Your Assignment:
For your assignment you will complete a portfolio in which you describe what you learn about your topic from reading about it.
Research as Conversation:
Think of the sources you read to explore your topic (articles, books, films, videos, images, or websites) as different threads in a conversation. Just like blog comments, each source expresses different ideas, observations, discoveries, or interpretations of the historical problem or question you choose to address. As you read your sources, try to figure out how they relate to each other: do they agree; do they contradict each other; do they help you understand your issue from a different perspective? So when you read your sources, think about the story they're telling you and about what they each have to say about that story.
By actively reading your sources as if you're participating in an interesting, complex discussion, when you write your summary and reflection about your sources, you'll be able to demonstrate to your teacher that you have a deeper understanding of your topic.
In your reflection, you'll be able to talk about how your source contributes to your understanding of the topic and to the scholarly conversation taking place in the literature.