How I chose my topic:
Last year, I researched the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. (http://53345764.nhd.weebly.com/) This Amendment dealt with the issue of slavery. I wanted to do a similar topic this year, so I thought about other human rights issues. A few ideas came to mind, but right away I was sold on researching communism. Theoretically, communism sounds like a great idea. Contrasting the concept of communism and the way it was carried out intrigued me. Communism has been an ongoing debate throughout the world. What has been the benefit of such an oppressive government in China? These ideas and questions made me want to find answers-and so I did.
How I conducted research:
First, I got three helpful books from the school library. These books were the main source from which I received my information. Then, I searched the internet for more information on communism. As I went about my research quest, I put the information I found in a Word document. Next, I looked at YouTube videos pertaining to communism. I found a great video on Former President Richard M. Nixon's visit to China in 1972. While I was doing these things, I was also keeping track of my sources and what information I obtained from each source. After all of this was done, the great picture hunt was started. I searched for pictures primarily on Google that reinforced some of the key points in my research. Finally, I annotated all of the pictures and started creating this website.
How I created my website:
Since I created a website for National History Day last year, I had the potential to make this year's entry better and more sophisticated! First of all, I divided my notes into the order I wanted them to appear. After that, I paraphrased the research I found; this made the input process easier when my website structure was complete. When this was finished, I typed my notes into the website elements Weebly provided. This process was done one page at a time, which was more convenient for organizational purposes. Next, it was time to add pictures onto the appropriate tabs. Finally, I added finishing touches. I feel I definitely accomplished everything I wanted with this project!
How my project relates to the theme:
My project relates to the theme in more than one way. Communism in China has been viewed by countries around the world as an ongoing debate between human rights and government power. Is government control in China too strong? Are the rights of China's people being violated by the government? Also, another tie to the theme is the need for diplomacy in China. There have been many incidents in China that have the world questioning if a force needs to step in. Are the people of China safe within their own country? I learned the answers to these pressing questions that tie my topic to the theme of National History Day 2011.