History Special Topic

The Gopher

Right I need help.I ought to get my topic draft in for tommorow as the number of lazy dudes who havent done it has now dwindled down to five,and if I dont hurry up I could be in some serious sh1t.
Anyway,what should I do it on?Looking at the archives I see events in history can be done,but I thought the teacher said we could only write about people in history.TBH Im pissed off with her.I was out the day she gave out sheets with details on what we ought to be doing for the topic.Evereytime I ask for it she says she will have it next day but she has now taken to ignoring my question,which seems to me like she is stalling because she lost her original sheet.This is really pissing me off(and it leads me again to think what kind of people are allowed to become teachers these days.I have 3 teachers,all fairly young,who have difficulty reading quite a number of average sized common words.And they all teach English!But anyway rant over)
So if I dont hurry up Im screwed.
But every event/person I have mentioned as possibilities I have been told it is covered in too much detail already.So what/who should I do?Thanks

Shane

Why not ask someone who has this sheet?!? Anyways, these should be of use to you, now get a move on!

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=52092

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=63722

Did ye not have to do it for your mocks?

PHB

I always wanted to go back to the Mussolini escape apparently

EL_Diablo

You can do any topic for your special study topic. It does not have to be a person. The way it was explained to us was basically: Obviously you couldn't do someone like Hitler because he is covered so much, so pick an event or topic about him that there is not much reference to in the book. Eg. The Hitler assassination plot.
Or you could do it about an event that is not covered in great detail. Eg. the battle of El alamein.
You can also do it about a thing. Eg. The Maginot line or the Dreadnought.
Remember to make it interesting and different cos the examiner would get bored correcting the same thing over and over and could skip through yours more than if it was something no one else had written about.
And lastly you don't HAVE to do a special study topic. If you can't do one or just don't want to, you get an option, you can write on your topic or just write one of the other essays they give you a choice of.

Could all be a load of bull but that is basically the advice we got.

PHB

Jesus christ do the special topic.
Its like walking into the history exam with 20%
If you do the topic its almost impossible to fail!!!!

Some suggestions would be

• Mussolini's jailbreak in 1943 by the Nazi's
• Dillions anti-neutrality during the emergency
• How Swizterland maintained their neutrality
• Luxemburg and wtf it did?
• Invention of radar
• Bombings in ireland during the emergency
• If your an anti-disestablishmentarian then perhaps a project on the churches neutrality during WW2?

Theres endless topics to choose from, but make sure its significant someway in history not just totally useless!

Squall

Go for something your interested in. I was gonna do the tiger tank first but then my teacher mentioned something about IBM punch card machines that were used by the nazis and i thought hmm this sounds interesting. It turns out it was. Im interested in computers and generally anything to do with WW2 so it was ideal. Got it finished now and its the job, big weight off me mind.

Anyway, my advice find something u like itll make it a hell of alot easier

Kappar

I am trying to do something around the constitution but i can't narrow what i want down.

I was thinking of comparing and contrasting the 1922 with '37 or something like that.

Anyone like to comment or suggest?

pyure

pick something small and relatively unknown, that way if you screw up statistics or facts in the exam chances are the person marking it wil give u the benefit of doubt.

i did op. market garden from ww2, just coz i was playing close combat 2 at the time but it was really interesting and pretty easy

PHB

I wouldnt suggest that Kapper.
If you do a question on dev or cosgrove then you hae to leave out the constitution which is a whole paragraph.
Pick something incredibly unknown so its actually interesting for the person to read!
Mussolinis Jail Break, then post it up here so i can learn about it

If you're intereested in constitutions perhaps a comparision between German, French, English[or lackof], Russian or something. That would be cool and original.

Or maybe do something on the life of the writer!

streaker345

PHB wrote: »

Jesus christ do the special topic.
Its like walking into the history exam with 20%
If you do the topic its almost impossible to fail!!!!

Some suggestions would be

• Mussolini's jailbreak in 1943 by the Nazi's
• Dillions anti-neutrality during the emergency
• How Swizterland maintained their neutrality
• Luxemburg and wtf it did?
• Invention of radar
• Bombings in ireland during the emergency
• If your an anti-disestablishmentarian then perhaps a project on the churches neutrality during WW2?

Theres endless topics to choose from, but make sure its significant someway in history not just totally useless!

Im afraid i am in the same boat as the Gopher rearding the special reasearch topic.:(

But PHB what sources would you reccommend for the topc choice:Mussolini's jailbreak in 1943 by the Nazi's ??

I have just realised now I am really in trouble now.............wb

Nikkio237

Jeez, December's a bit late to be starting about the History study, most of our class started considering back during 5th year and changed our minds about 5 times!! Get on it now, sources are freaking hard to come by!! At this point you're probably best off to do a fairly well known, possibly Irish or WW2 topic. Easier to get sources, you need 3 for Higher level and you really don't want to be getting them all online. If you have to order them in, they'll take another while.

lilmissprincess

I'm wopndering whether I'd be able to do mine on The Moors Murders.......would that be accepted?

Nikkio237

Kind of creepy, maybe, but if you're serious about it, the best bet is to ask your teacher. You might want to focus on a particular part of it, one of the victims, or the court case, maybe? I don't think that anything's unacceptable, as long as it's in the timezone and of historical significance.

Crania

I really think my Special Study is too broad. I'm doing it on 'Alexander Dubcek and the Prague Spring, August 20-21, 1968'. My teacher thinks its fine but to be honest I wouldn't trust that man as far as I could throw him! I think that I should have done it on the Reaction of the Czech People to the Prague Spring or the Aftermath of the Prague Spring, or something along the lines of that. It's probably the thing I'm most worried about in the whole Leaving Cert. I have it practically done now and while the teacher thinks its A standard, I really don't think its narrow enough of a title.

What do others think?

Nikkio237

I'd say it's ok, you know. Obviously without reading it I couldn't say anything, though. Just focus on his involvement with it and how it affected him afterwards, I suppose. I'm doing the Kent State Massacre, May 4, 1970. And I'm not even focusing on one person! Don't make me feel worried about mine, now!!:p

Crania

Well to be honest I don't really have that much emphasis on your man Dubcek either. The teacher just told me to mention him in the essay title, lol. Basically my essay is Reasons for the Prague Spring(talk a good bit about Dubcek here), then the actual Invasion itself with very little about Dubcek and then the Aftermath which again had very little discussion about Dubcek himself. So I'm basically talking about the entire Prague Spring which spans about 6 months. I just really think it's too broad.

God, I dont wan't to be making you feel bad!

Nikkio237

It's fine, don't worry about me!! But maybe you should change your title if it's not really focusing on Dubcek, it does seem a little broad. What do you have the most interest in? The reasons or the effects? What do your sources relate to?

Crania

Yeah, maybe I should change the title.

My sources are a book called 'Prague Spring and the Aftermath', another source is a chapter from a book just detailing the start of the Prague Spring and then another one of my sources is a website just giving a general overview of the Prague Spring. I don't even know if they're adequate or what, our teacher doesn't even seem to know what's going on. Do you have to mention the sources in the study or what, like quotation and stuff?

This feckin' Special Study is driving me crazy!

Nikkio237

I know what you mean, though personally my Construction project's far worse than my history right now. You don't have to quote, a lot of people do. And referencing other sources rather than your three main ones is a good idea too. I'd say go for the Aftermath, but I'd be really hesitant in telling you to change it completely. Is there another LC history class? Could you ask their teacher to have a look for you? What do other people in your class think you should do?

bUILDERtHEbOB

I finally started mine today, I'm doing it on Liam Mellows, but I have a feeling I could go a good bit over the word count, any advice?:)

Nikkio237

Wow, you're fairly late starting as well, aren't you? Don't worry about the word count on your first draft, get the info down first! You can cut it down later, when you need too. Try and plan out what you're going to write, paragraphs-wise.

Mars Bar

I'm starting a new one this weekend...

Killaqueen!!!

I've got waaay too many ideas for a special topic. I'm only in 5th year but I'm probably going to be the same in 6th year. The problem is I've got so many areas I'm interested in but I can't break it down into a precise title.

Don't know much about special topics cos our teacher hasn't said anything. But I would imagine it's fairly easy to get close to 20% before walking into the exam which is good. I would agree picking something you're interested in, and something different, but also something which you have plenty of information on.

There's some weird topics I could research but I don't think I'd be able to write enough on them. So look out for history programs on TV - like the Hidden History programs. For example, there's one on Michael Collins. That's one source. Tim Pat Coogan - excellent historian - wrote a book on Michael Collins. That's two sources already. And that's without looking on the internet or in the library. It may not be the most unique topic but it's interesting and can be well researched.

Kmf

I'm in fifth year..thinking of doing mine on Oscar Wildes trial?
you have to have three sources?does the internet count?if it does then what websites would you recommend?...:)