How to Complete Your Inquiry

Inquiry assignment on our Grou.ps site: http://grou.ps/5thgradeinteramerican

In your group you will research your question and post your research on your group site. You will be writing a group I-search paper on your wiki page toward the end of the project.

First, each day you will research your topic and write about your research and what you learned from it on your group forum. You will end with a plan for what you will do next.

For example, I might write: I used “What do you Suggest” and used the search terms “slavery during the antebellum period”. I found an article that taught me a lot about the economics of slavery. Here is a quote from the article: “Some historians have proposed that the evolution of slavery in most New World societies can be divided (roughly, and with some risk of over generalization) into three stages: developmental, high-profit, and decadent. “http://www.civilwarhome.com/slavery.htm I learned that the developmental was when the slaves were used for heavy labor to clear farms and build buildings. They were treated brutally during this time. The high-profit was when slave owners earned high profits for growing cash crops for export. The slaves were also treated brutally during this time period. The decadent period was when the cash crops stopped being profitable and people turned to farming that needed less slaves. This period was not as brutal.

I also learned that there were problems with setting slaves free, because owners would do that when the slaves were older or sick and no longer of any use to them. The slaves couldn’t work and so couldn’t take care of themselves. This article make me want to study more why the white workers were made indentured servants and the black workers were made slaves for life.

You need to post these research results each day on your group’s Discussion Forum.

Your group can plan and discuss using the group wall.

You will also prepare a group paper on your wiki page. This I-Search paper must contain three parts:

Section 1: Why you chose this topic. (Each of you must write an answer to this)

Section 2: How you researched and what you learned from this inquiry. This includes the story of your search and what you learned. (Each of you must contribute to this.)

Section 3: A reflection on what you learned and what questions this leaves you with. (Each of you must write an answer to this.)

Due May 28th!