Mrs. Thomas, Gold Rush Paper

Complete The Following Steps:

Choose a topic that interests you and that you feel is an important part of our gold mining history. You may want to choose of the the 36 topics listed below.
Find at least two sources for your research. One should probably be an encyclopedia article that gives you an overview in a few hundred words.
Read the encyclopedia overview on your topic to see if the topic still interests you. If it does, go on to Step 4. If it no longer interests you, go back to Step 1 and start over.
Narrow down your topic by creating a focus question that you wish to answer. For example, if you choose the topic THE ALASKAN GOLD RUSH, you might ask: "What were the biggest hardships miners faced in Alaska?"
Clear your focus question with your teacher
Take notes on note cards. Remember that each note card should contain a heading, one important fact or event, and the source where you found the information.
Once you have enough notes to write a paper of 300 or more words, clear your note cards with your teacher.
Organize your note cards by putting them into three or more main categories. Each of there categories becomes a main idea and each note card becomes a supporting idea.
Write your paper. You will have one question for each of the main ideas you have in your outline. Be sure to include an introductory paragraph that tells why you chose the topicand what your FOCUS QUESTION is, and an ending paragraph that should again mention the main purpose of your paper and any conclusions you reached.
Write a bibliography under your final paragraph. If you have two or more sources, they should be listed in alphabetical order based upon the authors' last names.