His Ext Major Work - 2013 (2 Viewers)

[cem]

That is correct - the project is marked internally and the BOS set that the entire project, from proposal onwards is 80% of the assessment mark.

The final exam is on the historians and the case study and not your major work - although there is no reason why you can't use the historians you used in your major work in the first question of the final exam.

 

[hippiemansam]

Like the OP, I've been inspired by Assassins Creed a bit.

I'm looking into Early American History just after the Revolution, notably the relationship between Thomas Jefferson (3rd president) and his relationship with the slave Sally Hemmings.

SHOULD BE GOOD FUN

 

[Ricktatorship]

I'm doing the Nanking massacre, and I have 3 historians with contrasting views etc, so all g.
What are you guys hoping to achieve these holidays? I'm thinking I will just make notes on how my historians view the issues I've decided on.

 

[suprwoman101]

I'm doing Jack the Ripper =D

There is so much debate on these topics, and I want to focus my question on the historiography of the actual killer, and the debate surrounding who he (or even she) is, evaluating the numerous amounts of differing opinions from different historians.

I'm using Rumbelow, Philip Sugden, Robert House and Patricia Cornwall. (Patricia Cornwall's book has been discredited, ridiculed etc, but I'm using it as an example as to how "historians" of the subject can get it horribly wrong... Just before anyone tells me it's a horrible source)... And there is a new TV show coming out this month called "Ripper Street" which I will see if I can weasel in...

In terms of what I want to get done - hopefully finish reading most of Sugden, start Rumblelow... Still waiting for Cornwall's and House's books to arrive from fishpond... And waiting on Ripper Street to premiere.

Some interesting topics - can't wait to read some of these essays!

 

[hope14]

Our class did Jack the Ripper as a group prelim historical investigation and it was soooo interesting.

When you are done, I'd love to know who you decide is the most likely suspect to see if our conclusion was the same. Our class' investigation didn't go into as much detail but I'd still love to know.

I'm doing Jack the Ripper =D

There is so much debate on these topics, and I want to focus my question on the historiography of the actual killer, and the debate surrounding who he (or even she) is, evaluating the numerous amounts of differing opinions from different historians.

I'm using Rumbelow, Philip Sugden, Robert House and Patricia Cornwall. (Patricia Cornwall's book has been discredited, ridiculed etc, but I'm using it as an example as to how "historians" of the subject can get it horribly wrong... Just before anyone tells me it's a horrible source)... And there is a new TV show coming out this month called "Ripper Street" which I will see if I can weasel in...

In terms of what I want to get done - hopefully finish reading most of Sugden, start Rumblelow... Still waiting for Cornwall's and House's books to arrive from fishpond... And waiting on Ripper Street to premiere.

Some interesting topics - can't wait to read some of these essays!

 

[Mrkingofstuff]

Doing something to do with US Foreign Policy ie. The concept of Pax Americana. Something like interventionism vs imperialism. Need to work out what to cover in 2500 words.

 

[Lafayette]

I'm doing an historiographical debate on Benedict Arnold.

 

[History 101]

Wait can someone clarify someone for me out of curiosity:

1. The major work is marked completely internally? So the actual mark you get mean stuff all because they are all moderated according to performance in the final exam, ranks etc.
2. Is the final exam related at all to your major work?

The major work is marked internally - so your internal mark is calculated by:
Assessment on What is History? (~5%) + PIP (~85%) + Assessment on your personality (~5%) + Trials (~5%)
Of course this is give or take according to what your school does.

In the final exam you will be required to write two essays which are both worth 25 marks. The first essay being What Is History? and the second on your personality (i.e. Queen Elizabeth I, JFK, Renaissance). Both essays will need to attack the source which is provided during the exam.

HSC Exam is worth 50% and the Internals are worth 50%.

Hope this cleared things up!

 

[sinawi]

Guys this is my alter-ego ^

She's the evil twin. Modern is blasphemous. 97 in Ancient all the way.

 

[brooklynmoore]

Im doing the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki too! But I'm focusing on the changing attitudes towards nuclear culture.

My proposal is due in a week and I'm freaking out! Does anyone have any suggestions on what I could do for a question/s?
Im struggling to find a way to link it to one or more of the four historical questions.

 

[History 101]

Im doing the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki too! But I'm focusing on the changing attitudes towards nuclear culture.

My proposal is due in a week and I'm freaking out! Does anyone have any suggestions on what I could do for a question/s?
Im struggling to find a way to link it to one or more of the four historical questions.

In your proposal write down briefly the background history on the bombings so your teacher is well aware of your topic. Then veer towards the changing attitudes towards nuclear culture. Use different events that focus on the differing nature of nuclear weapons, such as how it all began through the Manhattan Project, down to how it ultimately led to the cold war where attitudes towards nuclear weapons were contradicting (this led to the Soviet Union atomic bomb program) and even the Chernobyl disaster which changed almost everybody's perspective on nuclear warfare and weapons. I would mainly focus on three life events - however within these three events you must find contradictions between historians --> use this to feed in your What is History? knowledge. This allows your essay to hit the more complex level rather than Modern History level. You need to be able to voice your views on What is History through the contradictions - such as "... because Historian A and Historian B have differing views about nuclear warfare, this challenges the orthodox view of history, that is, history is biased..." -- something along the lines of that. After that you name some sources you have come across in your research so far and how you intend on further carrying out your research (going to the library, going through newspaper archives....)

Hope that helps.
Just letting you know in advance, teachers do not expect too much from their students in the proposals, this is because your teachers are well aware that you are just beginning to form your own judgement on the topic What is History?

 

[erineliza19]

For my major project I am doing "Who is to blame for the medical experiments the victims of the holocaust incurred?" such as whether the doctors were acting upon freewill, if they were peer pressured, if it was a stated thing by the government or if it was the free peoples doing, something along those lines

 

[will90211]

^ Which historians have you got in mind?

 

[Jayden22]

I'm split between, Che guevarra or the Manhattan Project.

The Medici seems interesting, but my only knowledge of them is Assassin's Creed :L

With Che might be looking at his portrayal through the media or the legacy he has left behind through his work.

With the Manhattan Project I might be looking at what opinions of the Project were at the time and how those opinions have changed.

Help? I really have no idea what to pick, I like them both.

 

[nwolfers]

I was thinking of looking at how events in history have impacted literature/how literature is a reflection of history, more specifically I was going to focus in on the Civil Rights Movement and the portrayal of African American's in literature, but my teacher didn't really like the idea.. suggestions?

 

[will90211]

Hiya Jayden. Really, to do the major work you need little knowledge of your topic (though it does help...!). All you are doing is analysing the historians views (usually you pick two solid ones) and seeing how they are divergent from each other and why. If you did a topic like mine, Sonderweg than it would be good to include a small para at the start of your essay explaining the meaning and origin (or you can do it in the footnotes). Other than that, the only content you should include is a description/short biography on the historians life. The rest should and will be done form you reading their work. I'd go with the Manhattan project (although on second though the actual dropping of the bombs would be easier).

P.S If you really like your military history a really fun topic would be wether it was plausible/humane to land on mainland Japan to stop the war. I gurantee you if you do that topic you would get some outstanding historians.

 

[will90211]

I was thinking of looking at how events in history have impacted literature/how literature is a reflection of history, more specifically I was going to focus in on the Civil Rights Movement and the portrayal of African American's in literature, but my teacher didn't really like the idea.. suggestions?

Hey there.

If you can find historians who deal with that, go ahead, but I think it's a very narrow topic (good in some cases, but there may not be two clear, separate debates). Maybe look at the impact of MLK on the rights movement, i'm sure it would be interesting reading.

What historians are you thinking of doing?

 

[Mrkingofstuff]

Would I be able to do US Intervention in Iraq, 2003 or is there some arbitrary limit on how recent a topic can be? Resources aren't an issue.

 

[will90211]

That would be a VERY nice topic. I would imagine you'd have clear groups of historians on that topic split between the old world american conservative protectorates and the non interventions. However, if you do decide to take on that topic i'll warn you (with all due respect) that the actual reading will be very hard as there is a lot of nuance in the debate. For example you could get a Clinton-esq approach...

Time is no issue. This is a really great topic which can be done on a global scale, an american scale an aussie scale.. its endless.
This is nice: http://www.bookworld.com.au/book/the-unwinnable-war-australia-in-afghanistan/24922261/ (It's done by Karen Middleton - SBS Chief Pol correspondent)

Happy Hunting!

 

[nwolfers]

Hey there.

If you can find historians who deal with that, go ahead, but I think it's a very narrow topic (good in some cases, but there may not be two clear, separate debates). Maybe look at the impact of MLK on the rights movement, i'm sure it would be interesting reading.

What historians are you thinking of doing?

Aren't we not allowed to do the impact of MLK on civil rights because that's studied in the prelim?
Stressing have the proposal due friday and have literally nothing, I'm too indecisive.