Cultural and Ethnic Studies
Topic Exploration Worksheet
Part 1
Select a research topic area for Project 1 based on which of the following areas interests you the most. You will explore the selected topic a little later in this theme. Mark your selection in the right-hand column.
| Topic | Selection |
| Drafting of the U.S. Constitution | |
| Mao Zedong’s Rule Over China | |
| South African Apartheid | |
| Choose Your Own Topic (insert pre-approved topic here) |
| In the space below, replace the bracketed text with a short paragraph about what you already knew prior to this course about the topic you selected, based on your personal history or experiences. This may include assumptions, beliefs, or values related to the topic. Be as detailed as possible. |
| [Insert text.] |
Part 2
Now that you have identified your topic and described what you already know about the topic, what questions do you still have about the topic? Replace the bracketed text with your answers.
| Question | Response |
| Identify one question about the topic that you are curious about. | [Insert text.] |
| Describe why this question matters to you personally. | [Insert text.] |
| Describe why this question matters to society. | [Insert text.] |
| Identify a second question about the topic you are curious about. | [Insert text.] |
| Describe why this question matters to you personally. | [Insert text.] |
| Describe why this question matters to society. | [Insert text.] |
Part 3
You are now ready to complete the final part of your Topic Exploration Worksheet. You have chosen a topic, posed some research questions, and are ready to start thinking about what kind of sources you will need to investigate your research questions further. Using the library guide in the Shapiro Library provided for your chosen topic, skim through the suggested resources (or find your own) and replace the bracketed text with relevant information about your research questions.
| Question | Response |
| Which secondary sources would be helpful for investigating your first research question?
(Include the title and author of the sources.) |
[Insert text.] |
| Which primary sources would be helpful for investigating your first research question?
(Include the title and author of the sources.) |
[Insert text.] |
| Which secondary sources would be helpful for investigating your second research question?
(Include the title and author of the sources.) |
[Insert text.] |
| Which primary sources would be helpful for investigating your second research question?
(Include the title and author of the sources.) |
[Insert text.] |
| Now that you have gone through the research, what have you learned about your topic in one to two paragraphs? | [Insert text.] |
