Research Paper Rubric RESEARCH QUESTION: The research question is clearly stated at the top of the paper, is clearly relevant to the assigned topic, is focused (time period, place, etc.), and can be effectively researched and argued within the constraints of the word limit. HISTORICAL CONTEXT: Historical context is included in the introduction and provides accurate, clear, concise, and descriptive explanation of the broader historical event/time period and how the research topic addressed fits into it. Historical Context should address all of the following questions. It should provide a brief overview of the time period and or overall historical event while introducing the audience to your narrower focus on the topic you’ve research specifically. ❏ What was happening? (big picture, not your specific topic) ❏ Why was it happening? (big picture, not your specific topic) ❏ Who was involved? (big picture, not your specific topic) ❏ Why was this time period significant today? (big picture, not your specific topic) ❏ Brief intro/overview of what your specific topic about? (what, where, when, who) THESIS: Thesis statement is included at or near the end of the introduction, clearly and effectively answering the research question by stating a main claim and two to three subclaims which organizes a plausible and relative argument. SOURCES: For each subclaim, 2 to 3 high quality, highly credible, and correctly cited sources (internally) are clearly communicated to provide credibility for evidence obtained. EVIDENCE: For each subclaim, all evidence (2 to 5 pieces) applied is highly relevant to the subclaim (clearly aids in explaining and proving subclaim) and clearly argues the correlation between the topic and the arguments YOUR ARGUMENT: (in your own words/inferencing, talking about the evidence and why it supports your main claim and subclaim): All primary and secondary evidence is explained effectively, clearly, and in a logical and coherent manner as it relates to the support of your thesis statement. The essay succeeds in developing a reasoned and convincing argument based on historical evidence in relation to the research question. Note: If Counterclaim is made, the same criteria for SOURCES, EVIDENCE, and YOUR ARGUMENT apply. Of course, YOUR ARGUMENT will attempt to minimize the relevance and magnitude of this evidence to further support your thesis. CONCLUSION: An effective conclusion is clearly stated; it is relevant to the research question and consistent with the evidence presented in the essay; it summarizes the main points of the argument FORMATTING and CONVENTIONS ❏ Heading (top left corner of pg. 1) Your Name IBP World History Mr. Thorson June 10th, 2018 Word Count = ______ (it should be between 1500 and 2000 words) ❏ A demonstration of your ability to write a formal academic paper no matter the size or word length. ❏ Single or double spaced, Times New Roman or Arial font, 12 pt. ❏ No personal pronouns ❏ Introduction, Body, Conclusion ❏ A correctly formatted MLA works cited page at the conclusion of your paper. ❏ Correctly formatted internal MLA citations (this is when you are putting the author’s name in parentheses which correlate to your external works cited) ● Paper is turned-in on TURNITIN.com before the end of the submission deadline (Sunday, June 10th by 11:59 a.m) COMPONENT Evaluation Comment Research Question Context/Background Thesis Statement Sources Evidence Your Argument Conclusion Formatting and Conventions (G) Good (S) Satisfactory (NI) Needs Improvement (M) Missing E = All required components are completed at a high level; demonstrating a mastery of skills beyond what is expected at this level of education. P = Almost all required components are completed at a proficient level; demonstrating a mastery of skills of what is expected at this level of education. G = Most of the required components are completed at a satisfactory or just below satisfactory level; improvement in multiple areas is needed to reach the standard expected at this level of education. B = Most or all of the required components are completed, showing some understanding and some demonstration of the skill; vast improvements in the majority of required components is necessary in order to move towards mastery of the skills being measured at this level of education. Standards Measured ● CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.9-10.7 Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation ● ● D2.His.16.9-12. Integrate evidence from relevant historical sources and interpretations into a reasoned argument about the past. ● CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.4 Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task. World War Technological Advancement Introduction When the possibility of World War I became a reality, it was not envisioned that it would result in as much devastation as was evidenced. Perhaps the historical civil wars that had been evidenced between different empires cheated the participants and the world at large that it would not be as destructive as it was. The human race had not realized just how much technological advancements had been made since the start of the 17th century. The fact that these “tools of war” remained untested and theoretical as the inventors had written about them, it removed the reality of the destructive nature that was embedded within their use. Historians and scientists believe that the inventors had not envisioned that humans could, at any given time, turn against each other. The “civilization” attribute of the western world was thought to be the motherboard that would drive “realistic” and healthy interactions that would not result in any escalation. Today, we realize just how wrong our forefathers were in having so much trust in the human race. Today, more than ever, the human race has created more dangerous tools of war than was ever envisioned. Albert Einstein, upon realizing just how destructive the atomic bomb was and his role in signing off the creation of such a weapon, was regretful in failing to foresee the danger of such technology. The presence of and use of superior technological advancement in World War I and II changed the contextual nature of the war, gravitating towards a more destructive and annihilating conflict. Prologue The American civil war depicted the shift from ancient war methods and modern technology of warfare. Despite there being a more destructive form of wars in history, the civil war was evidence enough of the superiority of advancement of technology in combat. The use of gun canon in warfare and advanced rifle use allowed the war to claim very many casualties within a concise period. Incidentally, this depicted just how vital advancement in warfare technology was in remaining superior as the British later showed in colonizing Africa and Asia. Their superior weaponry gave their colonies no chance in defending themselves. Experts in warfare technology believed that the American civil war and European colonization was exceptional situations that would not lead to the use of technology that they were creating. The argument was always structured on the “civilized” nature of the white community in having an understanding that would result in amicable settlement of cases. This understanding was biasedly believed only to be something possessed by the whites, and therefore, the new technology was mainly going to be directed at illiterate and uncivilized societies. Never was there any possibility that whites would engage in conflicts that would result in warfare. Discussion In his book, “The Origins of the First World War” Ross (232) points out to the pre-existing situation before the World War s as one that was driven by industrial supremacy as nations tried to assert their dominance over others. As a result, nations sought those alignments that their believed would confer them the most significant advantage. Clare (271) motions that most nations at this point did not expect or plan for the escalation of their differences. It was perhaps one of those alignments that were meant to confer them trade advantages and improved status. When the nations realigned into Allies and central powers and the World War I started in 1918; some nations were caught in the middle, unaware of what each realignment meant and what side they were meant to be. It created a division that forced individual and unprepared nations unawares. Even the Allies and the central powers lacked the military capacity to engage in the wars they were preparing themselves for. They only hoped that their enemies were bereft of military weapons as they were. The end of the First World War l was seen as an allied victory; however, Ross (42) notes that this war left either group more confused and exhausted from an engagement that they were unprepared for. Between the end of World War I and World War II, nations realized that the possibility of World Wars was a reality. Every nation tried to accumulate as many resources as they could in preparation for a future war. Yenne (92) writes that individual nations like Germany, Britain, and the United States increased their military capacity in trying to accumulate as many resources as they could. This period was evidenced by an escalation in pooling of warfare tools and investment in research. As the possibility of the Second World War II became a reality, nations invested more in technological warfare. These technological advancements helped the Allies in propagating warfare that was well orchestrated and systematically against their opponents. This gave the Allies an advantage that enabled them to defeat their enemies while at the same time kill millions of people. First World War The first significant technological advancement of the World War was the shift from the war of trenches to the “moving war.” the first World War was characterized by “trench war” which was seemingly unwinnable as either side were rooted to the same spot. The presence of rifle fire and machine guns ensured that soldiers could not make any move beyond their trenches before they were brutally murdered. This was swiftly solved by the automobile craze that promised “moving warfare.” The invention of the heavily-armored vehicle, popularly known as tanks, created a movement for the fighting teams (Stephanie 32). The British were the first to create a tank in 1915 with the French building another one soon later. This helped the Allies advance their war efforts faster than the Germans, therefore giving them an advantage in movement and attack. The other technological advancement was the flamethrowers. An invention of the Germans, the flamethrowers were perhaps one of the most lethal weapons used in the First World War. This was more effective in the trench war before the invention of the tanks. It allowed for the annihilation of soldiers who were still holed up in bunkers and trenches. The importance of flamethrowers in Second World War was that it provided and showed the importance of fire in advancing warfare especially in when in close contact. Air traffic control was another invention of the Allies that helped it in winning the Second World War. Initial air traffic was primarily terrestrial. This meant that once a pilot took off from the ground, they remain pretty isolated and could not receive any information from the ground. This made it difficult for pilots to know where the enemies were and where the Allies were. The air combat, with all its advantages, was therefore solely dependent on a pilot how had to figure out where and who they were fighting. When the U.S. army-installed the first operational two-way radios, the state of the World War s changed. It ceased being a blind war, and the aerial battle became real. It allowed the pilot to transmit and receive information from the ground (Stephanie 281). Second World War These military technological advancements were significant in World War One, but the Allies needed to come up with inventions that would give them an advantage over their foes as the World War two became a reality. The Germans and its Allies were also keen in investing in warfare technology, and this demanded that Britain and its Allies have a keen understanding as to those advancements that would confer them the advantage needed to defeat the Germans. These technological advancements were not necessarily life-threatening, but they were decisive in giving the Allies an advantage over the central powers. The technological advancement was that of a computer known as Colossus. The Germans had found a way to decode every message, and this meant that the Allies were at a disadvantage. There was a need for a machine that could help in coding and encoding message away from the Germans, which would give the Allies the needed advantage. When the colossus was built, it gave the Allies the advantage it needed in communicating and setting attacks that the Germans could not expect. This gave the Allies an added advantage in being able to communicate and pass messages easily and swiftly. The second advantage was that of the creation of the atomic bomb or the use of nuclear power for war purposes. The United States initiated the Manhattan project that developed the first atomic bomb in history. When the bombs were dropped in 1945 in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Germans and their Allies realized that the war they were fighting was no longer about guns and tanks; it had grown more than they could handle. This gave the Allies the advantage they needed in defeating the central powers who were making ground on them (Mathews and McCormack 68). It allowed either party to the war to stop and review their role in creating weapons of mass destruction. To date, the development and use of the nuclear bomb on Japan remains a controversial topic as nations continue to harness more of this nuclear power for future eventualities. The third invention was that of the jet engines and the V-2. However, although the British knew about the technology, it was the Germans that advanced the technology. This allowed the Germans to create more superior air weaponry but was disadvantaged in their use. The jet engines never truly advanced Germans advancement due to lack of fuel to run them while the use of V-2 was affected by Britain’s propaganda campaign (Fergus 216). Nevertheless, these advancements helped the Allies formulate their plans more cunningly. It also gave the Allies the understanding needed to challenge the central powers within their advancements, such as collaborations with other nations. Other advancements that helped the Allies included that of the discovery of penicillin, the development of synthetic rubber and oil, the creation of radar, radio navigation and landing, and other minute technical advancement such as the jerry can for carrying reserve oil, the dynamopowered touch for better lighting, and the creation of pressurized cabins. These advancements were critical to the Allies’ success in the Second World War. It is important to note that the central powers were not left behind in these technological advancements and the success of their use depends on the ability to understand how best to manipulate them to one’s advantage. Nevertheless, the central power group did not have the cohesiveness that allowed the allied to utilize better the advancements that were at their disposal. Conclusion The presence of and use of superior technological advancement in World War I and II changed the contextual nature of the war, gravitating towards a more destructive and annihilating conflict. Nevertheless, it allowed for the world to grow, not only in warfare but also in technical advancement. The Allies were advantaged in having those technical advantages that allowed them the needed capacity to advance their military campaign successfully. Without these technological advancements, especially that of the use of nuclear power and its efficiency in use, the central powers would not have relented easily as they did. These advancements helped in the realization that should nations continue to use them; human beings would annihilate themselves and cause more destruction to their environment. Works Cited Clare, John. The First World War. San Diego, California: Gulliver Books, 1995. Fergus, Hanson. Waging War in Peacetime: Cyber Attacks and International Norms. The Lowy Interpreter, www.lowyinterpreter.org/post/2015/10/20/Waging-war-inpeacetime-Cyberattacks-and-international-norms.aspx. Accessed 30 May 2018. Mathews, Robert., and McCormack, Timothy. The Influence of Humanitarian Principles in the Negotiation of Arms Control Treaties. International Review of the Red Cross, Vol. 81, No. 834, 1999, pp. 334–335. Moore, Wilbert. “Introduction”, in Wilbert E. Moore (ed.), Technology and Social Change, Quadrangle Books, Chicago, 1972, p. 5. Ross, Stewart. The Origins of the First World War. East Sussex, England: Wayland Publishers, 1988. Schlenoff, Daniel C. “Snapshots of Military Science from 1913, a Year before World War I” Scientific American, http://www.scientificamerican.com/slideshow/warfare-snapshots-ofmilitary-science-from-1913-slide-show/. Accessed 30 May 2018. Stephanie, Carvin. Getting Drones Wrong. International Journal of Human Rights, Vol. 19, No. 2. Yenne, Bill. Weapons of the 21st Century. London, England: Bison Books, 1992.
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