Step1: you will develop and research a connection between a primary source I upload and an issue today. find a source from today that addresses a similar issue/event, and research the connection between the sources and how the issue/event from the past has shaped or relates to the issue/event in the world today.
Step 2: Find a source about the current issue/debate/event you which you have identified in the earlier source. Remember that the material that people produce today will serve as primary sources for historians in the future. You can select an article, a video clip, a letter, a photograph, a blog post, etc. You need to be able to find it in a form that you can submit for class (that can be as text, a link to the material online, a PDF, etc.).
Step 3: Find at least 3 secondary sources that can help you understand the historical roots of the issue and how it connects to today. Make sure you can explain why you believe these sources are trustworthy. Think about who wrote/created them, who published them/made them available, how clear they are about the sources they use, etc.
Step 4: Write your draft, using this outline:
Paragraph 1: Write an introduction, explaining briefly both of your source are and what the historical issue/event is that connects them.
Paragraph 2: Explain the significance and context of your 1st source (the one from the past). Make sure to identify who wrote/created the source, what the historic context was (what was going on at the time that is important to understand the documents significance), and how the historic issue/event you exploring appears in the source.
Paragraph 3: Explain the significance of your 2nd source (the one from the present). Make sure to identify who wrote/created the document, where you found it, what the context is (what information is important to know to understand why the author/artist, etc., made the document and where they made it available), and how the historic issue/event you exploring appears in the source.
Paragraphs 4-5: Develop the historic connection between the sources. How does what happened in the past, as evidenced by the historic source, shape what is occurring today, as evidenced by the present-day source. Provide specific evidence from the documents and from secondary sources. [This section may be one or two paragraphs, depending on how much space you need to communicate your ideas and how you organize the information].
Paragraph 5 or 6/ Conclusion: Summarize the significance of the connection you have identified and explain how historians of the future might use the the 2nd source (the one from the present) you selected.
Works Cited List (for MLA style) listing your primary and secondary sources. For your secondary sources, write 1 to 2 sentences after the citation explaining why you selected the source and why you think it is trustworthy.
