This project will count for 12% of your overall grade for this course. Be sure to read all the instructions and assemble all the necessary materials before you begin. For this project, you may choose either Option A or Option B. Note which option you choose at the start of your project.
In this project, you will write an essay in which you express and defend a thesis (point of view) about a historical topic. Select one of the following options. Your project should follow the traditional essay format:
• Begin with an introductory paragraph in which you briefly summarize your topic. In one or a few sentences, express a thesis, or point of view. Your thesis will be a personal response to the question you are answering. In your thesis, you will express a personal view about a historic issue.
• Body paragraphs will make up the bulk of your essay. Use the body paragraphs to support and defend your thesis. Remember that each body paragraph should start with a topic sentence. Subsequent sentences should relate to the topic sentence in each paragraph.
• Finish your essay with a concluding paragraph. Summarize what you have said in the essay and restate your thesis.
• If you use any direct quotations, be sure to cite them correctly. Refer to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, which may be accessed online or in many libraries.
Option 1
Using your textbook and syllabus, write an essay of at least 600 words in which you answer the following question:
Of the American presidents who held office between 1896 and 1945, which one did the most to define American foreign policy in the twentieth century? Explain your answer, noting the ways in which this president expanded the role of the United States as a world power.
There are one hundred possible points on this project. In your essay, you should:
• Present a clear thesis. In your introduction, you must clearly express a view about the question you are being asked. (10 points possible)
• Describe the president’s policies toward Europe and Latin America, as well as Asia and Africa if applicable. (15 points possible)
• Summarize the major events in American foreign policy during the president’s time in office. (15 points possible)
• Analyze the president’s goals in foreign relations. (15 points possible)
• Evaluate the president’s accomplishments in foreign relations. (15 points possible)
• Explain why the president’s policies were most important in helping the United States develop as a world power. (15 points possible)
• Use essay format. Follow the introduction-body paragraphs-concluding paragraph style. Your paper should read smoothly, and your word choice should reflect your ideas and beliefs. (10 points possible)
• Use proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation. (5 points possible)
Option 2
Using your textbook and syllabus, write an essay of at least 600 words in which you answer the following question:
Which individual was most important in the civil rights movement?
Discuss the person’s contributions, as well as the impact the person had.
Why was this person’s role central to the civil rights movement?
There are one hundred possible points on this project. In your essay, you should:
• Present a clear thesis. In your introduction, you must clearly express a view about the question you are being asked. (10 points possible)
• Explain the person’s attitudes and beliefs about civil rights. (15 points possible)
• Analyze the strategies and tactics the person used in support of civil rights. (15 points possible)
• Summarize the events in which the person was involved. (15 points possible)
• Explain the impact of the person’s role in the civil rights movement. (15 points possible)
• Explain why this person’s contributions to the civil rights movement were most important. (15 points possible)
• Use essay format. Follow the introduction-body paragraphs-concluding paragraph style. Your paper should read smoothly, and your word choice should reflect your ideas and beliefs. (10 points possible)
• Use proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation. (5 points possible)
