U.S.

History

Name: ________________________

Local History Inquiry Project

Local History Inquiry Assignment

researching a question of your own design and bringing the results to publication
Common Core Standards being targeted in this assignment include:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.7: Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question
(including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate;
synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.8: Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital
sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the usefulness of each source in answering the research
question; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and
following a standard format for citation.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.9: Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and
research.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.6: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update
individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology's capacity to link to other information and to
display information flexibly and dynamically.
See the Inquiry Project rubric for more details.
What is your purpose in producing an Inquiry Project?
Your purpose is to continue to learn how to do history through an investigation of a topic related to local history (but
which may well connect to larger trends or events, such as the market or industrial revolution), and in the process,
work on a variety of Common Core standards. This work builds upon (perhaps by deepening or broadening) your
Close Reading assignment.
What might your inquiry question look like?
Your inquiry question should be open-ended and invite historical research; in other words, it should invite
hypotheses and evidence-gathering. It wont be something that can be answered in short order, like What year was
Lincoln elected to the presidency? Rather, it might look more like this: Once Lincoln was elected, was the Civil
War inevitable?
What will the final product look like?
The idea is to bring your work to publication. This could involve publishing to the web, or it could involve producing
something off-line to be shared with your colleagues. If you choose to produce something for the web, be sure to protect
your privacy, including your name, school, and location. Do not provide any identifying information. Use a pseudonym
or a handle.
A multimedia blog post
o To produce a multimedia blog post, you might use a site like Quora
o Tutorial on how to use Quora: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofnrHs6OHis
o Mentor text: http://oneill.quora.com/A-Fair-Match-for-Falstaff
A website
o To produce a website, you might use a service like Weebly or WIX
o Mentor text: http://lincolnwit.weebly.com
A Storify essay
o Tutorial on how to use Storify: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luZcU2E5cgI&list=TLYKNJsBkXfQM
o Mentor text: https://storify.com/oneilljessem/a-lincoln-funny-man
A Google Map
o Tutorial on how to make a Google Map: http://housedivided.dickinson.edu/sites/2010/12/07/how-can-icreate-maps-on-google-maps/

Created by Jesse ONeill: oneilljessem@gmail.com

U.S. History

Name: ________________________

Local History Inquiry Project

o

Mentor text:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?oe=UTF8&gl=us&ll=34.42196,2.856359&t=m&source=embed&i
e=UTF8&msa=0&spn=38.10602,195.556813&ptab=2&hl=en&mid=zh48R4RU93BI.krGzcui05n2A
A YouTube video
o To produce a video, you might use iMovie, Animoto (https://animoto.com/), or another program
o Tutorial on how to use iMovie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nXXTuxfbbM&list=TLOJiUYXP0g4
o Tutorial on how to use Moviemaker:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GREeD2icUo&list=TLJ_4uJ_LlS-Q
o Mentor text: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LveLuxmoWEk
A podcast
o To produce a podcast, you might use Audacity, GarageBand, or Soundcloud, among others
o Tutorial on how to use Audacity:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZQ0FwB3sF0&list=TLwUiYygGRUVw
An interactive online timeline:
o To produce a timeline, you might use Timeline JS: http://timeline.knightlab.com/
o Mentor text: http://housedivided.dickinson.edu/sites/lincoln/timelines/
A nonlinear PowerPoint or Prezi
o Tutorial on how to use Prezi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3TnQTcaBaY&list=TLmIalCrlLwkQ
Another form of digital technology, proposed by you and approved by the teacher

Steps in the process:

We will spend several days together in the library as we begin this process. Then, you will have additional time
outside of class to complete the project.
1. Decide on an inquiry question.
Id encourage you to use your work on your Close Reading as a springboard. Your Inquiry Project can
build upon your Close Reading.
Heres how it worked for me: My close reading was about a letter that Lincoln wrote to a friend of his.
Having completed that essay, I asked myself, What topics emerged from my research that I havent yet
answered? How could I put that letter in a somewhat larger context? Three possibilities occurred to me:
1) I could use Lincolns letter as a springboard for an investigation of courtship and relationships in midnineteenth century America; 2) I could delve into Lincolns love life to consider the two other women he
was known to be close to; or 3) I could examine Lincolns use of humor in contexts beyond this particular
letter.
2. Brainstorm a concept for how you might want to present your findings.
Do you want to make a multimedia blog? a website? See the list above for ideas.
Heres how it worked for me: I decided I was most interested in exploring the third option (above), so I
asked myself, How could I help people better understand how Lincoln used humor? I decided on a
website that offers a discussion of his humor, examples of his humor, and a couple of frameworks for
exploring it.
3. Workshop your question and concept.
Put your question and concept on a piece of poster paper, tape it up, and well do a gallery walk, sticky
notes in hand. Your job will be to offer constructive feedback and ask questions regarding others inquiry
questions and concepts in an effort to help them clarify and refine their thinking.
4. Clarify and refine your thinking based on feedback from the gallery walk.
5. Begin work on the project itself.
This might look like brainstorming, examining mentor texts, researching primary and secondary sources,
writing a script, planning times to film on location, revising, or a range of other things, depending on your
specific project.
Track your work (see handout for the actual form): todays date; what is my plan; did I accomplish the
plan; what do I need; self-assessment--4 points per day
6. Seek feedback from others throughout the process to help you refine and improve your final project.
7. Bring your work to publication.

Created by Jesse ONeill: oneilljessem@gmail.com

U.S. History

Name: ________________________

Local History Inquiry Project

This might involve actually publishing it to the web, and it will certainly involve sharing your inquiry
project with the class. If you choose to publish to the web, be careful to protect your identity. Use a
handle rather than your real name.

Created by Jesse ONeill: oneilljessem@gmail.com

U.S. History

Name: ________________________

Local History Inquiry Project

Local History Inquiry Assignment

planning and self-assessment journal
(to be completed daily)
4: I was purposeful and on-task from bell to bell.
3: I was mainly purposeful and mainly on-task, but there were a few lapses.
2: I wasnt very focused and didnt use my time very well.
1: I wasnt focused and didnt use my time well; I may even have distracted others; the teacher may have spoken to
me about my behavior.
If we disagree, well talk.
Todays date:
Plan for today:

What I
accomplished:
Whats the next
step?

Self-assessment:
Teacher sign-off:
Todays date:
Plan for today:

What I
accomplished:
Whats the next
step?

Self-assessment:
Teacher sign-off:

Created by Jesse ONeill: oneilljessem@gmail.com

U.S. History

Name: ________________________

Local History Inquiry Project

Todays date:
Plan for today:

What I
accomplished:
Whats the next
step?

Self-assessment:
Teacher sign-off:
Todays date:
Plan for today:

What I
accomplished:
Whats the next
step?

Self-assessment:
Teacher sign-off:
Todays date:
Plan for today:

What I
accomplished:
Whats the next
step?

Self-assessment:
Teacher sign-off:

Created by Jesse ONeill: oneilljessem@gmail.com

U.S. History

Name: ________________________

Local History Inquiry Project

Local History Inquiry Assignment

rubric

Common Core Standard

Specific Criteria

Inquiry Question

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.7: Conduct
short as well as more sustained research
projects to answer a question (including a
self-generated question) or solve a problem;
narrow or broaden the inquiry when
appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on
the subject, demonstrating understanding of
the subject under investigation.

Organization, Style, Use of Technology

How to find my Inquiry Project: ________________________________________________

Score

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.2.a
Introduce a topic and organize ideas,
concepts, and information to make important
connections and distinctions; include
formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g.,
figures, tables), and multimedia when useful
to aiding comprehension.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.6: Use
technology, including the Internet, to
produce, publish, and update individual or
shared writing products, taking advantage of
technology's capacity to link to other
information and to display information
flexibly and dynamically.

Standard Project (e.g., PowerPoint,

Prezi)
Introduction hooks the reader and
propels him/her into the essay.
Project is thoughtfully organized;
ideas flow logically.
Important connections and distinctions
are made.
Formatting aids in comprehension.
Multimedia aids in comprehension.
Technology is effectively used to
bring the product to publication.
Product exploits technologys capacity
to link to other information

Self-generated question is open-ended,

specific, manageable, and on a topic
related to local history

Web 2.0 Project

Optional and encouraged: Using Web 2.0
tools (not, e.g., Prezi or Powerpoint)
makes an additional 50 point available for
this project
Product exploits technologys capacity
to link to other information and to
display information flexibly and
dynamically.

______ / 10

______ / 50

______ / 50

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U.S. History

Name: ________________________

Development

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.2.e
Establish and maintain a formal style and
objective tone while attending to the norms
and conventions of the discipline in which
they are writing.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.2.c
Use varied transitions and sentence structures
to link the major sections of the text, create
cohesion, and clarify the relationships among
ideas and concepts.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.2.d
Use precise language and domain-specific
vocabulary to manage the complexity of the
topic and convey a style appropriate to the
discipline and context as well as to the
expertise of likely readers.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.7: Conduct
short as well as more sustained research
projects to answer a question (including a
self-generated question) or solve a problem;
narrow or broaden the inquiry when
appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on
the subject, demonstrating understanding
of the subject under investigation.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.8
Gather relevant information from multiple
authoritative print and digital sources,
using advanced searches effectively; assess
the usefulness of each source in answering
the research question; integrate information
into the text selectively to maintain the flow
of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and following
a standard format for citation.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.9
Draw evidence from informational texts to
support analysis, reflection, and research.

Sources

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.2.b
Develop the topic with well-chosen, relevant,
and sufficient facts, extended definitions,
concrete details, quotations, or other
information and examples appropriate to the
audience's knowledge of the topic.

Conventions

Local History Inquiry Project

TOTAL

Topic is developed using specific,

highly relevant facts, definitions,
details, and quotations.
Topic is fully illuminated.

Formal style (e.g., third person; no

contractions; complete sentences; no
slang).
Objective tone.
Sentence structure and length is
varied.
Sentences form coherent paragraphs.
Paragraphs use topic sentences.
Attention to diction (word choice) is
evident.

Multiple sources of information are

synthesized, demonstrating
understanding of the subject under
investigation.
Minimum of two primary sources are
effectively used to support the
analysis and discussion of inquiry
question.
Minimum of two secondary sources
are effectively used to support the
analysis and discussion of inquiry
question.
Variety of sources (digital and print).
Digital sources not found in a database
are authoritative and vetted by student
and teacher.
Evidence from sources is useful and
on point.
Evidence is smoothly integrated into
the project.
Sources are properly cited
parenthetically and on the Works
Cited page, using MLA format.
Standard project (e.g., PowerPoint,
Prezi)

______ / 20

______ / 10

______ / 20

______ / 110

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U.S. History

Name: ________________________

Local History Inquiry Project

Web 2.0 project

______ / 160

Created by Jesse ONeill: oneilljessem@gmail.com