HOW TO MANAGE THE HISTORICAL INVESTIGATION
GOLDEN RULES
- It has to focus on HISTORY (not Life Orientation!)
- The focus has to be CONTAINED: it has parameters such as time frames, selected examples and limited points of discussion
- It cannot be on anything that has happened in the last 30 years.
- It cannot be on anything to do with conspiracy theories!
- The end product has to ADD to the existing body of knowledge: so you can’t just rehash what already exists, you have to give it a new slant or an idea for us to stew on! Your research kind of has to prove something!
THE PROCEDURE
So these are the instructions that I give my classes.
STAGE ONE (end of Grade 11)
This process needs to happen during the September holiday!
By the time you return in the first week of October, you must know what you research task topic is. So do some serious thinking, looking around and research this holiday. To assist in your task, collect physical evidence! In other words, it can’t just be in your head!
You will submit them into Google Classroom or on Google Drive on the day that you return to school in the 4th term. (Do not print anything yet.)
On your return, you will have a 5 minute meeting with your teacher who will agree, or disagree, with your proposal.
STAGE TWO (DRAFT ONE)
Once you get the go ahead, proceed to Stage Two. This process will happen in the 4th term of 2019 (Gr 11):
Due date: after midterm – 01 November 2019
This will be for marks and part of your final term assessment (mark).
You will have to print your essay: the intro, the body and the conclusion. But that’s all your print at this stage.
The whole idea is to get at least 50% of this task over and done with before Matric starts, so that it relieves the workload in Matric. The sooner you hand in work, the sooner it gets marked, the sooner it gets returned to you and the sooner you can move on to the next draft or stage. So, before you leave at the end of Grade 11, you should have a clear idea of what your investigation is on. You should work on it in December! You want to return in January of your Matric year with the second draft!
STAGE THREE (DRAFT TWO)
This process will happen in January – March next year, 2020.
Basically you make Draft 1 bigger and better: Due date February
IMPORTANT
STAGE FOUR (THE FINAL DRAFT)
HAS TO BE HANDED IN BEFORE THE END OF THE FIRST TERM OF MATRIC
Hand it in as soon as you can. You don’t have to wait until the last day!
CHECKLIST
So these are the instructions that I give my classes.
STAGE ONE (end of Grade 11)
This process needs to happen during the September holiday!
By the time you return in the first week of October, you must know what you research task topic is. So do some serious thinking, looking around and research this holiday. To assist in your task, collect physical evidence! In other words, it can’t just be in your head!
- Collect 5 to 6 sources on your topic
- Write an INSIGHT (in the form of two or three paragraphs) into what you are thinking, what you want to achieve, what this investigation will about and what it will aim to prove.
- Write out 2 or 3 possible research questions.
You will submit them into Google Classroom or on Google Drive on the day that you return to school in the 4th term. (Do not print anything yet.)
On your return, you will have a 5 minute meeting with your teacher who will agree, or disagree, with your proposal.
STAGE TWO (DRAFT ONE)
Once you get the go ahead, proceed to Stage Two. This process will happen in the 4th term of 2019 (Gr 11):
- Finalize your insight on a separate page
- Write an introduction – this must focus on the historical context of your topic.
- Write the essay like you would a MSE (Draft 1 is approx. 2 pages long) using the sources.
- Write a conclusion on a separate page (half a page long)
- Keep a list of sources (bibliography)
Due date: after midterm – 01 November 2019
This will be for marks and part of your final term assessment (mark).
You will have to print your essay: the intro, the body and the conclusion. But that’s all your print at this stage.
The whole idea is to get at least 50% of this task over and done with before Matric starts, so that it relieves the workload in Matric. The sooner you hand in work, the sooner it gets marked, the sooner it gets returned to you and the sooner you can move on to the next draft or stage. So, before you leave at the end of Grade 11, you should have a clear idea of what your investigation is on. You should work on it in December! You want to return in January of your Matric year with the second draft!
STAGE THREE (DRAFT TWO)
This process will happen in January – March next year, 2020.
Basically you make Draft 1 bigger and better: Due date February
- Fix up all the corrections that were made and follow the suggestions
- Add 3 more sources
- Do summaries and evaluations for all your sources (make sure that in your summaries you also include why that source is useful for your research)
- Fatten up your essay, also include the new sources.
- Submit a bibliography.
- Submit a reflection.
IMPORTANT
- You will have to print your updated essay: intro, body and conclusion, bibliography and reflection.
- You must keep the first draft, do not throw it away. Even if you change your topic!
- Use headings for every section: introduction, body, conclusion, summaries, evaluations, reflection, list of sources and start each one on a clean page.
STAGE FOUR (THE FINAL DRAFT)
HAS TO BE HANDED IN BEFORE THE END OF THE FIRST TERM OF MATRIC
Hand it in as soon as you can. You don’t have to wait until the last day!
CHECKLIST
- Fix up all the corrections that were made and follow the suggestions that were made to Draft Two.
- Ensure that you have a header with your name on it.
- Ensure that you have numbered your pages.
- Ensure that you have an index corresponding with page numbers.
- Ensure that you have summaries for every source.
- Ensure that you have evaluations for two sources.
- Ensure that you have used and referenced your sources throughout your essay. Like this (Source D)
- Ensure that your body is at least 4 pages long,
- And that it has a clear conclusion
- And a clear introduction.
- Ensure that you submit a bibliography/list of references (see how to set it out on the next page.)
- Ensure that you have written a reflection that documents how you went about putting your investigation together and what you were able to learn/prove.
- Ensure that you included your first and second drafts, as evidence of your journey.
- Ensure that you have typed in Arial, size 12, 1.5 line spacing
TEMPLATES
Below are templates for the layout of the investigation and the bibliography.
Below are templates for the layout of the investigation and the bibliography.
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