The
best library assignments are ones that use a variety of resources including
books, newspaper and journal articles, internet sites, and even videos or audiocassettes.
We encourage you to use all of these sources for this paper. Books should provide
some of the best information for an historic topic. You may apply for a library
card and request materials online. We hope you will take full advantage of the
many resources our libraries offer.
Please contact Lone Star College-Kingwood Librarians or Professor Lambert with any questions you may have during your research.
Read Erik Larson's Isaac’s
Storm: a man, a time, and the deadliest hurricane in history, and pick
an aspect for research. The following ideas should help inspire you:
1. How was the storm a turning point in the development of Galveston (business,
government, arts, anything)?
2. Compare how the techniques of the historian differ in Isaac's Storm and
another history book on the subject.
3. Why and how did communication fail in warning the people of Galveston?
(Perhaps bring in prejudicial
attitudes toward Cuba and Hispanic cultures.)
4. Clara Barton's role.
5. Sisters of Charity Orphanage.
6. Compare reportage at the time of the event to what we know now. Consider
using the New York Times
Historical database (see resources for "Journals and
Newspaper Articles" below).
Once you decide on a topic, please get the instructor’s approval using WebCT email for the course. Your research assignment should consist of 4-5 full textual pages (double-spaced) plus a Works Cited page. Use a standard 10- or 12-point font with one-inch margins. A minimum of four sources plus the Larson book is required, with at least one from each of the following: a historical monograph (book), a scholarly journal, and an academic Internet site. Encyclopedias and dictionaries are not acceptable as sources. All sources must appear in the Works Cited page, and those that do must be cited in the paper. Documentation must be parenthetical, and all forms must follow those prescribed in the MLA Handbook. Save your research project in rich text or as a Word document and submit it as an attached file, using the course WebCT mail feature. Remember that your assignment should include an introduction with a thesis statement and a conclusion. Check the course calendar for the due date. Fifteen points will be deducted from any late assignment, and no assignment will be accepted more than one week after the due date. The evaluation of this research assignment will focus not only on content but also on clarity, organization, coherence, and use of Standard Written English.
Warning: Plagiarism is theft of another writer’s words or ideas and will receive a zero. Ask for assistance if you are unsure.
 Librarian Talk . . . About
Getting Started
As you begin, narrow your topic to a size that you can manage. Consider keywords that will help you find the information you need. These can be names of people, events, or broader identifying terms. Use these keywords for
locating information in the library catalog, electronic databases,
and on the internet. Try Galveston
AND Storm; Galveston AND hurricane;
Galveston AND Disaster; Natural Disasters. |
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Librarian Talk . . . About Books
Apply online for a library card. Use your card to 1) Place a Hold on a book 2) Access databases from home. Search the library catalog at http://librarycatalog.LoneStar.edu/.
Online books are available at
NetLibrary.
You can view e-books online. Create a free account to save book titles and notes.
|
Books may be one of your greatest resource for this project. Search the library catalog using keywords such as Galveston; Galveston AND Storm; Natural Disasters.
REF E174 .D52 "Galveston Storm." Dictionary of
American History. 7 vols.
REF AY311.D3 T52 Texas Almanac 1998-1999 This edition has an in-depth chapter on the storm.
F394.G2 Q8 2000
(Circulating Video Collection)
Galveston Stories; A History of Galveston Island Before, During, and after
the Great 1900 Storm with Linda Macdonald, a Galveston native whose
grandfather survived the hurricane. Produced by the Sisters of Charity of the
Incarnate Word (2000).
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Librarian Talk . . . About Finding Articles
Electronic databases are purchased by the libraries for your research use. To find articles in newspapers and journals, letters, reference books, illustrations, photographs and more, use your updated library card to login to the following databases. If you find an interesting article that is not
full-text, please give the correct bibliographic information to our Reference Librarians and they will see that you get the article. They will need full bibliographic
information - and your name and address. Send your phone number and
email address as well, so they can contact you if they need to. HINT: For a full list of article databases, go to Library
Databases and use your library card to access these
full-text databases from home. The ones listed here are ones we
feel best for this assignment.
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History Study Center -- Brings rare British, American and world history resources to the desktops of academics, librarians, teachers and students. Includes an article from the May 2002 issue of The Journal of Southern History, "Galveston and the 1900 Storm: Catastrophe and Catalyst / Through a Night of Horrors: Voices from the 1900 Galveston Storm," by Char Miller.
New York Times Historical -- NYT From 1857 - the present. Select from Collections. In Advanced Search search a date range such as 09/06/1900 to 09/30/1900. You will read the original newspaper reports of the Galveston storm in the NYT.
Biography Reference Center -- 45,000 biographies of people from antiquity to the present.
Academic Search Premier -- Collection of journal, newspaper, and magazine articles. Many are scholarly.
ProQuest Research Library -- Collection of journal, newspaper, and magazine articles. Many are scholarly.
The Handbook of Texas | Galveston Storm -- This online multivolume encyclopedia from the Texas State Historical Association and the UT Libraries is also in the library Reference Section - REF F384 .N48 1996
| Librarian Talk . . . About the Internet The Internet will be a wonderful source of original documents. Browse the sites we have suggest below. Remember, you do want to find reputable sites. Look at:
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The 1900 Storm; Galveston, Texas | Galveston County Daily News presentation remembering the Great Hurricane, September 8, 1900. Listen in Quicktime to the story of the orphanage and the great storm.
Galveston & Texas History Center | This is at the Rosenberg Library in Galveston and is the leading respository of manuscripts, photographs, oral histories and other documents relating to the Galveston Storm.
America's Story | The Library of Congress not only describes the storm, but also presents video clips of actual footage of the storm taken at risk of life and limb.
American Memory | The Library of Congress displays many original photos of the Galveston storm, with links to other sites.
Lost and Found Sound | From National Public Radio, this is a sound archive of American memoirs. There is one called Remembering the Galveston Storm of 1900.
The 1900 Storm | Information about the stom and links to Galveston history.
Texas Handbook | The Galveston Storm entry in the Texas Handbook.
Isaac's Storm | Book review by CNN with links.
Citing Sources Using the Library MLA Style Guide | Lone Star College-Kingwood library guide. Examples of both paper and electronic citations.
Misuse of Sources | Extract from WRITING WITH SOURCES: A Guide for Harvard Students, by Gordon Harvey, Expository Writing Program, Copyright 1995, The President and Fellows of Harvard University Chapter Three: Misuse of Sources: 3.1 Plagiarism and 3.2 Other Ways of Misusing Sources.
Learning Center | Check our hours for in-house tutoring.
REMEMBER, the expert on this paper is Professor Lambert.
Page by Claire Gunnels created July 2002. Updated SM, 7/06
