CHY 4U1 – Grade 12 University Preparation American History:
Argumentative Research Term Paper (10%) Assignment Description
You will be required to complete an extensive Research
Based Argumentative Essay that you will have close to
THE ENTIRE SEMESTER to complete. As part of your
essay, you will be required to complete a Process Package
in order to ensure that you remain on track over the course
of the writing process before handing in the final product at
the end of the semester. Your final essay will be expected to
be in the neighbourhood of 8-10 pages of written text,
complete with references and in-text citations to your
research. Essays that fail to provide ANY references will
receive a mark of zero in the appropriate sections (see Final
Essay Evaluation Rubric). REMEMBER, the aim of your
essay is to provide an opinion on a subject and be able to
support that opinion with facts from your research. You
are NOT being asked to merely provide a narrative of
past events or to write a biography on a historical figure!
Students will be required to select a topic from one of the options provided and complete ALL aspects of
the Process Package including a Teacher-Student Conference (Please review individual evaluation rubrics
for each stage of the Process Package).
Selecting your Research Topic
Go through each of the topics and conduct some preliminary research regarding the issue which is of most
interest to you. Be sure to select something that you are interested in or want to know about so that you
can ensure that your research is meaningful and purposeful. Only one student per topic, so be sure to
select your topic as soon as possible in order to avoid disappointment!
The Process Package
Throughout the semester, you will have to complete several components before the final writing of your
essay. Over the course of the term, you will be responsible for completing the following parts of the
writing process. Detailed descriptions of each section along with All due dates and the Evaluation Rubrics
with the criteria you will be graded on for each section are readily available on the class website:
TERM ESSAY TOPIC SELECTION and THESIS PROPOSAL
Use the template provided to explain which topic you have selected. Do some preliminary research on
your topic and explain why you chose this particular subject. Come up with a potential thesis for your
essay. Be sure to select a topic that you are interested in!
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
You will be responsible for conducting intensive, in-depth research before beginning the writing process
of your term essay. List the sources you consulted using proper APA format and provide a brief
explanation of how each of those sources will be utilized in the writing of your final product.
ROUGH NOTES, ESSAY SKELETON AND TEACHER-STUDENT CONFERENCE
Use your research from the sources you collected to create rough notes to write your essay. Use the Essay
Skeleton Template provided to organize your thoughts and to create an outline of what you plan to discuss
in the body of your essay. Be sure to bring both your Rough Notes and your completed Essay Skeleton to
your Teacher-Student Conference and make certain that you are prepared to discuss the direction of your
essay with your teacher.
ROUGH DRAFT AND PEER EDITING
At this stage, your rough draft complete with in-text citations, should be complete. Bring it in to class on
the scheduled date in order to have it peer evaluated by your classmates.
FINAL ESSAY
Complete your final draft by using the following guidelines…
Expectations for your Final Essay:
- 6-8 pages of text (not including title page or your bibliography/Works Cited page)
- Essay must be word processed (hand written essays will not be accepted)
- Double-spaced.
- APA format
- Size 12 size font using only Times New Roman, Arial or Verdana
- 1 inch margins.
- All pages numbered in top right hand corner of page.
- Works Cited page provided at the end of the essay with ALL sources used and referenced
throughout body of essay listed in alphabetical order.
- You must include a Title Page at the beginning of your essay that follows APA format guidelines. It
must include a header on the top left hand side of the page that includes the title of your essay.
Also, your name, date, course code, and teacher’s name should be centred on the page.
West and the World (CHY4U1)
Term Essay Topics
Conduct your pre-research on a topic you may be interested in and then be
sure to inform your teacher which essay topic you have chosen. NO TWO
students will be permitted to work on the same essay topic during the
semester.
1. Was the Renaissance really a rebirth?
2. Should the Catholic Church be considered a tool of oppression?
3. African Americans have been seeking reparations for decades of slavery. Who should
pay?
4. Christopher Columbus: Hero or Devil?
5. Napoleon Bonaparte: Political Pragmatist or Shameful Opportunist?
6. Using specific historical information, decide who was more correct about the nature of
politics; Hobbes or Locke.
7. Were the Enlightened Despots truly enlightened?
8. How has Machiavelli’s ideas influenced politics in his day and in later centuries?
9. Compare and contrast the career of any twentieth century dictator with the writings of
Machiavelli.
10. Describe the long-term impacts of Humanism as a political philosophy.
11. Did Christianity need the Reformation?
12. Discuss the impacts of the scientific revolution in areas other than science.
13. Discuss the long-term impacts of European Mercantilism.
14. Was the Catholic Church’s influence during the age of Exploration more positive or
negative?
15. Was the beginning of the French revolution a peasant revolt, an enlightened uprising or
something different?
16. What key factors contributed to the failure (or success) of Aboriginal resistance to
European settlement in North America (or Latin America)?
17. Was the American Revolution justified?
18. Passive vs. Active Resistance? Which is more effective in exacting positive change?
19. Was Robespierre more than a paranoid murderer?
20. Where did the French Revolution go wrong?
21. Did Napoleon preserve or destroy the French Revolution?
22. Was the Congress of Vienna a success?
23. Has Nationalism been more a force for construction or destruction?
24. How have Darwin’s ideas impacted society and politics?
25. How did the Industrial Revolution influence politics?
26. To what extent was the Industrial Revolution a result of a technological invention (e.g. the
cotton gin, steam power, and so on)?
27. Analyse the impact of the writings and ideas of a Western Philosopher on a movement for
reform (e.g. Thomas Paine/John Locke and the American Revolution).
28. Was the impact of European Imperialism more positive or negative for Humanity?
29. Why is Nicholas II so romanticized?
30. Could the 2nd Russian Revolution of 1917 been avoided?
31. Why are Lenin and Trotsky so romanticized?
32. Was WWI inevitable?
33. Who is to blame for the Holocaust?
34. What should have been done with Jewish Refuges after WWII?
35. Does Che Guevara deserve the reverence that he has been accorded by today’s youth?
36. Was the rise of communism in Latin America a form of resistance to the neocolonial policies
of the United States?
37. Why did Soviet Communism fail?
38. Creating the U.S.A – Manifest Destiny vs. Isolationism?
39. How have the policies of international institutions like the World Bank and International
Monetary Fund (IMF) affected the social and economic status of developing nations?
40. Compare and contrast the economic policies of two former colonial societies. Examine one
that has adopted communist or socialist ideology and one that has adopted the free
enterprise model.
41. Account for the spread and proliferation of Western ideas (e.g. media, music, culture) in
the 20th century.
42. Is God Dead? Compare and contrast worldwide changes in attitudes toward religion and
religious observance in the Judeo-Christian tradition and in a non-Judeo-Christian religion
(e.g. Islam, Buddhism).
43. “Wars promote Change.” Assess both the positive and negative aspects of war (e.g.
social, political, ethical, cultural, technological). Possible wars/conflicts to examine
include the Napoleonic Wars, the American Civil War, WWI, the Spanish Civil War, the
Cold War, or another of your choice.
44. Evaluate the career of any major political figure. Should their career be considered a
success or failure?
45. Which single invention has had the most powerful impact on human history?
46. Demonstrate how art has driven politics during one specific period of history?
47. Choose your own topic. But it must be cleared with the teacher!
This is a random picture of a honey badger. He don’t care.