Ari Charles 2-15-12 Period 6 NHD Process Paper

Earlier in the school year I had an assignment to write a ten page research paper, called the interdisciplinary research paper, in English and World Studies. Over the previous summer I had decided on my topicthe fall of the Berlin Wall. When I began conducting my research I realized I needed to cover a larger event to meet the length and content requirements; one of them was to relate to this years NHD theme of revolution, reaction, and reform in history. And so I added the impact of the fall of the Berlin Wall on the 1991 dissolution of the Soviet Union to my topic. I began researching more. In my research, the first stop was at the local library. I found good secondary sources for historical perspective, but still needed primary sources to provide a balanced view of the topic. In October I visited the University of Marylands McKeldin library, where I spent two days trawling through rolls of microfiche about my topic. It was there that I gathered most of my primary sources, including a newspaper article from the day after the Berlin Wall fell that included interviews of people who were there at the time, whom I otherwise wouldnt be able to question personally. My final primary sources were found online in an Internet archive compiled by the CIA of official state documents sent between Soviet leaders during the last months of the Unions existence. These provided two views of my topic that enhanced my final product, a ten page paper of over two thousand words. And this gave me all of my sources for NHD, since I chose to do the same topic. I annotated my bibliography and organized my sources in preparation for my new project, an exhibit board.

Ari Charles 2-15-12 Period 6 NHD Process Paper

After shopping for an inexpensive but durable display board, I turned my attention back to the content of my board and calculated the amount of words I could use in each text paragraph to meet the 500 word limit but still presenting my entire topic. After squeezing all my notes into easy to understand 55-word paragraphs, I printed out the text and pictures I wanted to use, mounted them onto colored paper, planned the exact layout of my elements on the board, and glued everything down. Finally, to make my board look more like the Berlin Wall, I glued tubing to the top to simulate the pipe that ran along the actual wall to make it harder to scale. My board was done. Lastly, my topic relates to the NHD theme of revolution, reaction and reform in history because after the Berlin Wall fell, the people of other Eastern European Soviet states realized that the government was weak and started a revolutionary wave of protests against communism. The reactions of European communist leaders to these protests caused the eventual dissolution of the Soviet Union; and naturally the end of communism in much of the world caused reforms in the economy, international politics, and culture worldwide.