JRP 2022 Juniors finish up traditional research paper

By Juliana Blazek| Jade Editor

Each fall as part of their history course, juniors write a 10-page Junior Research Paper on a historical topic of their choice. The topic can range from the history of music and movies to an analysis of war strategies and social revolutionsall discussing some aspect of American history. Students receive an introduction to the assignment toward the beginning of the school year and must submit their topic by late September. During the writing process, teachers encourage students to use a variety of resources, including books from the school and public libraries, interviews and published articles. In the months leading up to the deadline, students must submit various parts of the assignment, such as an annotated bibliography and a four page “mini-draft,” by certain dates so their teachers can give feedback before the final draft. The final JRP is due, per tradition, on the morning before students are let out for holiday break. Here are a few of the topics students chose for their papers.

Eva Spak

Topic: “How Rome affected the founding of America, the similarities between Rome and America that followed, and what America needs to do to avoid the fall that Rome had”

Why I choose this topic: “I chose this topic because I was genuinely interested in learning about all of the similarities between Rome and America, and I am also curious about the future of America, especially because America is so politically divided right now. I wonder if America is on the same path as Rome, leading to either a corrupt government or the fall of a nation.”

Topic: “I chose to look at the function and fashion of blue jeans throughout U.S. history. I am specifically focusing on their evolution from an indicator of class, movement, cause, etc., to a unifying garment of the American identity.”

Why I chose this topic: “I originally struggled to pick a topic because I came up with a wide range of ideas,

Topic: “How the nuclear family and stricter gender roles failed to pacify America in the 1950s”

Why I chose this topic: “I got interested in it because I

Larisa Pulido

and I didn’t want to limit myself to one point in US history. Since I am very interested in U.S. history as a whole and learning how the different eras relate, I chose the blue jean topic because I could research every major U.S. event since the 1849 Gold Rush through the lens of blue jeans.” think the ’50s are cool and was intrigued by the myth of the happy housewife”

Topic: “The history of summer camps and how they impacted American society”

Why I chose this topic: “I chose this topic because I go to camp every summer and it is the place where I’m the happiest and able to have fun and be present. I

Jessica Chung

Topic: “How Japanese immigration prior to World War II led to cultural and economic shifts in America.”

Why I chose this topic: “I chose this topic because I was interested in America’s growth as a result of immigrational influences from around the world. I chose Japanese immigration in particular because I

Helen Railsback

thought it would be fun to write about it because camp has been a huge part of my life, and shaped me into the person I am because of the people I have met at camp.” didn’t know anything about it. This way, I would get to learn new information the entire time and prevent getting bored of topics I already knew. There were also lots of resources on Japanese immigration that I could call on.”

Topic: “How American horror movies act as Christian propaganda.”

Why I chose this topic: “I chose this topic because it is something that has always annoyed me in the American horror genre that is generally undiscussed.”