Civil WarInvestigating

BatemanFebruary 2013

Rubrics• B – Investigating

• Clear focused research question• Follow an action plan

• C – Thinking Critically• Analyze and evaluate a range of sources in terms of

OPVL• Make connections between information to make

valid, well-supported arguments

Investigating

• Formulates a clear and focused research question

• Follows an action plan to investigate a research question

• Effectively addresses the research question

Research Question?• Should be:

• An interesting general topic• Relevant• Focused and specific• Researchable

• Ex.– Unfocused: What is the effect on the environment from global

warming?– Focused: How is glacial melting affecting penguins in Antarctica?

– Too simple: How are doctors addressing diabetes in the U.S.– Appropriately Complex:  What are common traits of those

suffering from diabetes in America, and how can these commonalities be used to aid the medical community in prevention of the disease?

http://writingcenter.gmu.edu/?p=307

Action Plan

• The stages that the student follows in order to complete the investigation

• What?• Where?• When?• Who?• Delegates and constructs an overview for the

actions to be completed to complete the activity

YOUR GUIDE TO OPVL

Origin

Purpose

Values

Limitations

You’ll be doing this for your Historical Investigation

Evaluating Sources

Not everything you hear is true Would you trust:

Your best friend’s diary?Voldemort’s personal diary?A television commercial?A book written by Darth Vader?A Nazi newspaper?

Sources can be

Origin What is the source?

Capture of Saarbrucken. GIs of 70th Div seen with Nazi flag and portrait of Hitler. 22 Mar 1945. Photo: Corbis.

Purpose Why is the source?

Capture of Saarbrucken. GIs of 70th Div seen with Nazi flag and portrait of Hitler. 22 Mar 1945. Photo: Corbis.

Value How is the source useful?

Capture of Saarbrucken. GIs of 70th Div seen with Nazi flag and portrait of Hitler. 22 Mar 1945. Photo: Corbis.

Limitations What can’t the source tell us?

Capture of Saarbrucken. GIs of 70th Div seen with Nazi flag and portrait of Hitler. 22 Mar 1945. Photo: Corbis.

II. Sample “OPVL” Paragraph

The origin of this source is a journal that was written by _________ in ________ in _______. Its purpose was to _________________ so _________________. A value of this is that it gives the perspective of ________________________. However, a limitation is that __________, making ______________________.

+OPVL / Bibliography

Bibliography MLA Citation

+Well-supported argument

Combine different ideas in order to create new understanding.

Using sources develop an argument that answers your research question.

For the purposes of this assignment you will need to construct a thesis statement that would set the foundation for a more thorough analysis.