M04 Historical Hack: The Research Process

Optional Enrichment Activity - Complete this optional activity to learn how to pick a research topic and find sources. You will also learn to evaluate sources using the SIFT (Stop, Investigate the source, Find better coverage, Trace claims) and CRAAP (Current, Relevant, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose) methods to differentiate between reliable and unreliable sources of information, as well as create annotated bibliographies to help organize their findings.

Suggested Activities: 

• In Hack Activity #1 on this page Links to an external site., you will practice breaking down a given essay prompt, as well as choosing a research question that is neither too narrow nor too broad. 
• In Hack Activity #2 on this page Links to an external site., you are instructed to locate the Historical database page from your school’s library page. This is a good opportunity for you to explore the databases and the school’s library page more thoroughly, locating any other specific resources you think might benefit from writing a historical essay, and learning how to filter searches and locate peer reviewed sources within databases.
• In Hack Activity #3 at the bottom of this page Links to an external site., you will choose a reformer or activist to write about, addressing the prompt: “Evaluate and analyze the ideas, agenda, strategies, and effectiveness of the work done by a 20th-century American reformer or activist.”
  • First, come up with a research question, find a source, and create an annotated bibliography for that source.
  • Second, create a bibliography for more than one source.
  • Third, include a SIFT or CRAAP evaluation within your bibliography.