Step 4: Construct
In this step, you'll begin to understand how your information fits together. You will use it to form opinions and draw conclusions about your topic. Begin to think about main ideas that have emerged. You'll use those for one of the most complicated parts of the research process: developing a thesis statement and supporting arguments.
Argument and Thesis Development
Before you can present your project, you need to determine what argument you are going to make. Two people researching the same topic might choose to make completely opposite arguments. That's completely OK as long as you both can back up your argument with facts from your research.
What is a Thesis Statement?
To develop your thesis statement, take your Big Research Question from the Wonder stage and begin to answer it using your analysis of the research you've completed. You can add to or narrow down your thesis statement as you continue to focus your argument.
Example:
Step 1 - Topic: Child Labor Laws
Step 2 - Big Research Question: What brought about the end of child labor in Chicago and the U.S.?
Step 3 - Research Discoveries of Interest:
Now that you have a thesis, you will need to organize the information you have to support that argument. There are a few different ways to do this. Select from the following options based on your preference and what your teacher expects.
Before you can present your project, you need to determine what argument you are going to make. Two people researching the same topic might choose to make completely opposite arguments. That's completely OK as long as you both can back up your argument with facts from your research.
What is a Thesis Statement?
- States the purpose of your project (position you’re trying to prove)
- Makes an argument
- Requires research
- Involves analysis of facts
- Usually 1-2 sentences
To develop your thesis statement, take your Big Research Question from the Wonder stage and begin to answer it using your analysis of the research you've completed. You can add to or narrow down your thesis statement as you continue to focus your argument.
Example:
Step 1 - Topic: Child Labor Laws
Step 2 - Big Research Question: What brought about the end of child labor in Chicago and the U.S.?
Step 3 - Research Discoveries of Interest:
- Employers liked child labor because they were cheap and would do jobs adults couldn’t/wouldn’t
- Reformers thought it was unethical to put kids to work in dangerous situations
- Eventually photographers started showing what the working conditions were like. This made more people care about the issue.
Now that you have a thesis, you will need to organize the information you have to support that argument. There are a few different ways to do this. Select from the following options based on your preference and what your teacher expects.
Organization Option 1: Argument Planner
History Fair provides an Organize Your History Fair Argument worksheet that is a great place to start. Once you "tell me" your thesis, you must be able to "show me" by explaining:
History Fair provides an Organize Your History Fair Argument worksheet that is a great place to start. Once you "tell me" your thesis, you must be able to "show me" by explaining:
- Historical background/context
- Build-up to the change
- What happened (how and why)
- What changed and why
- Long-term effects
- Conclusion about historical significance
Organization Option 2: Outline Your Argument
An outline is another great way to organize a lot of information and will make it much easier for you to express/present that information in the next step. NoodleTools has an outline feature in the Notecards section - this is a great way to use the work you did in Step 3 to help you in Step 4.
Follow these steps, adapted from the Purdue Online Writing Lab, to develop your outline:
An outline is another great way to organize a lot of information and will make it much easier for you to express/present that information in the next step. NoodleTools has an outline feature in the Notecards section - this is a great way to use the work you did in Step 3 to help you in Step 4.
Follow these steps, adapted from the Purdue Online Writing Lab, to develop your outline:
- Think of all the ideas you want to talk about in your project. These should relate to your thesis.
- Group them in a way that makes sense - think about main ideas and the questions or supporting details that go with them.
- Put them in order to answer your question. Background information (What does my audience need to know to understand the time period? Who were the important people or groups?) should come first. More detailed or focused information about your argument should come later.
- Create headings or labels for your different sections and subsections. If you're writing a paper, these labels will be the basis for your topic sentences.
Organization Option 3: Argumentation Plan with Claims
History Fair provides an Argumentation Plan to help you with the organization process. This is the most complex form of organization presented here. It is recommended for more advanced projects that are hoping to compete at the city level. It will get you thinking about the background/context people will need, as well as the claims you plan to make to support your argument. Claims are 1-2 sentence main ideas that support/prove your thesis. They are each supported by 3-5 pieces of evidence from your research. You also should provide analysis to explain why your claim matters. This is what will make someone care about your topic and see its historical relevance.
History Fair provides an Argumentation Plan to help you with the organization process. This is the most complex form of organization presented here. It is recommended for more advanced projects that are hoping to compete at the city level. It will get you thinking about the background/context people will need, as well as the claims you plan to make to support your argument. Claims are 1-2 sentence main ideas that support/prove your thesis. They are each supported by 3-5 pieces of evidence from your research. You also should provide analysis to explain why your claim matters. This is what will make someone care about your topic and see its historical relevance.
