Trial Reflection

1. Trial Reflection • What do you think you did well during the trial and preparation? What do you think you could have improved? • Researching • Speech writing and rehearsal • Speech delivery • Giving more evidence during rebuttals • Any suggestions for improving the trial format? • In the 1800s Europeans were racist and social darwinist. They thought of the Africans and Asians as fairly pitiful. Keeping that in mind, do you think that the Europeans were committing an immoral act (according to the morals of the 1800s) when they imperialized other countries?

2. Outlining An Essay

3. Why are we learning how to outline an essay? • What will I be expected to do?

4. Step 1: Thesis Statement Teacher gives you an essay question… Example: Were the Americans, French and British committing an immoral act (according to the morals of the 1800s) when they imperialized other countries? • Your thesis statement should answer the essay question.

5. 3-Part Thesis Statements • Your thesis should be very specific and it should make several mini-arguments. • Is thesis statement A or B better? Essay Question: How did technology developed during World War One affect the lives of the ordinary citizen after the war? A The technologies developed during World War One made a substantial impact on the lives of ordinary citizens. B World War One technology made the biggest impact on ordinary citizens in the areas of transportation and entertainment with the development of air travel, less expensive cars and radio networks. Generally your thesis will have three parts that give three mini-arguments.

6. If you’re stuck… Often history thesis statements follow one of the following skeletons: The biggest effects of _____________ were _______, __________, and ___________. _______________ was primarily caused by _______, ____________, and _________. (Of course you should aim for a more interesting thesis statement.)

7. Can we use “I” in our thesis or essay? • No! • Which argument is more convincing? • I think the biggest reasons the Germans lost WWI were… • The primary reasons the Germans lost WWI were… • Your argument is more powerful and your paper is more professional if you don’t use “I”.

8. Develop your thesis • Essay Question: Were the Americans, French and British committing an immoral act (according to the morals of the 1800s) when they imperialized other countries? • Don’t forget to make a main argument supported by three reasons.

9. Topic Sentences Topic Sentence=1st sentence in each body paragraph. Topic Sentences should: • expand on a mini-argument from your thesis • answer your research question Once you’ve written your topic sentence, the big test is to read the essay question and then read your topic sentence to see if it answers the research question.

10. Topic Sentence Example Research Question: How did technology developed during World War One affect the lives of the ordinary citizen after the war? Thesis Statement: World War One technology made the biggest impact on ordinary citizens in the areas of transportation and entertainment with the development of air travel, less expensive cars and radio networks. Topic Sentence #1: The radio, which was used solely by military officers during WWI, was bought and used by most ordinary American citizens for entertainment after the war.

11. ADDING TOPIC SENTENCES • Turn each of the three reasons in your thesis into a different topic sentence. • Three topic sentences (one to begin each paragraph) • Topic sentence should directly answer the research question.

12. Adding Evidence Topic Sentence #1: The radio, which was used solely by military officers during WWI, was bought and used by most ordinary American citizens for entertainment after the war. • Radio invented in 1895—Marconi credited but different aspects developed by different inventors • Used by US Navy first then various armies • “Pack Set” & “Wagon Set” • Warned trench soldiers of gas attacks, used by Germans to guide planes to bombing targets • 1920 Radio concert was first major international broadcast • Lots of small local networks developed mostly focusing on music…attempts to broadcast US President were made • Corporations like General Electric & Westinghouse developed networks by 1921 • By 1922, over 500 broadcast stations around America

13. Adding Evidence Is it better to find evidence that answers the essay question and then analyze the evidence in order to create your thesis or is it better to first create your thesis and then find evidence to fit it? • Normally you would never write a thesis and topic sentences and then find evidence to fit it. You always begin by analyzing your evidence to create your arguments. • But…find evidence to fit your topic sentence arguments. Bullet

14. Introduction: Historical Context • Context is not a summary of the arguments you will make • Context is the Big Picture • Assuming your reader is a fifth grader, what background info does your reader need to know to understand this topic? • What major historical events that came before this topic had a big impact on it? • How did people view the world differently back then? How were their beliefs and morals different from ours? • What historical context does your essay reader need?

15. Introductions: Historical Context • Future Historian: • Did the development of social networking sites increase communication and friendship among teenagers living in different countries? What historical context would they write in their essay introduction? • Another Historian: • Was keeping slaves considered immoral in Europe in the 1850s? Historical context?

16. Introduction • Hook • Historical Context • Thesis

17. Introduction Example Inevitably we use our beliefs and life experiences to understand and judge the decisions of leaders throughout history. By doing this, though, don’t we misunderstand history? For instance, in our ethnocentric view, it is easy to judge imperialism as immoral. However the morals of the 1800s were different from our own. Europeans believed in Social Darwinism where it was “natural” for fit societies to conquer and destroy unfit societies. Europeans thus felt it was an act of kindness to rescue Africa from their unfitness by imperializing them rather than just leaving them to be destroyed. Europeans also believed in the White Man’s Burden—that the white man had a duty to Christianize and educate their “stupid” brown brothers. In this context, nineteenth century imperialism was morally justified because the Europeans’ belief in Social Darwinism made them want to take colonies in order to convert the natives and carry out the White Man’s Burden.

18. Conclusion • Thesis (Repeat in different words) • Big Ideas (Why does this topic matter? What were the long term effects?)

19. Conclusion Example In conclusion, imperialism was morally justified in the 1800s because the Europeans believed in Social Darwinism, the White Man’s Burden and Christianity. In the 1900s, some Europeans began to realize that they were hurting rather than helping their colonies and those people spoke out against imperialism. Today most people believe that imperialism was morally wrong. It is important to remember that some of our morals and beliefs change over time and what we see as wrong was once viewed as right. To really understand history, we must put ourselves in the shoes and mindset of the people we are studying.