Design Document for

767/The Beginning: Constructing the Perfect Introduction for a Historical Research Paper
By Caitlin Carr
Purpose of the Course The majority of high school students have little to no experience writing
historical papers before their Junior U.S. History course, where completing a
research paper is a requirement. The research paper is used to evaluate a
students critical thinking skills, writing ability, and historical
understanding. In past years, U.S. History students have struggled to
express their ideas and arguments within the required structure of a research
paper.
The aim for this project is to improve students ability to write historical
research papers through an increased understanding of how to construct the
introduction of a historical essay. The introduction is the most important
part of a research paper as it presents the papers argument. Students must
be able to write an introduction before they can move on to writing a whole
historical essay.
Audience Description

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U.S. History students

High School Juniors (Age: 16-18)
Gender: Each class is almost evenly divided
Students possess little to no experience writing historical research
papers
The student body has a large ESL population, most with Spanish as
their first language
The student body has middle to lower income backgrounds
Majority of students are motivated to learn the material in order to
get a passing grade, since they must pass U.S. History to graduate
Majority of students are apathetic to the subject of U.S. History and
tend to be disengaged, especially during traditional teacher-centered
lessons

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Major Course
Objectives (Terminal)

Course Enabling
Objectives

RLO Enabling
Objective
Learning Assessment
for Course

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Explain the structure of an introduction

Utilize the different types of hooks

Write an introduction that includes the four components

Explain the structure of an introduction

o Define the four components of an introduction
o Identify the four components correctly when given an
example introduction
o Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the four
components when given an example introduction

Utilize the different types of hooks

o Choose a relevant quote for a given topic
o Choose a relevant statistic for a given topic
o Choose a relevant fact for a given topic
o Create three rhetorical questions for a given topic
o Write a relevant anecdote or story for a given topic
o Justify why a chosen hook is relevant to the given topic

Write an introduction that includes the four components

o Devise a hook to capture the readers attention
o Relate the hook to the background information
o Select relevant background information
o Write a strong thesis
o Write a minimum of three main points that expand on the
thesis
o

Define the four components of an introduction

At the end of this course, learners will be expected to write an introduction

to a historical essay.

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Learning Assessment
for RLO

There will be knowledge check questions and an assessment.

Knowledge check questions:
Match the concept with the definition
Put the components of an introduction in the correct order
Assessment: identify the parts of an introduction in an example introduction

Instructional Delivery The course will be mostly delivered face-to-face with some e-learning
method for Course
elements.
(overall)
Instructional Strategy
for RLO

Media

Activate prior knowledge of essay writing before introducing the

four components of an introduction.

Presentation

Knowledge check questions

Text

Audio

Images but no animations

508 Accommodations

There will be audio on screens with text. There will be high contrast
between the text and the background to make the text easy to read. There
will be an optional general help page with information on navigating the
RLO.

Course Structure
Description

There will be 5 lessons. This module on writing introductions fits in side a

larger unit on writing essays.

Seat Time of Course

5 days/ 45 minutes per day

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Seat Time of RLO

15- 20 minutes

RLO Outline

I. Define the four components of an introduction

1. Hook
a. A hook draws the reader into the essay
b. It is short: one to two sentences
c. The hook reveals the general topic of the paper
d. There are different types of hooks
(1) A quote
(2) A statistic
(3) A fact
(4) A rhetorical question
(5) An anecdote or story
2. Background information
a. Bridges the gap between the hook and the thesis
b. Explains why the hook is relevant to the essay topic
c. Provides important information that the reader must
know in order to understand the argument laid out in the
essay
d. Defines any key terms the reader might not know
3. Thesis
a. The most important component of the introduction and
the essay
b. Presents the essay topic and states a clear position about
the topic in one to two sentences
4. Minimum of three points that expand the thesis and provide
a roadmap for the essay
a. Informs the reader of how the thesis will be defended
(1) Each point supports the position taken in the thesis
b. Gives the reader a general sense of how the paper will
be arranged
(1) The order the points are presented in the
introduction are the order they will appear in the paper

RLO Flowchart

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See Flowchart screen.

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Screens/Pages in RLO 24
Knowledge Checks or
Other Assessments or
Practices for RLO

____Dichotomous (T/F, Y/N, etc.)

__3__Multiple Choice
____Multiple Select
____Drag and Drop
__1__Custom learners will build an introduction. See flowchart.
____Other describe

Rollovers/click events

__1__Rollovers
___10_Click Events

RLO Navigation

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Next/previous button on each screen. No previous button on branching

scenario. Access to main menu/glossary/help page, no matter what screen
you are on.

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Screen Layouts for

RLO

Title Screen Layout

Image

Title

Content screen layout

Image

Title

Content

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Content screen layout

Image

Title

Content text.

Content screen layout

Title
Content

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Development Tools
for RLO

Primary authoring tool: Udutu

Audio tools: GarageBand
Storyboarding tool: PowerPoint

Ownership

Caitlin Carr will develop the initial course and will maintain the course. The
course is being developed for a high school history department.

Development Time of
entire course and
RLO

Two weeks.

Support requirements Possible SME (history teacher) to review course and suggest possible
for RLO and course
improvements.

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