Here you can read our ultimate free guide on the HIS 100 7-1 Project Submission and their Solution.
Instructions of HIS 100 7-1 Project Submission
Overview
Study the past if you would define the future.
—Confucius
Many people argue that we are products of our past. However, as the Chinese philosopher Confucius suggested, because the contemporary events taking place around us have histories, we can examine them to understand how and why the events came to be. By developing the skills needed to investigate those histories, we can uncover the historical roots of current events and learn from them. Researching, examining narratives, uncovering personal biases, and finding credible resources are some of those skills. We might not want to be historians in the future, but we should all understand how to look at things from a historical standpoint to better understand contemporary issues.
For this project, you will choose a historical event to explore from the Library Research Guide. These events fit into the topic areas of:
Inequality and human rights
Political revolutions
Climate change
Globalization
Directions
Read these directions and the rubric criteria and reach out to your instructor if you have any questions before you begin working on this project. Many of the steps below will require you to reference and utilize the work you have done in previous modules of this course. You may use the provided template to complete this project or choose not to use the template and submit a Word document instead.
Part 1: Creating a Research Question:
The quality of research often depends on the quality of the question driving it. It is important to understand how personal opinions, perspectives, and historical sources all play a part in developing and examining a research question. Complete the following steps to discuss how you developed a strong research question about your chosen historical event.
Describe how your assumptions, beliefs, and values influenced your choice of topic.
How might your own perspectives and opinions impact the topic you chose and how you may approach studying it?
Discuss the significance of your historical research question in relation to your current event.
State your historical research question and explain the connection between your current event and your question.
Explain how you used sources to finalize your research question.
Identify the specific primary and secondary sources you used.
Discuss how evidence in these primary and secondary sources strengthened or challenged the focus of your question.
Part 2: Building Context to Address Questions:
In this part of the project, you will examine the historical context related to your historical event. The context will be like snapshots that capture what was happening in history that affected the development of your current event.
Describe the context of your historical event that influenced your current event.
How does the context of your historical event help tell the story of what was happening at the time? How might this historical event connect or lead to your current event?
Describe a historical figure or group’s participation in your historical event.
This person or people must have directly participated in the event you identified as it was happening, not after it.
Use specific details from your primary and secondary sources to demonstrate how the person or people participated in the event.
Explain the historical figure or group’s motivation to participate in your historical event.
Consider why the person or people were motivated to get involved in the event.
Part 3: Examining How Bias Impacts Narrative: Narrative is how people tell stories based on their own assumptions, beliefs, and values. From a historical perspective, narratives influence who we focus on, what we focus on, and how we discuss events and issues in the past and present. Complete the following steps to explore how the stories about your current event and the historical events leading to it have been told.
Describe a narrative you identified while researching the history of your historical event.
There can be multiple narratives depending on your sources. Pick one or two that you feel have been the most influential.
Articulate how biased perspectives presented in primary and secondary sources influence what is known or unknown about history.
How do potentially biased sources influence knowledge of your historical event and current event?
Support your stance with examples from your primary and secondary sources.
Identify the perspectives that you think are missing from your historical event’s narrative.
Whose stories were not recorded? Whose voices were ignored or silenced?
Part 4: Connecting the Past With the Present: Consider how the work you have done to develop your research question and investigate it can be used to explain connections between the past and present. Complete the following steps to discuss the value of developing historical inquiry skills.
Explain how researching its historical roots helped improve your understanding of your current event.
How did examining your current event from a historical perspective help you better comprehend its origins?
Articulate how questioning your assumptions, beliefs, and values may benefit you as an individual.
Why is it valuable to be aware of your assumptions, beliefs, and values when encountering information in your personal, academic, and professional life?
Discuss how being a more historically informed citizen may help you understand contemporary issues.
Consider how having knowledge of history could influence how you approach current challenges or questions in the world.
What to Submit
To complete this project, submit the completed template or submit a Word document with 12-point Times New Roman font, double spacing, and one-inch margins. Sources should be cited according to APA style. Consult the Shapiro Library APA Style Guide for more information on citations.
Step-By-Step Guide to 7-1 Project Submission
Introduction to HIS 100 7-1 Project Submission
This Owlisdom How-To Guide aims to simplify the instructions of HIS 100 7-1 Project Submission by making them descriptive and engaging. Creating a guide for students to navigate the intricacies of historical analysis can be an empowering tool.
Creating a Research Question: The quality of research often depends on the quality of the question driving it. Understanding how personal opinions, perspectives, and historical sources contribute to developing and examining a research question is essential. Complete the following steps to discuss how you created a robust research question about your chosen historical event.
Part 1: Creating a Research Question
In the first part of the HIS 100 7-1 Project Submission, we will illuminate what factors influenced our topic choice, the significance of our historical research, and how we used the sources to strengthen our research.
- Influences on Choosing a Topic: Reflect on your interests, experiences, and values. Ask yourself how these aspects drive your curiosity towards specific topics. Be honest about your biases and consider how they might color your research focus.
- Significance of the Research Question: Connect your topic to current issues or events. Explain why understanding this historical aspect can illuminate present-day challenges or discussions. Make your question specific and relevant.
- Using Sources to Finalize the Question: Start with broad readings to grasp your topic’s scope, then narrow to specific primary and secondary sources. Notice how different sources present the topic and let this guide you to a more refined question. Acknowledge any gaps or biases in these sources.
Example
The personal narratives of uncertainty and fear, juxtaposed with the sweeping changes in financial regulations, provide a rich tapestry of the period. President Roosevelt’s Fireside Chats, particularly his first address on the banking crisis, were pivotal in restoring public confidence. While aimed at reassurance, these chats reflect the government’s optimistic narrative, focusing on solutions and perhaps inadvertently glossing over the severity of despair gripping the nation. Meanwhile, the story of Joseph Lucia and the failure of the Bank of United States (O’Brien, 1992) illuminates the banking system’s fragility, highlighting a complex interplay of personal ambition, systemic risks, and regulatory oversights.
The accounts of anxious depositors (Anxious Depositors | DocsTeach, n.d.), desperate to protect their life savings, underscore the widespread fear and highlight the urgent need for banking reforms. This collective sense of dread and the subsequent public actions, such as bank runs, reveal the profound lack of faith in the banking system and underscore the importance of reforms to restore trust and stability.
Creating a Research Question: The quality of research often depends on the quality of the question driving it. Understanding how personal opinions, perspectives, and historical sources contribute to developing and examining a research question is essential. Complete the following steps to discuss how you created a robust research question about your chosen historical event.
Part 2: Building Context to Address Questions
In this section of the HIS 100 7-1 Project Submission, we will focus on historical figures and their motivations to highlight the context of the historical research question.
- Describing Historical Context: Outline the time’s key events, societal norms, or cultural aspects related to your topic. Please consider this setting the stage for your main act (the historical event) to understand its significance fully.
- Historical Figures or Groups’ Participation: Identify and research the leading players in your event. Use primary sources like letters, speeches, or newspaper articles to understand their actions and decisions.
- Motivations Behind Participation: Dive into the ‘why’ behind these figures or groups’ actions. Consider the broader social, economic, or political incentives and personal beliefs or goals.
Example
Key figures such as President Roosevelt were central to this historical transformation, whose actions were driven by a deep-seated belief in the need for government intervention to stabilize the economy and protect it from future collapses. Similarly, the narrative surrounding Joseph Lucia and the collapse of the Bank of United States (O’Brien, 1992) sheds light on the personal and systemic factors that contributed to the banking crisis. These figures and the ordinary citizens affected by the banking collapse played instrumental roles in shaping history, reflecting a spectrum of motivations from policy-driven initiatives to personal survival instincts.
Examining How Bias Impacts Narrative: Narrative is how people tell stories based on their assumptions, beliefs, and values. From a historical perspective, narratives influence who we focus on, what we focus on, and how we discuss events and issues in the past and present. Complete the following steps to explore how the stories about your current event and the historical events leading to it have been told.
Part 3: Examining How Bias Impacts Narrative
Let us delve into part 3 of the HIS 100 7-1 Project Submission. Here, we will explore how biases in selecting sources impact historical research.
- Identifying Narratives: Recognize the different stories being told about your event. Are there dominant narratives? How do they differ, and why? Consider the source of each narrative.
- The Influence of Bias: Examine how the author’s background, time of writing, and purpose might influence their depiction of events. Use examples from your sources to illustrate biased presentations and discuss their effects.
- Missing Perspectives: Reflect on whose voices are not heard in the narratives you have studied research to find if these perspectives exist in less mainstream sources or have been historically silenced.
Example
Our research also delves into the inherent biases in historical narratives, shaped by the authors’ backgrounds, the era of writing, and their intended purposes. These biases can significantly influence the portrayal of events, highlighting certain aspects while minimizing or omitting others. For instance, with their governmental and optimistic tone, Roosevelt’s Fireside Chats (1992) may overshadow the depth of despair and the criticisms of government actions.
A critical challenge in historical research is recognizing and seeking out the voices missing from mainstream narratives. Marginalized voices, whether silenced by social, economic, or political barriers, offer alternative perspectives that can challenge and enrich our understanding of The Great Depression’s impact on banking and the economy (Calomiris, 1993). By acknowledging and incorporating these diverse narratives, we move toward a more nuanced and comprehensive understanding of history.
Connecting the Past with the Present: Consider how the work you have done to develop your research question and investigate it can be used to explain connections between the past and present. Complete the following steps to discuss the value of developing historical inquiry skills.
Part 4: Connecting the Past With the Present
In part 4 of the HIS 100 7-1 Project Submission, we will discuss how the past and present historical events are connected.
- The Impact of Historical Roots on Understanding: Share how researching your topic’s history has given you insights into current events. Highlight specific examples of how past events inform or mirror present situations.
- Questioning Assumptions, Beliefs, and Values: Encourage a mindset of openness and inquiry. Discuss how confronting your preconceptions has changed your approach to information and understanding complex topics.
- The Value of Being Historically Informed: Conclude by reflecting on the importance of historical knowledge in navigating today’s world. How does understanding the past shape your perspectives on current issues and your actions as a citizen?
Example
This exploration into The Great Depression and its aftermath (McNally, 2009) underscores the profound connections between historical events and contemporary financial systems. The reforms initiated in response to the banking crises of the 1930s (Calomiris, 1993b), such as implementing the New Deal policies and establishing safety nets for depositors, have laid the foundational principles for modern banking regulations. These historical lessons underscore the importance of government oversight, regulatory frameworks, and the need for protective measures to ensure economic stability and prevent future crises (Eichengreen & Portes, 1987)
Moreover, this historical inquiry challenges us to question our assumptions and beliefs about the banking system and its evolution. It encourages a more critical approach to understanding complex systems, urging us not to accept them at face value but to probe their origins, development, and impact. In today’s world, where economic uncertainty often looms, the lessons learned from The Great Depression are more relevant than ever, shaping our perspectives on current financial policies and informing our approach to future challenges.
In essence, our journey through history not only enhances our understanding of the past but also offers a guidepost for navigating the present and future. By reflecting on the trials and triumphs of those who came before us, we are better equipped to face today’s challenges with insight, resilience, and an informed perspective. This historical inquiry into The Great Depression and its enduring impact on the banking system and the economy highlights the invaluable dialogue between past and present, reminding us of the importance of learning from history to forge a more resilient and equitable future.
Closing
This guide aims to equip students with the tools to critically analyze historical events and their ongoing impacts, fostering a deeper understanding of the world today through the lens of the past. I hope this How-To Guide helps you ace the HIS 100 7-1 Project Submission. Good luck!
You can also read our HIS 100 next module 8-1 Discussion on Making Connections.
References
Anxious Depositors | DocsTeach. (n.d.). Retrieved March 26, 2024, from https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/anxious-depositors
Calomiris, C. W. (1993a). Financial Factors in the Great Depression. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 7(2), 61–85. https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.7.2.61
Eichengreen, B., & Portes, R. (1987). The Anatomy of Financial Crises (Working Paper 2126). National Bureau of Economic Research. https://doi.org/10.3386/w2126
McNally, D. (2009). From Financial Crisis to World-Slump: Accumulation, Financialisation, and the Global Slowdown. Historical Materialism, 17(2), 35–83. https://doi.org/10.1163/156920609X436117
O’Brien, A. P. (1992). The Failure of the Bank of United States: A Defense of Joseph Lucia: Note. Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, 24(3), 374–384. https://doi.org/10.2307/1992724
Roosevelt, F. D. (1992). FDR’s Fireside Chats. University of Oklahoma Press.
