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Final Paper Preparation

This assignment will prepare you for the Final Paper by initiating the research process and helping you map out specific events and developments which you will explore in depth in your paper. Review the instructions for the Final Paper laid out in Week Five before beginning this project. Note that for the Final Paper you will need to discuss at least six specific events or developments related to your chosen topic

For this assignment, you will choose a specific group (Native Americans, African Americans, women, or immigrants) and six (or more) related events and developments that affected their lives. Three of these events/developments must be from the years 1865-1920 and three of these events must from the years 1920-present. You will then find at least two primary sources and four other sources for a total of six sources in addition to your textbook. A maximum of two of your sources can be videos. Any sources that are not primary sources or videos must be scholarly sources from the Ashford University Library. 

Please remember that primary sources are documents or artifacts that were created at the time of a historical event or by someone who personally experienced a historical event. Primary sources can be newspaper or magazine articles, books, letters, speeches, photographs, oral histories, paintings, or any other record of a historical event. 

For this assignment:

• State your thesis.*
• Write one page identifying and explaining the events that you plan to discuss in your Final Paper.
• Create an annotated bibliography with a short (one to two paragraphs) annotation for each source.**
• You must use at least six sources other than the textbook to support your claims. 
• You must use at least two primary sources.
• You may use no more than two videos.
  • Any source that is not a primary source or a video must be a scholarly secondary source from the Ashford University Library. 
• Properly cite your sources within the text of your paper and on the references page. 
• Be three pages in length and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

*Thesis statement: Your thesis should be a one- or two-sentence summary of the main conclusions that you drew while researching your topic and that you will support in your paper by constructing a logical argument based on evidence (sources). Please use the Ashford Writing Center’s thesis generator when creating your thesis. 

**Annotated Bibliography: To create an annotated bibliography, list each source in full APA reference format. Then, beneath each source write a one- or two-paragraph explanation of the important information in the source and how you plan to use it in your paper. The annotations must be in your own words. It is not acceptable to copy and paste the abstract or any other text. You must have annotations for all six sources. Use the Ashford University Writing Center’s Sample Annotated Bibliography to help you create your bibliography.

The paper must be three pages in length and formatted according to APA style. For information regarding APA, including samples and tutorials, visit the Ashford Writing Center.

Please notice that you have been provided with several primary and secondary sources in the required reading and recommended reading sections for each week. Feel free to use these sources when constructing your assignment. Please visit the Academic Research section on your Course Home page (accessible through the Student Responsibilities and Policies tab on the left navigation toolbar) to review what types of materials are not acceptable for academic, university level research. 

Before submitting your assignment, you may want to visit the Ashford Writing Center (AWC) for feedback. The AWC has two kinds of tutoring available to you:

• Live Chat – If you have writing-related questions about a topic before you draft a discussion post or submit a written assignment, you will now be able to chat live with a tutor for up to 20 minutes. Live Chat will be available Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. (PST). AWC Live Chat
• Email Paper Review – If you have a draft, partial draft, or are just having trouble getting started, you can complete a submission form and email your paper to the AWC for review.
  • Writing tutors will do their best to return your paper with their comments within 48 hours, not including Saturdays and Sundays. Please plan accordingly if you would like to receive feedback before an assignment due date. AWC Email Paper Review

Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.