Mukwonago High School Library - American Voices Research Essay

American Voices Research Essay

Select a key event/topic that occurred between 2000-2009 or 2010-2019. Consider a historical, social/political, or cultural/entertainment example that significantly impacted the decade. Some general sugestions are listed below.

2000 - 2009:

Y2K Bug
9/11 & The War on Terror
Human Genome Project
Doping in Sports
The Great Recession
Reality TV
Presidents: George W. Bush or Barack Obama
Streaming Media
Technology; iPod, iPhone/smartphones, eBooks, Social Media
More Ideas: 2000s, Timeline of the 2000s, Sports

2010 - 2019:

Social Media
President Trump
Gig Economy
Activism/Social Issues
Ice Bucket Challenge
National Disasters and/or Climate: Haiti Earthquake, Japan Earthquake, Deepwater Horizon, Hurricanes
Same Sex Marriage Legalized
More Ideas: 2010s, How the US Changed in the 2010s, Sports

Once you have an idea of the general topic you'd like to research, start thinking about your research question. Your research question should be more specific than the suggested topics above, and answerable with more than just "yes" or "no" or a quick Google search.

Gather Information

Utilize both print and digital sources to gather relevant information about your chosen event. Make sure to use advanced search techniques effectively to find authoritative sources. Evaluate the usefulness of each source in answering your research question. You must have at least three sources minimum: one fiction text, one nonfiction text, and a text of your choice.

Non-fiction text: speech, article, essay, etc.
Fiction text: poem, song, book, movie, short story, etc.
Text of choice: non-fiction OR fiction

Padlet

Poetry

Common Lit

Analyze

Rubric

Analyze how the texts you found reflect cultural perspectives and identities of a particular time period?

Research Paper Outline: impact of Event

Introduction
1. Background information of chosen event (overview)
2. Thesis
Body Paragraph 1: Informational Nonfiction Text
1. Claim: Explanation of event/topic
2. Evidence: Impact - what's changed?
3. Analysis: Why was this an important event?
Body Paragraph 2: Fictional Text
1. Claim: Fictional text related to event
2. Evidence: Evidence of event in fictional text
3. Analysis: How text reflects significance of event in decade
Body Paragraph 3: Nonfiction OR Fiction Text
1. Claim: Fiction or nonfiction text related to event
2. Evidence: Evidence of event in text
3. Analysis: How text reflects significance of your event in decade
Conclusion: Evaluation of Sources & Overall Impact
1. Review all 3 sources and their overall impact
2. Call for continued study and reflection on lessons learned (memorable moment)