EDITABLE Historical Research Paper Materials for US History (Distance Learning!)

A few years ago I realized that while DBQs are great, when students go to college or write at a professional level, what they really need to know how to do is write research papers. Once they have this skill, it’s transferable across disciplines and many professions. So as part of my US History Thematic Curriculum I decided to create a research paper packet that would allow my students to understand the process involved in writing a research paper. It begins with brainstorming a topic, walks them through the process of creating a focused Historical Essential Question, and gives students a concrete outline to help them visualize the flow of their paper. All steps are broken down into manageable phases so that students can learn the process in a scaffolded, yet challenging method. I also have "How to Research Materials" not included in this resource that help students specifically with finding their sources and the research process.

In addition, I’ve included a detailed rubric for scoring the paper and Historical Essential Question. There is also a reference page for citing in MLA format (including in-text citations). Students will use a peer edit checklist to assist in editing one another’s drafts. There is also a college student's paper that students can evaluate and dissect. Although this paper is in a different citation format (Chicago) and longer, it provides students with a solid example of an historical research paper.

All resources are editable in Microsoft Word and Google Docs (except College Student Model). They also come in PDF version. Therefore, you can easily adapt these resources to better fit the needs of your specific students.

There are 3 versions included in this resource: body paragraph only, intro & body paragraph only, and full research paper. I use all three versions in my US History class to build up to a full research paper over the course of the year. Since all versions come in Google Docs formats, you can definitely use these resources for distance learning!

Note: These resources assume that your students have written essays before. They also assume that students know how to use search engines to find sources (example: Google Scholar). If your students have never done research at all, you will need to supplement this resource with building those skills. You can also use my How to Research Materials resource.

Included Materials:

1. Avoiding 9 Logical Fallacies Reading
2. Paper Requirements & Writing Tips
3. Topic Selection Advice & Brainstorming Questions
4. How to Write Historical Essential Questions (Research Questions) & Prompts
5. How to Write the Thesis & Prompts
6. How to Write Body Paragraphs
7. How to Write Intros & Conclusions
8. Paper Outline Worksheet
9. MLA Works Cited Reference Sheet (& How to Avoid Plagiarism)
10. Proofreading, Grammar, & Academic Language Info
11. Research Paper Detailed Rubric
12. Peer Edit Checklist
13. Self Edit Checklist
14. College Student Model Paper
15. Previous Essay Reflection Form
16. Suggested Timeline & Implementation (“Start Here” PDF only)

To reduce tech issues, please be sure to have the most recent free version of Adobe Reader downloaded. More help linked here.

Materials Needed:

• Computers for research & writing

You might also enjoy:

• EDITABLE How to Research Materials
• Why History Matters Escape Room
• Founding Documents Introductory Unit Bundle
• Executive Branch US History Thematic Unit Bundle
• Ultimate Economics Semester Course Bundle

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Check out my editable US History Thematic curriculum map! And be sure to follow my TpT store (follow star) as I add new resources often!