Seminar in Historical Research

Seminar in Historical Research Course Description

The semster course is designed as a college preparatory course for 11th and 12th graders. Students will develop and refine their reading and writing skills by examining a broad topic from multiple perspectives, evaluating source information, and then developing and effectively communicating a logical, evidence-based point of view. They will practice and apply these skills through the exploration of the complex topics and by examining a variety of and often divergent or competing perspectives.

Teachers have the flexibility to choose one or more themes that allow for deep exploration based on:

• Student interests
• Local and/or civic issues
• Global or international topics

The core “rocks” of the course are:

• Reading Arguments
• Writing Arguments
• Researching
• Presenting

The course provides opportunities to:

• Thoroughly explore different themes while considering diverse perspectives (e.g., cultural and social, artistic and philosophical, political and historical, environmental, economic, and scientific).
• Analyze a wide variety of source material to gain a rich appreciation and understanding of issues, including: articles; research studies; foundational, literary, and philosophical texts; speeches; broadcasts; personal accounts; artistic works; and performances.
• Work collaboratively with a team to identify, investigate, analyze, and evaluate an academic or real-world problem or issue. Consider options, alternatives, or solutions and develop a multimedia presentation to communicate your conclusion or recommendation.
• Work independently to identify a research question based on provided source material and then research that topic. Analyze, evaluate, and select evidence to develop an argument that you will present and defend. Finally, produce a multimedia presentation delivered to your classmates.

At the end of the course, students should be able to:

• Identify author’s claims
• Identify supporting evidence for claims
• Evaluate the strength of claims and evidence
• Identify bias in sources
• Identify credible sources
• Write strong, evidence-based claims
• Conduct sustained research
• Synthesize multiple sources into a research paper
• Write short and long papers in APA format
• Participate in evidence-based discussions
• Create multimedia presentations to present research

Curriculum Map