History special topics

Papillon87

Just a general pointer guys. I'm sure you're all well aware of this, but be very careful that you focus on an aspect of the historical event you choose as your research topic. It's crucial. Writing a general essay on concentration camps or a giving the life story of Goebbels isn't the way to go and you'll ultimately suffer in the marking of your piece.

As far as what you choose, I can't stress how important it is that you try and choose something that interests you! You're going to have to research, read, write drafts, revise drafts etc etc ad nauseam so if you're already dealing with something you find dull, it's going to be more of a chore to you.

Personally, I always hated Irish history...interested in the Civil Rights' Movement so chose to do that. I have always had a huge love for soul and motown music, so my essay was on how black music was instrumental in the progress of the civil rights movement...my teacher always said picking something original pays off because the examiner is usually sick of reading through stuff on Countess Markiewicz 99/100 at the end of the day..so I wasn't too bad and I can honestly say I loved my topic.....gave me an excuse to avoid studying! Good luck!

TerrorFirmer

wireless101 wrote:

I like the sound of:

'the role of non-german forces on the Nazi side'

'the attempts by high-ranking German officers to change Hitler's ridiculous strategy'

Do you think I could easily access information on these topics?

Unfortuantely i missed that documentary. incidentally, can you use a doumentary as a source?

Those topics are extremely easy to research. I could write you an essay right now if you wanted

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Stalingrad

I don't think Stalingrad itself is too broad, but it would have to be an excellent piece - I'd say a sub topic would be a far wiser move. Also, something original would be a bonus, even outside the scope of the battle. What about the German counter offensives of Spring 1943 after Stalingrad - they restored the Germans lines back to what they had been before the battle for Stalingrad yet it's not really considered in any LC history book. They tend to hop from one massive battle to the next, with little on what happened in between. They tend to read like a childs book - 'The Germans lost at Stalingrad and lost battle after battle thereafter and were finally defeated in May 1945' is more or less what my own history book said, it was rubbish.

Wikipedia is excellent. From that main article you can go off on any tangent, including the axis armies holding the flanks, strategy and tactical doctrine, the lead up to the battle...they're all seperate articles if you click on them.

swimfan22

I did a specific battle in WW1, in fact a specific aspect of that battle and I couldn't believe the amount I was able to find and write about on something I thought was a really narrow topic. So try and pick something fairly specific but be sure you've enough to write on!! I got 100/100 so I was delighted But pay attention to the review you have to put in the extended essay, a lot of my friends lost marks there cos they didn't think it was worth the time

Papillon87

swimfan22 wrote:

I did a specific battle in WW1, in fact a specific aspect of that battle and I couldn't believe the amount I was able to find and write about on something I thought was a really narrow topic. So try and pick something fairly specific but be sure you've enough to write on!! I got 100/100 so I was delighted But pay attention to the review you have to put in the extended essay, a lot of my friends lost marks there cos they didn't think it was worth the time

Yup seconded, review, outline plan etc. are areas lots of people overlook...the actual essay only ends up counting for 60 marks.

Mars Bar

HavoK wrote:

Those topics are extremely easy to research. I could write you an essay right now if you wanted

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Stalingrad



Wikipedia is excellent. From that main article you can go off on any tangent, including the axis armies holding the flanks, strategy and tactical doctrine, the lead up to the battle...they're all seperate articles if you click on them.

You are certainly NOT allowed use Wikipedia as it can be edited by everyone and anyone...if you give a link from wiki as a source you would lose a lot of marks...

TerrorFirmer

mars bar wrote:

You are certainly NOT allowed use Wikipedia as it can be edited by everyone and anyone...if you give a link from wiki as a source you would lose a lot of marks...

I never said to use it as a link, but as a basis for research. Anyway, Wikipedia is nearly always accurate, and you can spot inconsistencies easily if you're researching properly and not just using Wikipedia as a sole source.

Also, do you have to have a bibliography for your special topic or something? Because I only did my leaving a few years ago and it was a preprepared essay, nothing more. Certainly no references or bibliography. Just a question I answered in there. And I got an A in my leaving, so it's not like I did anything wrong. So I'm confused by all of this outline, reviews, sources talk.

Papillon87

HavoK wrote:

Also, do you have to have a bibliography for your special topic or something? Because I only did my leaving a few years ago and it was a preprepared essay, nothing more. Certainly no references or bibliography. Just a question I answered in there. And I got an A in my leaving, so it's not like I did anything wrong. So I'm confused by all of this outline, reviews, sources talk.

Hi Havok
I did my Leaving in 2006, the first year of the new History examination. You now do your research essay beforehand and submit it in April of the exam year, the exam is a little shorter and you do 3 essays and a mandatory document question in the exam itself. You have to have a fairly detailed bibliography, links to websites you accessed with times etc, along with all the outline plan, sources and review malarkey

TerrorFirmer

Ah right, that explains it. Makes it alot easier for the newer students so.:)

Michaelrsh

Hey all,

I was thinking of doing a project on The War of 1812 (a war between the USA and britain - thought it might be interesting), mainly focusing on it's outcome. I was wondering if it was a smart idea to do a project on something outside Europe and as old as 1812.

Other than that I was thinking of doing the project on the origins of Nazism, and it's links with Asian theology.

Aisling(",)

mine is the reasons for the high death toll on the allies side in the battle of the somme.

ive to have a first draft done by september and havent started oops!

Kane-N-Nite

Its time to bring the hammer down on History projects.....

ateam

Michaelrsh wrote: »

Hey all,

I was thinking of doing a project on The War of 1812 (a war between the USA and britain - thought it might be interesting), mainly focusing on it's outcome. I was wondering if it was a smart idea to do a project on something outside Europe and as old as 1812.

Other than that I was thinking of doing the project on the origins of Nazism, and it's links with Asian theology.

The War of 1812 is correctly known as the Anglo-American War of 1812 because the War of 1812 implies that it was the only war that year, which it wasn't. It's just American bias calling it the War of 1812.

degausserxo

I'm doing affirmative action under Nixon and how it created the black middle class.

PrivateEye

**Start on it this summer.

My history teacher left ours FAR too long. I was long finished but, and just got to chillax. I'm mad into Irish history so it was no work at all tbh.

I did it on Anti Fascism within Irish Republicanism, 1930-45, focusing on a particular organisation and working around them.


As Gaeilge and all. Do a rough one in one of the booklets they give you to fill out, see how it goes space-wise.

Is it true the marks are very easy to get on these projects?

Fuascailt

I think the average was about 90 per cent last year. I loved my project. It was called Surviving GUBU:Charles Haughey 1982-83. It was soo interesting. We had our extended essay done for summer tests fifth year, and did the rest before Christmas. Do people actually do things like the outline plan first? Or does everyone just do the essay first?

leprehaungirl

Hey everyone,
I was thinking of doing something to do with Micheal Hogan (tipp goalkeeper who was shot in croker on bloody sunday)..i have some good sources (my mams from where hes from and i have book written by the locals which includes stories about bloody sunday)bassially looking at that aspect of bloody sunday....


Alterantively i wa thinking about JKF...His assanation and his links/history with irleand...im not realy sure on the aspect yet..

anyways advice would be appriacated!
thanks

PrivateEye

Hogan would be a good one I think,there's some good material on bloody sunday in the GAA Museums Archives I'm sure they'd be willing to help you out with. Friend of mine did a similar project this year, was delighted with it too.

I orginally did mine on 'Women in the Easter Rebellion' , but for some reason just had a change of heart-even though it was 70 or 80% done...that can happen too. Go with what interests you most and the marks will come easy peasy from there.

pvt.joker

How about Michael Collins' squad ?!

I think 50% of people do it on this.

PrivateEye

So many people in my class did it on Mick Collins related things we had to watch the film in class, which I've always hated.

Feckin' freestaters :pac:

quoteunquote

I never understood why people chose to do Irish history. Bleugh....I hated it

I did Scientific and Medical Experiementation at Nazi Concentration Camps .Maybe you'd like something along that line??? If you can stand looking at the pictures in the articles.

TheScript

I did mine on the Kilmichael Ambush first time around...still have it if anybody wants it. Got a B2 last year in history,btw!

When I repeated I did it on The Squad

You guys are starting early I didnt do mine til after easter last year, no rush guys, they remain in the school, despite teachers saying that you have to send them into the dept. for a certain date!

PrivateEye

TheScript, nice one!
Tom Barry is an interesting character alright, I had half a mind to do Kilmichael this year myself :pac: Either that or Crossbarry. My next door neighbour knew Tom well, his book (Guerilla Days...) is a fantastic read.


Dont start now like folks, but have a good idea what you want to do...and maybe reada book (even a few chapters of a book if thats all it'll take) ordo some basic research to ease the workload.

PurpleFistMixer

quoteunquote wrote: »

I never understood why people chose to do Irish history. Bleugh....I hated it

I did Scientific and Medical Experiementation at Nazi Concentration Camps .Maybe you'd like something along that line??? If you can stand looking at the pictures in the articles.

I tell you I'd pick Irish history any day over anything to do with concentration camps. Fascinating in a morbid way, yes, but that stuff leaves me feeling like curling into a ball and hoping the human race gets obliterated by a meteor.

Twee.

I think local or family history is a lovely idea, less chance of the examiner correcting something similar! Starting early is great, we did the bulk of the writing during the orals which wasn't exactly desirable.
I began with the Spanish Civil War and after some initial research and info from my brother I narrowed it down to the attack on Guernica, North Spain in 1937 by the Luftwaffe's Condor Legion.

TheScript

Private Eye- Did you do the LC last year or are you doing this year?
You can have my Kilmichael Ambush one if ya want, thats if you're doing the leaving this year.

Yeh i totally agree with you, only a few chapters to be read from your sources. Im only finishing up reading the books which i bought as my sources now. I sat down on a sunday afternoon read about five or six chapter from different books and then wrote my extended essay. This was first time around(06-07), when I did the lc and I got a B2,I did the report at like easter and if you're intersested in your topic you should enjoy writing about it and it shouldn't take too long.

TIP:
Make sure the extended essay reads well and sticks somewhat to the point. A essay that reads well is crucial. Also have a strong opening paragaph and a closing one too. After all the examiners might not even read the bloody thing, they mite have a glance at your opening and closing paragraphs!

phasers

quoteunquote wrote: »

I never understood why people chose to do Irish history. Bleugh....I hated it

I did Scientific and Medical Experiementation at Nazi Concentration Camps .Maybe you'd like something along that line??? If you can stand looking at the pictures in the articles.

That sounds really interesting, was it easy enough to find information on this?

PrivateEye

Private Eye- Did you do the LC last year or are you doing this year?
You can have my Kilmichael Ambush one if ya want, thats if you're doing the leaving this year.

This year (edit, as in 'results on weds' this year!)
Appreciate the offer but, thanks a million.

I was dead-set on Irish history, but with a foreign twist. So by doing anti-fascism within Republicanism within a set timeline, I pulled in the lads in Spain, Saor Éire and stuff up that street. Like you said, if you're interested in what you're writing about...it's no hassle at all!

Duffman K

Seán Mac wrote: »

I did it on Irish Slavery in Barbados and their eventual Emancipation through the work of William Wilberforce. It's actually a hot topic now, there is a movie about it out this year.

I know its a longshot as this thread is fairly old but I'm doing Irish Slavery in the Caribbean and in need of another 2 sources (1 internet). Can you remember any good books/sites for sources on this?

would be appreciated.

QueenOfLeon

Duffman K wrote: »

I know its a longshot as this thread is fairly old but I'm doing Irish Slavery in the Caribbean and in need of another 2 sources (1 internet). Can you remember any good books/sites for sources on this?

would be appreciated.

Might be better to send them a PM, the chances of them checking on a thread this old are quite small!

randylonghorn

QueenOfLeon wrote: »

Might be better to send them a PM, the chances of them checking on a thread this old are quite small!

Even at that ...

Seán Mac Last Activity: 05-12-2009