How to Write a Draft for a History Report

Writing a draft allows you to get an idea of what you want to talk about.

Before writing your first draft of a history report, you want to research your topic as much as possible. Depending on how many pages the report is, you should get at least five or six sources for information to avoid having a skimpy and poorly researched paper. Also, seek out help from your teacher if you're struggling with your topic.

Instructions

1. Connect the past with the present. For example, if you're writing about the Cuban Revolution, which caused a massive influx of the island's residents to the United States, discuss current views on Cuba and Fidel Castro by Cuban-Americans and explain how they feel about some of their relatives back in Cuba.

2. Analyze rather than summarize your topic. If your history report is about John F. Kennedy and his administration, discuss both strengths and weaknesses of his administration. Also, mention the legacy of his family that stemmed from their involvement in politics and social issues. This keeps your report from appearing as a summary of facts.

3. Put yourself in the readers' shoes. Suppose you're writing a report on funk and disco music in the 1970s, but your readers primarily grew up in the 1990s and early 2000s. Give a detailed history of funk and disco music and mention the social and political changes that surrounded these two genres. You can also write that these types of music paved the way for hip-hop music.

4. Avoid first-person tense in the report. The goal of the paper is to examine what you found while conducting research on a particular topic so that the readers can form their own opinions on the report. When you use "I" throughout the paper, it suggests you're writing your personal opinions instead of an objective report.

References

• Book Rags: How to Write a Compare/Contrast Essay
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Help for Students Writing a School Report