Beginning the First Research Paper! A huge portion if our grade this block is a large research paper! We have to write a ten page paper about any topic regarding Mediterranean history! We are only allowed to use primary sources, and the paper is due towards the end of the block. The first step we took in beginning our research paper was taking a trip to the library. There, we attended a presentation by one of the head librarians, Diane, and she helped us learn how to identify primary sources. I had never been taught the exact definition of a primary source, so her information was valuable. She gave us step-by-step tutorials on how to use library resources and also gave us a list of search engines and online databases. I plan on doing a separate blog post on this topic later this week, as I took lots of notes during the presentation! So far, the paper has been going well. Early this week we had to turn in a paper prospectus to Susan. I had a difficult time choosing a topic, but once I figured out my topic, I was fine. I have decided to write on the factors that led to Charlemagne’s successful empire and what personal and environmental conditions made him a great leader. We met with Susan in blocks of 20 minutes last week to discuss our topics and work out any issues we’d had with choosing a topic. I had for the most part worked out my topic, so my meeting was short, as Susan approved of my topic. We have a rough draft due on Friday, and Susan said she would mark up our rough drafts. So far, her comments have been very helpful, so hopefully the comments on the rough draft will be useful in doing our final editing. I will update you all more on this as the paper progresses. Have a great rest of the weekend!
