Academic Standards for Research in Social Studies Courses

Any oral or written assignment dealing with the following standards must meet the requirements for a grade of “C” or better using a specified assessment or rubric. Any assignment that does not meet this requirement will be remediated by department staff in the setting proposed later in this document.

100 Level Courses –

1. Students will develop skills associated with basic analytical research with the following

1. points of emphasis:

      a. Defining appropriate research sources.

      b. Learning the locations of a wide variety of appropriate sources.

      c. Evaluating appropriate sources including answering such questions as:

  • Does this source add to my general knowledge or provide specific information

  • relating to my topic?

              • Does this source support or contradict my thesis?

2. Students will create an annotated bibliography.

200 & 300 Level Courses –

1. Students will review or learn the skills taught in 100 level courses.

2. Students will develop skills associated with in-depth analytical research with the

2. following points of emphasis:

      a. Developing a research thesis.

      b. Developing a bibliography.

      c. Note making from a variety of sources.

      d. Outlining of a paper based on research.

      e. Demonstrating how and when to cite sources.

      f. Presentation of research in a paper. The length of this paper should be appropriate to

      e. the ability of the students involved and will be left to the teacher’s discretion.

400 Level Courses –

1. Students will practice and develop the skills learned in earlier courses by writing one or more research-based three to five page papers. As has been previously stated, our goal in the 400 level courses is to incorporate all of the skills developed by students while participating in social studies courses since these are the culminating courses in our curriculum. For example, this research assignment could be linked to one of the supplemental readings thereby combining the reading, writing and research skills.