willemvanoranje
Curitibano
Ok. In 8 weeks we have to hand in a *report* (is that the right word?). We have to choose our topic ourselves. Now I can't choose which one (btw, ofcourse it's for history class):
What should I do?! Help me out...
- Thread starter willemvanoranje
- Start date
Well, it's a bit pointless for us to choose for you since we aren't the ones doing the report. :crazyeyes
Just choose something you know well.
Just choose something you know well.
Strik
MAD SCIENTIST
Perhaps you should do a report on the cuba missile crisis. There recently has been a movie released:
Thirteen days.
The film is supergood and it is a nice way to get some information about a the topic, you could do this with your nederlands and engels mondeling too.
Ok ik weet dat de film uit is want ik heb m van de week gehuurd.
Perhaps the russian revolution, since yesterday was the date it happend in I believe in 1917 or 1907.
Thirteen days.
The film is supergood and it is a nice way to get some information about a the topic, you could do this with your nederlands and engels mondeling too.
Ok ik weet dat de film uit is want ik heb m van de week gehuurd.
Perhaps the russian revolution, since yesterday was the date it happend in I believe in 1917 or 1907.
Simon Darkshade
Mysterious City of Gold
Give me specifications on the length and other requirements of the report/project, and then one can consider it. Speaking from the perspective of both a student (academe) and a techer (profession), it is best to do something you can engage in, but also something there is a good deal of information about. It depends whether it is a full blown research essay or general project.
Roman Empire is a big topic, which is good in a sense, but you can get "lost" in a big topic. Ditto the Crusades, albeit to a lesser extent.
Figure out a topic, and a question that you want to make the focus of your approach. Start early, and try to get feedback from a number of sources.
Structure is the key to good marks, as then ideas are clear and in order. Set out a list of objectives that are to be met. Pay particular attention to the intro and conclusion. They should be structured summary essays of their own, with the former foreshadowing the latter. Use them to set out what you will find and prove in your paper.
Particularly in history, use many sources: primary sources, secondary sources, monograph studies and journal articles.
Any further questions, chuck 'em this way, even though at the moment if I ever see another essay in my life I will froth at the mouth, but still have big mofo of doctoral dissertation to go...
Roman Empire is a big topic, which is good in a sense, but you can get "lost" in a big topic. Ditto the Crusades, albeit to a lesser extent.
Figure out a topic, and a question that you want to make the focus of your approach. Start early, and try to get feedback from a number of sources.
Structure is the key to good marks, as then ideas are clear and in order. Set out a list of objectives that are to be met. Pay particular attention to the intro and conclusion. They should be structured summary essays of their own, with the former foreshadowing the latter. Use them to set out what you will find and prove in your paper.
Particularly in history, use many sources: primary sources, secondary sources, monograph studies and journal articles.
Any further questions, chuck 'em this way, even though at the moment if I ever see another essay in my life I will froth at the mouth, but still have big mofo of doctoral dissertation to go...
willemvanoranje
Curitibano
Ok. The report is 15 pages minimum. And as you said already, it shouldn't be a big thing; a bit more defined. F.e. Roman Empire ---> Nero. So Roman Empire becomes 'Fall of the Roman Empire', and Crusades becomes 'the Templars'. So it's more defined already.
And you making the choice only helps me, since I like all the options myself a lot.
Btw, I wanna add I'm only 15 years old, meaning that it's what Amies would call high-school stuff. I don't know if there are 'levels' in the US, but I know you can compare it to the English pr-University class.
And you making the choice only helps me, since I like all the options myself a lot.
Btw, I wanna add I'm only 15 years old, meaning that it's what Amies would call high-school stuff. I don't know if there are 'levels' in the US, but I know you can compare it to the English pr-University class.
Strik
MAD SCIENTIST
Just look on the internet, you can easily find a report there. Just copy/paste and you are done.
That is what I did, sometimes.
Welke klas HAVO/VWO of VWO.
That is what I did, sometimes.
Welke klas HAVO/VWO of VWO.
willemvanoranje
Curitibano
VWO 4 met profiel Economie & Maatschappij
Naah. See, that's the difference. I like history and want to do it myself this time.
Naah. See, that's the difference. I like history and want to do it myself this time.
Simon Darkshade
Mysterious City of Gold
OK, so 4500-5000 word paper at about Year 10 level.
In that circumstance, I would disregard the specific aircraft study, as there will be less material available on such a narrow area. It also crosses over from military history into military studies itself, and whilst the two do go together, the views can clash, if ye know what I mean.
I'll withold any overall judgement until there are perhaps some more options.
At the moment, out of what there is, the Crusades sound best (nb, an account of the Templars would continue on well after the period, and require delving into late medieval French politics and lengthy matters of religion, according to my past experience in the area) as it has a lot of scope for movement, it is topical, and there is a lot of work out there on it. Perhaps looking at the 1st or 3rd Crusade could be interesting, and the occasion of the sacking of Constantinople.
Decide a topic, check general references, such as encyclopedias, then move onto a public library of some size, or a university library, and try to look for an annotated bibliography of the matter. That is the best place to start gathering materials, but if there are none, then reputable scholarly works are good.
Use the Internet by all means, but not heavily. As a marker, I can tell you of many occassions when papers have been put in completely copied, or even worse, done from only one site, which was extremely biased...Variety of sources good, and properly accounted for, using whatever system of referencing appropriate.
OK, now its 0100, and I gotta do a ****ing paper, so I'll curtail my spiel here
In that circumstance, I would disregard the specific aircraft study, as there will be less material available on such a narrow area. It also crosses over from military history into military studies itself, and whilst the two do go together, the views can clash, if ye know what I mean.
I'll withold any overall judgement until there are perhaps some more options.
At the moment, out of what there is, the Crusades sound best (nb, an account of the Templars would continue on well after the period, and require delving into late medieval French politics and lengthy matters of religion, according to my past experience in the area) as it has a lot of scope for movement, it is topical, and there is a lot of work out there on it. Perhaps looking at the 1st or 3rd Crusade could be interesting, and the occasion of the sacking of Constantinople.
Decide a topic, check general references, such as encyclopedias, then move onto a public library of some size, or a university library, and try to look for an annotated bibliography of the matter. That is the best place to start gathering materials, but if there are none, then reputable scholarly works are good.
Use the Internet by all means, but not heavily. As a marker, I can tell you of many occassions when papers have been put in completely copied, or even worse, done from only one site, which was extremely biased...Variety of sources good, and properly accounted for, using whatever system of referencing appropriate.
OK, now its 0100, and I gotta do a ****ing paper, so I'll curtail my spiel here
Andu Indorin
Retired Druid
Of your choices, I'd recommend the Crusades, as it "timely" given the current situation between the Western and Islamic Civilizations. As a broad topic needing narrowing, you might consider either limiting the topic to the 3rd Crusade (the competent Richard III vs. the noble Saladin); or, if you are more ambitious, you might try a more "topical" approach such as the technological and cultural impact of the Crusades on Western Civilization.
Beware of internet sources, as they are often filled with factual inaccuracies. And by all means, follow Simon's advice and aquaint yourself with a university library! Good luck!
Beware of internet sources, as they are often filled with factual inaccuracies. And by all means, follow Simon's advice and aquaint yourself with a university library! Good luck!
When I do history papers, I try to choose obscure topics. Topics that the teacher hasn't seen 5000 times already. For example: German Expansion in WWII has been done too many times. But the Crusades, or that fighter jet one hasn't/ Those are your best bet.
I choose the Korean War for my last paper. It was hard to find info, but the teacher hadn't seen it before....so it's already like bonus points!!! Unless you TOTALLY screw it up.....
I choose the Korean War for my last paper. It was hard to find info, but the teacher hadn't seen it before....so it's already like bonus points!!! Unless you TOTALLY screw it up.....
MCdread
Couldn't she get drowned?
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2001
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I agree with Andu. It is the the obvious topic in these days. But, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that today or one of these days we celebrate the end of WWI, so perhaps a report about that wouldn't be bad to. You could focuse on the way people went to war full of enthusiasm and the terrible disappointment, due to to the carnificine it actually was.
Sayhueque
Chieftain
You could try writing one on the period 1866-1914 (just pick any subject, there;s thousands).
You could like study an area (Balkans, Asia, Africa, Anticolonial sentiment in the US, Geopolitics of western Europe).
The Meiji restoration would be a neat topic if you can find enough bibliography.
You could like study an area (Balkans, Asia, Africa, Anticolonial sentiment in the US, Geopolitics of western Europe).
The Meiji restoration would be a neat topic if you can find enough bibliography.
Sayhueque
Chieftain
I did a neat paper on British Imperialism in the 1890-1914 period last year. Tons of bibliography for that kind of thing.
PinkyGen
Paper copying intern
WWII itself is far to broad. If you do something in WWII, try to focus on a front that many people focus on, here are a few suggestions.
1. The Soviet Front: The most under-rated front of the entire war. It was the Soviets who fought 80% of the Wehermacht. The fighting was far more than on the Western Front. Also, the story is much more than Soviet numerical superiority overwhelming the Germans. (In fact, they did not horribly outnumber the Germans.) The Soviets employed very interesting tactics when driving the Germans back. I can recommend some good books on this if you are interested.
2. Yugoslavia: Tito's partisans were the only group that did not need the Red Army or the Allies to liberate their own country. I do not personally know much about this, but it sounds interesting.
3. Pacific War: People usually stop around Midway and Guadacanal, but the Island hopping strategy can be looked at. There is also the issue of whether the US should have employed the A-bomb. (I can also suggests some books on this.)
Other historical topics.
1. The Soviet Civil War
2. Franco-Prussian War.
3. WWI, Italian Front.
4. Napoleans' Russian campaign.
5. 30 Years war? (might be too broad)
K, it is somewhat Eurocentric choices, but oh well.
P.S. 15 page paper is impressive HS stuff. Only my Junior paper ran around this much. (I'm a freshman in college now.)
1. The Soviet Front: The most under-rated front of the entire war. It was the Soviets who fought 80% of the Wehermacht. The fighting was far more than on the Western Front. Also, the story is much more than Soviet numerical superiority overwhelming the Germans. (In fact, they did not horribly outnumber the Germans.) The Soviets employed very interesting tactics when driving the Germans back. I can recommend some good books on this if you are interested.
2. Yugoslavia: Tito's partisans were the only group that did not need the Red Army or the Allies to liberate their own country. I do not personally know much about this, but it sounds interesting.
3. Pacific War: People usually stop around Midway and Guadacanal, but the Island hopping strategy can be looked at. There is also the issue of whether the US should have employed the A-bomb. (I can also suggests some books on this.)
Other historical topics.
1. The Soviet Civil War
2. Franco-Prussian War.
3. WWI, Italian Front.
4. Napoleans' Russian campaign.
5. 30 Years war? (might be too broad)
K, it is somewhat Eurocentric choices, but oh well.
P.S. 15 page paper is impressive HS stuff. Only my Junior paper ran around this much. (I'm a freshman in college now.)
willemvanoranje
Curitibano
If I'd choose one of yours, Pinky, it would be Soviet Front. The Soviet Civil War (red revolution) is already chosen byu at least two of my class-mates, Napoleon and the French-German war are good too, but I don't like the era very much, and I don't even consider the 30-year war since it would be better to to our 80-year war then (that started 50 years earlier for the same reasons). Maybe Yugoslavia is something too though.
I'll probably go for the crusades, but I'm still searching for a 'smaller' thing within them. The first test versions of my crusade scenario have already been playtested, so I already read some things about them. About the Templars, they didn't excist after (I think it was) 1314, when the French king got mad for some reason (probably needed money) and let the inquisition kill them all.
I'll probably go for the crusades, but I'm still searching for a 'smaller' thing within them. The first test versions of my crusade scenario have already been playtested, so I already read some things about them. About the Templars, they didn't excist after (I think it was) 1314, when the French king got mad for some reason (probably needed money) and let the inquisition kill them all.
Sodak
Paha Sapa Papa
Economie? Maatschappij?
Both were hugely influenced (albeit indirectly) in NL by one Jan Huygen van Linschoten's work of ~1604 - Ik ben de titel vergeten
. He was a trader in India, wrote about everything imaginable regarding getting there, what was what, how the cultures compared to his own, and leaked secrets of the Portuguese that aided the Dutch in their increasing asian trade power.
Interesting fellow, tho nobody knows why he added van Linschoten to his name. Daar kwam ie niet eens vandaan!
Both were hugely influenced (albeit indirectly) in NL by one Jan Huygen van Linschoten's work of ~1604 - Ik ben de titel vergeten
. He was a trader in India, wrote about everything imaginable regarding getting there, what was what, how the cultures compared to his own, and leaked secrets of the Portuguese that aided the Dutch in their increasing asian trade power.Interesting fellow, tho nobody knows why he added van Linschoten to his name. Daar kwam ie niet eens vandaan!
willemvanoranje
Curitibano
Economie Maatschappij is een profiel: allemaal nieuw met de 2e fase.
Andu Indorin
Retired Druid
Huh???
At any rate, if you want to narrow the topic down, may I suggest a quick read of pages 358-360 of Norman Davies Europe: a history. Davies' work is massive, yet it contains lots of information presented with brevity that can provide almost endless topics to write on.
willemvanoranje
Curitibano
Sorry, I can't explain in ? English. It's about the Dutch school system.
Now I found this book by someone called Pimlott about the Luftwaffe. It's kinda interesting, and I know of a book in the library of nearly 1000 pages about the 'aeroplane' with a very large part about the 2nd WW.
I'm not sure yet.......
Sodak
Paha Sapa Papa
Ik geloof dat 't boek van Jan Huygen "Itinerario" heet, als je dat wel interessant vindt.
Sometimes the best way to write an interesting paper is to begin with a topic about which you know nothing. Veel geluk!
Sometimes the best way to write an interesting paper is to begin with a topic about which you know nothing. Veel geluk!
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