HIS 100 Topic Exploration Worksheet Part 1 Select a research topic area for Project 1 based on which of the following areas interests you the most. You will explore the selected topic a little later in this theme. Mark your selection in the right-hand column. Topic Selection Drafting of the U.S. Constitution x Mao Zedong’s Rule Over China South African Apartheid Choose Your Own Topic (insert pre-approved topic here) In the space below, replace the bracketed text with a short paragraph about what you already knew prior to this course about the topic you selected, based on your personal history or experiences. This may include assumptions, beliefs, or values related to the topic. Be as detailed as possible. The drafting of the U.S. Constitution began on 5/25/1787 when the Constitutional Convention met for the first time in Pennsylvania. The Convention ended on 9/17/1787. The Constitution was made of seven articles, twenty-seven amendments, and the major Principles of Government embodied in the Constitution. It is signed eleven years after the Declaration of Independence. It is not one of the founding documents of America. This important document guaranteed basic rights for every citizen. One of the most remembered amendments is the thirteenth due to the abolish of slavery. Part 2 Now that you have identified your topic and described what you already know about the topic, what questions do you still have about the topic? Replace the bracketed text with your answers. Question Response Identify one question about the topic that you are curious about. Why was the Constitution written? Describe why this question matters to you personally. It affects my right of freedom of speech and the right to vote. I can go to any church I choose. I can also own a firearm. Describe why this question matters to society. It dived power among the government and the states. Identify a second question about the topic you are curious about. Should the President of the United States have absolute power? Describe why this question matters to you personally. This would matters to me personally because if the President has complete control then he would have control over our electronic communications; including financial records. Describe why this question matters to society. The U.S. is in Danger. Insufficient government. Institutional reform is the challenge and the nation’s success in meeting it will determine out future as a nation. Part 3 You are now ready to complete the final part of your Topic Exploration Worksheet. You have chosen a topic, posed some research questions, and are ready to start thinking about what kind of sources you will need to investigate your research questions further. Using the library guide in the Shapiro Library provided for your chosen topic, skim through the suggested resources (or find your own) and replace the bracketed text with relevant information about your research questions. Question Response Which secondary sources woul.

1. HIS 100 Topic Exploration Worksheet
Part 1
Select a research topic area for Project 1 based on which of the
following areas interests you the most. You will explore the
selected topic a little later in this theme. Mark your selection in
the right-hand column.
Topic
Selection
Drafting of the U.S. Constitution
x
Mao Zedong’s Rule Over China
South African Apartheid
Choose Your Own Topic (insert pre-approved topic here)
In the space below, replace the bracketed text with a short
paragraph about what you already knew prior to this course
about the topic you selected, based on your personal history or
experiences. This may include assumptions, beliefs, or values
related to the topic. Be as detailed as possible.
The drafting of the U.S. Constitution began on 5/25/1787 when
the Constitutional Convention met for the first time in
Pennsylvania. The Convention ended on 9/17/1787. The
Constitution was made of seven articles, twenty-seven
amendments, and the major Principles of Government embodied
in the Constitution. It is signed eleven years after the
Declaration of Independence. It is not one of the founding
documents of America. This important document guaranteed
basic rights for every citizen. One of the most remembered
amendments is the thirteenth due to the abolish of slavery.

2. Part 2
Now that you have identified your topic and described what you
already know about the topic, what questions do you still have
about the topic? Replace the bracketed text with your answers.
Question
Response
Identify one question about the topic that you are curious about.
Why was the Constitution written?
Describe why this question matters to you personally.
It affects my right of freedom of speech and the right to vote. I
can go to any church I choose. I can also own a firearm.
Describe why this question matters to society.
It dived power among the government and the states.
Identify a second question about the topic you are curious
about.
Should the President of the United States have absolute power?
Describe why this question matters to you personally.
This would matters to me personally because if the President
has complete control then he would have control over our
electronic communications; including financial records.
Describe why this question matters to society.
The U.S. is in Danger. Insufficient government. Institutional
reform is the challenge and the nation’s success in meeting it
will determine out future as a nation.
Part 3
You are now ready to complete the final part of your Topic
Exploration Worksheet. You have chosen a topic, posed some
research questions, and are ready to start thinking about what
kind of sources you will need to investigate your research
questions further. Using the library guide in the Shapiro Library
provided for your chosen topic, skim through the suggested
resources (or find your own) and replace the bracketed text with
relevant information about your research questions.
Question

3. Response
Which secondary sources would be helpful for investigating
your first research question?
(Include the title and author of the sources.)
“Liberty’s Blueprint”
Meyerson, M (2009)
Which primary sources would be helpful for investigating your
first research question?
(Include the title and author of the sources.)
“Letter to John Jay” May 18, 1786
Washington, G (1786, May 18)
Which secondary sources would be helpful for investigating
your second research question?
(Include the title and author of the sources.)
“Trump’s Absolute Power Assertion Runs Headlong into the
Constitution”
Bloomberg.com
Stohr, Greg 4/14/2020
Which primary sources would be helpful for investigating your
second research question?
(Include the title and author of the sources.)
“Trump Declares National Emergency and Denies
Responsibility for Coronavirus Testing Failures”
CNN.com
3/13/20
Now that you have gone through the research, what have you
learned about your topic in one to two paragraphs?
The Constitution of the United States is the highest law of the
United States of America. The Constitution originally made up
of seven articles. The first three articles discuss the separation
of powers. Articles four, five, and six entails concepts of
federalism. The seventh article established the procedure used
by the thirteen states to Ratify it. Since the constitution came
into force in 1789, it has been amended twenty-seven times. The
first ten amendments are known as the Bill of Rights. While the
next seven are known as the civil rights. The Constitution was

4. the first of its kind and has influenced the constitution of other
nations.
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HIS 100 Research Plan Preparation Worksheet
Prompt: Applying what you’ve learned about narrowing
research questions, revise your research questions from your
Topic Exploration Worksheet. In the tables below, replace the
bracketed text with the original question, the revised version of
that question, and one to two sentences explaining how you
approached your revisions for that question to give your
instructor insight on your revision process. Then, answer the
questions about your primary sources below the tables by
replacing the bracketed text with the relevant information.
Research Question 1
Original Question
Revised Question
[Insert text.]
[Insert text.]
[Insert one to two sentences explaining how you approached
your revisions for the question above.]
Research Question 2
Original Question
Revised Question
[Insert text.]
[Insert text.]
[Insert one to two sentences explaining how you approached
your revisions for the question above.]
1. Applying what you have learned about comparing primary

5. sources and analyzing secondary sources, revisit the primary
sources you listed in Part 3 of your Topic Exploration
Worksheet, list them below, and describe what each of these
sources adds to your understanding of your selected topic.
1. Name of primary source: [Insert text.]
Author: [Insert text.]
Hyperlink: [Insert text.]
What this source adds to your understanding of your selected
topic: [Insert text.]
2. Name of primary source: [Insert text.]
Author: [Insert text.]
Hyperlink: [Insert text.]
What this source adds to your understanding of your selected
topic: [Insert text.]
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