Write a research Essay on Reagan’s relationship with Soviet leadership on Star Wars,For this option, you will investigate and analyze the topic of President Reagan, Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), and how it won the Cold War. Writing is not easy; it requires thinking, reading, lots of drafts, and time. To help, know that there are multiple steps to writing a strong paper; it is very difficult to write an A+ paper in two hours.
First, you will think about the main topic – President Reagan, SDI, and the end of the Cold War.
Second, you must think about how you will narrow your argument further so that you can write a strong argumentative essay. This could be a particular event, process or person. You may wish to focus on
Reagan’s relationship with Soviet leadership on Star Wars
Third, this argument will transform into your thesis statement, which is the most important sentence of your entire paper.
Hint: If your topic is too broad, the result will be a summary paper.
Note: A thesis statement is not a “road map” of the paper. Please read “Writing a Thesis and Making an Argument”. Rael’s explanation is very good and this should help you a lot, especially if this is your first history class.
Lastly, each paragraph that you write must be logical and purposeful. Organization is key – another Rael webpage.
Create your own Word document (which must be converted to a pdf file before submission), or use the attached template (below), to write a 1500-2000 word argumentative research essay on your chosen theme, event, or person.
You must use the sources provided below or materials provided. If you use “outside the course” sources, you will automatically fail this assignment. If you do not have any citations (footnotes/endnotes) in your paper, you will automatically fail this assignment.
Primary sources:
Ronald Reagan, “Star Wars Address” 1983.
Ronald Reagan, “Evil Empire,” June 8, 1982.
Various sources from this website. Scroll down to “The Second Cold War” and “The end of the Cold War”.
Ronald Reagan’s Star War Address (this is the same as #1)
Secondary sources (in no particular order):
Atomic Heritage Foundation. “Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)”
Boyer, Paul. “Selling Star Wars”. Attached below
Fischer, Beth. “The SDI: Ending the MADness”. Attached below.
Kavka, Gregory. “Space War Ethics”. Attached below.
Podvig, Pavel. “Did Star Wars Help End the Cold War?” Attached below.
Rowland and Jones. “Reagan’s Strategy for the Cold War and the Evil Empire Address” Attached below.
Crash Course, “The Reagan Revolution”
Evaluation Criteria
Your analysis will be evaluated based on the following criteria. The analysis:
is within a 10% range of 1500-2000 words,
is free of any errors in spelling and grammar,
is well organized, concise, precise and flows logically from one point to the next,
is your own work and is written in your own words,
provides properly-formatted Chicago Style citations for any quoted or paraphrased material,
makes direct, specific references to at least three primary sources,
makes direct, specific references to at least three secondary sources,
contains a clear, concise and precise introductory paragraph with an argumentative thesis statement,
makes inferences which are well-supported by clear and precise use of evidence from primary sources,
clearly identifies arguments or interpretations presented in secondary sources,
clear analytical argument on a particular theme, event or person found in the American colonial witch hunts
draws on specific, relevant details from the assigned reading.
* I CANT USE ANY OTHER SOURCES, BESIDES THE ONES PROVIDED, NO OUTSIDE INFORMATION SHOULD BE USED*
Last Completed Projects
| topic title | academic level | Writer | delivered |
|---|