Part 1

Select a research topic area for Project 1 based on which of the following areas interests you the most. You will explore the selected topic a little later in this theme. Mark your selection in the right-hand column.

Drafting of the U.S. Constitution
Mao Zedong’s Rule Over China
South African Apartheid	X
Choose Your Own Topic (insert pre-approved topic here)

In the space below, write a short paragraph about what you already knew about the topic you selected prior to this course, based on your personal history or experiences. This may include assumptions, beliefs, or values related to the topic. Be as detailed as possible.

Part 2

Now that you have identified your topic and described what you already know about the topic, what questions do you still have about the topic that you would like to know? Place your answers in the right-hand column.

Identify one question about the topic that you are curious about.
Describe why this question matters to you personally.
Describe why this question matters to society.
Identify a second question about the topic you are curious about.
Describe why this question matters to you personally.
Describe why this question matters to society.

Part 3

You are now ready to complete the final part of your Topic Exploration Worksheet. You have chosen a topic, posed some research questions, and are ready to start thinking about what kind of sources you will need to investigate your research questions further. Using the library guide in the Shapiro Library provided for your chosen topic, skim through the suggested resources (or find your own) and complete the following information for your research questions.

List which secondary sources would be helpful for investigating your first research question. (Include the title and author of the sources)
List which primary sources would be helpful for investigating your first research question. (Include the title and author of the sources)
List which secondary sources would be helpful for investigating your second research question. (Include the title and author of the sources)
List which primary sources would be helpful for investigating your second research question. (Include the title and author of the sources)

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Now that you have gone through the research, describe what you have learned about your topic in one to two paragraphs.