Lesson Name: Defining Moment Historical Research Essay

Category: Canadian History

Course Code: CHC 2D/2P

Created By: David Butler, Mark Melnyk, and Adrienne Chong

School: Markville Secondary School

Level: Grade 10

Time: Approximately 6 periods spread throughout the entire course.

Rationale:

Students will research, organize, and compose an argumentative essay relating to an issue or event that could be considered a “Defining Moment in Canadian History” since 1945. Although the essay represents the culminating activity of the course’s final unit, students will begin the process during the first unit. This allows the teacher to provide considerable feedback and focus on the step-by-step procedures required to complete the task.

Expectations:

Methods of Historical Inquiry

· ask questions, identify problems, and effectively use historical research methods to investigate topics and issues in history

· use a variety of information sources effectively when researching historical topics or issues, accurately record relevant information, and then organize this information in a meaningful way

· analyse and evaluate information when researching historical topics or issues

Investigating Historical Topics and Issues

• use terms related to historical organization and inquiry correctly
• formulate different types of questions to focus their historical research
• formulate a thesis statement and effectively use it to research an historical topic

Researching, Recoding, and Organizing Information

• use school and public libraries, resource centres, museums, historic sites, and community and government resources effectively to gather information on Canadian history
• use computer-stored information and the Internet effectively to research Canadian history topics
• record and organize information effectively using notes, lists, concept webs, timelines, charts, maps, graphs, and mind maps
• use notation methods (e.g., footnotes, endnotes, parentheses) and bibliographic formats to acknowledge sources of information in reports and essays appropriately

Analysing and Evaluating Information

• distinguish between primary and secondary sources of information, and demonstrate an understanding of how to use each appropriately in historical research;
• use relevant and adequate supporting evidence to draw conclusions

Communicating Research Results and Applying Insights

• make reasoned generalizations or appropriate predictions based on research
• demonstrate competence in research and writing (e.g., gathering information, building an argument, supporting the argument with evidence, writing clearly, editing)

In addition to the above skills, individual students will address specific topics chosen from the topic list, each of which addresses specific “content” expectations

Instructions:

The entire process is completed in a series of 6 steps, staggered throughout the course. Students are expected to complete each step to the teacher’s satisfaction before proceeding to the next task. This reduces the chances of plagiarism and prevents students from completing the entire essay the night before it is due.

Step One: Introduction to the Essay & Topic Selection

1. Begin the process by showing clips of Canadian “Heritage Minutes”. Lead a class discussion by asking why these episodes are considered “Defining Moments” in Canadian history: how did they shape the character of our nation?
2. Explain to students the procedural nature of this project: they will begin researching immediately, even though the final product is not due until the end of the semester.
3. Present the students with the topic list and provide an opportunity for them to select a topic that is interesting to them.
4. When introducing the Topic Selection Sheet, have students brainstorm examples of “themes” from the first unit. (For example, if the topic is “Wilfrid Laurier”, then relevant themes would include “Immigration”, “French-English Relations”, “Canadian independence”, or “American Influence on Canada”). This will better help students to differentiate between the specific events they research and the larger issues that they represent.
5. Provide a research opportunity (one or two periods in the library) for students to conduct an initial survey of their topic. Students have one week to complete the Topic Selection Sheet.
6. Often, students will only find two themes instead of three, only provide internet sources, only list encyclopaedias as sources, or generally not complete the sheet. IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT THE SHEET BE RETURNED TO THE STUDENT AS “INCOMPLETE” WITH THE EXPECTATION THAT THE STUDENT SATISFY THE REQUIREMENTS. Even if the sheet is very late, the student MUST complete this step before being permitted to submit the next component.

The Topic Selection Sheet:

The Purpose of this document is for the students to demonstrate that they have a basic understanding of their topic and have located sufficient sources of information. If students are unable to describe the major elements of their topic, or complain that there was no information available, then they must either look harder or choose another topic.

Step Two: Independent Research

1. Once the student’s topic has been approved, they are expected to begin extensive independent research. In class, the teacher should distribute and explain the Research Notes Rubric. Also, the teacher should model what proper research notes look like (point form, full bibliographical data, page numbers, quotations, statistics, etc).
2. Students should be given approximately one month to research, starting from the return of the Topic Selection Sheet. Students who have to revise their Topic Selection Sheet simply have less time. No further class time should be provided for this step.
3. The minimum expectation of research should be about 5 or six pages of HANDWRITTEN point form notes including full bibliographical information. Students who submit insufficient research, typed notes, or information which has not been sufficiently documented will not be graded until they have fulfilled the expectations.

Defining Moment Essay-Research Notes Rubric

The purpose of this sheet is to make sure that each student is conducting their own research and is using a variety of sources. Students who fail to achieve an overall Level 3 must make appropriate changes to their research notes before beginning the next step.

Step Three: Thesis Formation

1. Once the students have completed their research, they can begin to form the thesis for their essay.
2. Explain to the students that a thesis is essentially an answer to a controversial question. Provide examples of controversial questions to show that a person can argue from multiple points-of-view.
3. Using the Question, Answer, and Thesis Formation sheet, students will create three controversial questions relating to their topic, and provide an answer for each one. (For example, “Was Trudeau justified in implementing the War Measures Act in 1970?” could be answered with, “No, Trudeau overreacted when he implemented the War Measures Act.”)
4. Demonstrate to the students that their answer can be re-written as an effective thesis statement for their essay. (“Prime Minister Trudeau overreacted when he implemented the War Measures Act in 1970.”)
5. Students should examine their three “answers” and choose the one that they feel they could best prove. After re-writing it as a thesis statement, they will then provide three different ways of proving this statement (their evidence.)
6. Give students one week to complete the Question, Answer and Thesis Formation sheet.

Question, Answer and Thesis Formation Sheet:

This sheet guides students into seeing a thesis as an answer to a controversial question. Completing this sheet prevents students from creating a thesis like “The AVRO Arrow project was cancelled” and instead form a thesis like “Cancelling the AVRO Arrow project was a mistake.” It also encourages students to begin considering how to prove their thesis.

Step Four: Planning the Five Paragraph Essay

1. After forming a strong thesis, students can begin organizing their research. Students draw on their initial research as a background for the topic and take their controversial question and Thesis statements from the Thesis sheet.
2. The three pieces of evidence cited on the thesis sheet can become the three subtopics for the essay. Students then draw on their research to support their subtopics.
3. Students then complete the Planning the Five Paragraph Essay sheet, which will organize their information thematically and prepare them for composition.

Planning the Five Paragraph Essay Sheet

This sheet draws on previous steps to help students organize their research into themes, which will then become body paragraphs. After completing this sheet in point form, the entire essay is mapped out and students can begin to type it up in proper paragraph form.

Step Five: Creating the First Draft & Peer Editing

1. The transition from a completed Planning sheet to typing the essay is relatively simple. Since the student has already organized their thoughts (including opening and concluding sentences), typing the essay should come relatively easy.
2. Provide students with your specific expectations regarding footnotes or citations, and an exemplar if possible.
3. Give students about two or three weeks to type up their essay, with a strict due date. On that date, students exchange their completed drafts for peer editing in class.
4. When students exchange essays, the editor completes the peer editing sheet to help offer suggestions to each other. Give each editor a small mark for completion; those who do not complete their rough draft on time do not participate in the peer editing and therefore lose those marks.
5. The Peer Editing Worksheet is returned with the essay so that students can make appropriate changes for their final draft.

Peer Editing Worksheet

Peer editors often need to be told what they are looking for; this sheet makes it easy for them to point out flaws in the proofread essay.

Step Six: Revision and Completing Final Draft

1. With the peer editing complete, students will be able to follow up on suggestions and improve their essay.
2. Set a due date for the final product about one week after the peer editing day.
3. Evaluate the final product using the Evaluation of the Defining Moment Essay sheet.

Evaluation of the Defining Moment Essay Sheet

This marksheet, which evaluates the essay paragraph by paragraph, identifies the students strengths and weaknesses. In the end, a relatively small mark is given to the essay.

Materials:

1. Eight Handouts are associated with this project:

a) Assignment

b) Topic List

c) Topic Selection

d) Research Rubric

e) Question, Answer and Thesis Formation

f) Planning the Five Paragraph Essay

g) Evaluating the Defining Moment Essay

2. “Heritage Minutes” on video can be used to introduce the concept of defining moments in Canadian history.
3. Students will require access to books and electronic sources for their independent research.

Assessment & Evaluation:

Students will be evaluated at each stage of the process, for a total of six marks:

Topic Selection – 5 marks

Research – 15 marks

Thesis Formation – 15 marks

Planning the Essay – 15 marks

Peer Editing – 5 marks (actually a mark for completing rough draft on time)

Essay Evaluation – 20 marks

TOTAL FOR PROJECT: 75 marks