/2011

Sample Theme: Turning Points in History Mystery Topic: The Battle of Gettysburg Contestant #1 Thesis: The battle of Gettysburg took place from July 1-3, The Union Army won the battle and killed or wounded thousands of Confederate soldiers. Contestant #2 Thesis: After three days of fighting in July of 1863, the Union Army won the Battle of Gettysburg. This was an important turning point in the Civil War. Contestant #3 Thesis: The Union victory at Gettysburg in July of 1863 was a critical turning point in the Civil War. Lee’s decision to invade the North was a gamble that cost his army dearly in lives and equipment. After Gettysburg, the Confederates began a slow retreat that ended with Lee’s surrender in the spring of 1865.

Cast your vote. Which contestant had a thesis that best fit the criteria for a good thesis? Record your vote and reasons for your vote on your advanced organizer. And the winner is... Contestant #3 Thesis: The Union victory at Gettysburg in July of 1863 was a critical turning point in the Civil War. Lee’s decision to invade the North was a gamble that cost his army dearly in lives and equipment. After Gettysburg, the Confederates began a slow retreat that ended with Lee’s surrender in the spring of 1865.

WHO? Union Army, Confederate Army, General Lee WHAT? Battle of Gettysburg, Union Victory WHEN? July 1863 & Spring 1865 WHERE? Gettysburg CONNECTION TO THEME? Union victory at Gettysburg was the “ critical turning point” in the Civil War. WHY IMPORTANT IN HISTORY? Lee’s decision cost Confederate army in lives/equipment, resulting in Lee’s (the South’s) surrender two years later.

In the late 19 th century, Minneapolis and St. Paul encountered a growing transportation problem. Thomas Lowry and his Twin Cities Rapid Transit Company successfully explored the use of electric streetcars, which led to an easier exchange of people and the growth of the first suburbs. This thesis statement was written by two eighth grade exhibitors for History Day The theme that year was “Exploration, Encounter, Exchange in History.” Look at this thesis, find the theme words. Answer the questions listed on your advanced organizer.

Who is involved? – Citizens of the Twin Cities, Thomas Lowry & his company What is the original problem? – Growing transportation problem in the cities When did it happen? – Late 19 th century (1800s) Where did it happen? – In the cities of Minneapolis & St. Paul, Minnesota

What was the solution to the problem? – Use of electric streetcars Why was that solution important OR how did it change things? – Led to the growth of the first suburbs; “urban sprawl” is a problem in the U.S.A. today – Mass transit, the “easy exchange of people,” is important to the infrastructure of large cities

TOPIC: – Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott WHO: Who was involved? Who was affected? – Rosa Parks; citizens in Montgomery, Alabama; civil rights leaders; Montgomery’s city government officials WHERE: Where was/were the place(s) it took place? – Montgomery, Alabama

WHAT: What happened? What was the main event? – Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a public bus, which violated a city law requiring segregation. She was arrested and went to jail. Civil rights leaders organized a boycott of city buses to challenge the law as unconstitutional. The economic impact of the boycott forced city leaders and the bus company to enter into negotiation with the civil rights leaders.

WHY: Why did it happen? What caused it? – Civil rights leaders wanted to overturn segregation laws. WHY: Why is it important? What were the successes/failures/consequences? – The boycott forced debate over the issue and succeeded in overturning the law requiring segregation. This success inspired similar protests, helping end segregation and secure greater equality.

P WHEN: When did it happen? How long of a time period was it? Parks was arrested on Dec. 1, 1955; the boycott started on Dec. 5 th and lasted for 382 days.

CONNECTION TO THEME: What was debated within this event/idea/situation? OR What was diplomatic about this event/idea/situation? Advocates for civil rights challenged segregation as unconstitutional while city leaders and citizen groups stood behind the Montgomery law that preserved segregation on public transportation. The ideological differences created social conflict that required great debate between groups.

CONNECTION TO THEME: What were the successes, failures and/or consequences? – The economic impact of the boycott succeeded in forcing the bus company and city leaders into debate with civil rights leaders, causing the city to eventually remove the law. Consequently, civil rights advocates around the country were inspired to take similar non-violent action.

PUT IT ALL TOGETHER INTO A THESIS STATEMENT: – On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for violating a Montgomery, Alabama, law that required segregation on public buses. Montgomery area civil rights leaders organized a non-violent boycott of public buses which forced the bus company and city officials into debate over segregation. The boycott succeeded in forcing the city to repeal the law. Consequently, civil rights advocates around the country were inspired to take similar non-violent action, helping end segregation and secure greater equality for African-Americans in the U.S.A.

CAN YOU PROVE IT?: Yes HOW? EXPLAIN: –C–City officials and the bus company refused to come to a compromise over segregation on buses until the boycott made a significant financial impact. Civil rights leaders in other parts of the country sent letters and requests to the Montgomery boycott participants seeking advice on how to start similar protests in their areas. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. used what he learned in Montgomery and applied it in other cities. These are documented in meeting minutes, testimonials, newspaper articles, speeches, and a timeline of events.

DON’T: Martin Luther was born in He started the Reformation. (Fact) DO: Beginning in 1517, Martin Luther sparked widespread debate against Roman Catholic religious practices, especially the sale of indulgences, corruption, and the emphasis on salvation through good works. When diplomacy with the Papacy failed, Luther’s arguments succeeded in igniting a religious movement, creating a new sect of faith, and later bringing change to the Roman Catholic Church.

AA DON’T: Indians fought over Alcatraz Island. Why do you think they would do that? (Rhetorical) DO: American Indians under the banner of “Indians of All Tribes” debated with government officials over political and social discrimination. In protest, the group reclaimed Alcatraz Island in 1969 as Indian land. Though the group’s primary goals failed to reach fruition through active diplomacy, protestors succeeded in spreading awareness to the American public and consequently ignited the modern American Indian Movement.

AA DON’T: Had the Continental Congress voted against the 3/5 Compromise, America could have avoided a Civil War. (“What if?” history that cannot be supported with evidence.) DO: When members of the Constitutional Convention started laying the groundwork for a new American government in 1787, debate ensued over slaves and their place in a representative government based on population. The resulting 3/5 Compromise succeeded in ending the initial conflict, allowing the 13 states to move forward as a unified nation; however, by failing to come to a definitive conclusion over the issue of slavery, Constitutional framers established the U.S.A. with an unstable base that would continue to cause discontent until it exploded into civil war.

AA DON’T: The 1960’s presidential debate was the first to be shown on television and was really important. Want to know why? Read more below. (Fact, Rhetorical, Incomplete) DO: Senator John F. Kennedy’s ability to master television as a communication medium during the 1960 presidential debates helped secure him the presidency over Vice President Richard M. Nixon. Access to live, visual information succeeded at shifting viewer’s attention from the issues to more superficial attributes such a poise, appearance, and style, undermining the importance and long-standing tradition of open debate. Consequently, Kennedy’s victory marked a new era of political campaigning and changed the way voters understand and receive their candidates.

AA DON’T: Adolph Hitler was an evil man that killed a lot of Jews. (Opinion) DO: Following the “Great War,” Adolph Hitler blamed Germany’s downfalls on the country’s Jewish population causing discrimination, violent action, and a mass exodus of European Jewry. Various parties with social, political, and economic interests, including U.S. Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes, initiated debate over immigration to the Alaskan Territory in The failure to reach a diplomatic compromise resulted in an end to negotiations, closing an opportunity for population growth in Alaska and leading to the death of many, such as the Jews of Neustadt, Germany, who believed the United States’ last open frontier to be their only remaining hope for refuge.

Choose a sample “DO’S” statement & identify: The Debate: The Diplomacy: Successes, Failures, and/or Consequences: What must be proven in order for this statement to be true? What evidence will we need to support our claims? Where might we find this evidence? (Consider documents, statements, opinions, and other sources.) Consider your own working thesis & identify: The Debate: The Diplomacy: Successes, Failures, and/or Consequences: What must be proven in order for this statement to be true? What evidence will we need to support our claims? Where might we find this evidence? (Consider documents, statements, opinions, and other sources.)

Construct a working thesis for your History Day project and evaluate your thesis using the format on the advanced organizer.

THESIS THE HEART OF THE STORY BACKGROUND/ BIG PICTURE CONTEXT BUILD-UP SHORT-TERM/ IMMEDIATE IMPACT LONG-TERM IMPACT/ CHANGE TITLE

THESIS THE HEART OF THE STORY BACKGROUND/ BIG PICTURE CONTEXT BUILD-UP SHORT-TERM/ IMMEDIATE IMPACT LONG-TERM IMPACT/ CHANGE SUPPORT