HOTA PRACTICE INTERNAL ASSESSMENTTips for the best investigation ever……

FORMATTING

Double check the sample paper—it seems like nothing, but formatting does matter!

Title Page Your name Candidate number (if you have it and/or know it) Date Class WORD COUNT (1500-2000 words)

Index (as page 2)

NO GIANT PARAGRAPHS anywhere in your paper!

Be sure to indent each of your new paragraphs

OFFICIAL FIRST PAGE

Your last name and page number Question centered on the very first line of the

investigation. A. Plan of Investigation Then start your writing: The investigation will

assess…… Do NOT use “I” or “me” or “my” in any part

of your paper!

A. PLAN OF INVESTIGATION

2 clear paragraphs 1st-scope: what you will cover 2nd-method: how you will answer your

question This second paragraph should include the 2

most used sources and authors (and the sources you have OPVL’ed)

B. SUMMARY OF EVIDENCE

Just the facts!!! No analysis MANY footnotes, but be sure to put the

research into your own words. Cutting and pasting is plagurism—so is a full copied paragraph!

Be sure to include the full details of your question—give details which cover all aspects of your question.

Part B is not the background and D is not what happened—tell the full story of your question in Part B.

C. SUMMARY OF EVIDENCE

OPVL of your 2 most used/valuable sources. Value and Limitations to YOU as you were

writing. In connection to your investigation. Limitations: Not too long, confusing, too hard

to read, etc. 3rd paragraph: overall usefullness of ALL of

your sources.

D. ANALYSIS

No new information in this section—every main point should already have been introduced in Part B.

Build your case throughout and focus on the answer to your question

You must have: Other perspectives: Quotations from the

participants involved (groups, countries, people) Historians: who are the well known scholars on

your topic? Use their writings—various perspectives here as well.

Why is your topics historically significant? So what?

FOR EXAMPLE:

Excerpts from a real investigation….. Significant quotes come from an article on

JSTOR I’ve never seen a perfect ANALYSIS—most

students score 2/6 (highest has been 4/6) This example is one of the best—still needs

to include overall historical significance of topic/question.

ANALYSIS SAMPLE

Dessalines is one character of the Revolution often brushed aside by historians, especially in favor of Toussaint L’Ouverture. Writers liked L’Ouverture because he was moderate and less violen; and Dessalines struck a harsh contrast to this. Many, like William Wells Brown, saw Dessalines only for the violence he was responsible for in killing white prisoners and thus portrayed him as a monster or “ferocious man”. Because of this, his contribution was largely boiled down to the violence and killing by writers like Brown. As Lindsey Twa points out, historians often played up this aspect of Dessalines as a way of downplaying his level of impact.

ANALYSIS SAMPLE

Other historians, such as James Leyburn, argue for the large impact of Dessalines’ choice, but in the most negative way. In The Haitian People, Leyburn criticizes Dessalines’ choice of government, stating that this set Haiti on the road to failure, after having the perfect chance to start anew. He also blames his major militarization for the later political instability in Haiti.

E. CONCLUSION

Begin with “The extent to which……” Do no harm—restate the major points in

answering your question and NO new information!

Approx. 100 words

F. LIST OF SOURCES

Full Chicago style citations http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/

tools_citationguide.html

All sources together—books, web, primary, secondary

All MUST be in ALPHABETICAL order by author

At least 7-10 (to 12?) sources This should be the only “part” or “section”

that gets it’s own fresh/new page.

FOOTNOTES

Make sure everything is footnoted that is not in your own words.

You can’t use “ibid” at the start of a new page of footnotes.

The exact number needed is hard to say, but under 10 is WAY too few! Be sure all of your information is accounted for.

The first time you use a source as a footnote-it must be in full Chicago style citation-when you use it the next time, you can abbreviate (source/page #)

QUESTIONS!?!?