Early+Foreign+Policy+Assignment+Checkpoint

__Gather__ Starting with the textbook and using that as an entry source (it is a secondary source), determine what other sources you would like to consider searching for: correspondence (letters), official government documents, newspapers, etc. Use the Internet to seek out these sources by searching for topical keywords (Jefferson, embargo, impressment) and then patiently scan the pages for relevant material.
 * Gather and Evaluate Evidence**

__Evaluate__ This is where you analyze the documents by
 * Sourcing: consider the author, purpose, and audience
 * Contextualizing: consider the time and place of the document's creation
 * Close reading: carefully reading and considering the language and meaning of tone and word selection
 * Corroborating: considering how each document agrees and disagrees with other documents, and determine why

1. What is the best initial answers you have come up with for your research question?
 * Questions for Partner Discussion** Record responses to the following as you discuss progress, hangups, and concerns.

2. What is your best piece of evidence so far that supports your initial answers? Is it primary or secondary? Does this matter?

3. What evidence did you find that you did not understand or were unsure of? Is it necessary? Explain.

4. Look at the list of parts of the “Evaluate” process (above). Which of the four do you think you did well? Which needs more time? Why?

5. To interpret means to take something that does not make sense and to make sense of it for the benefit of others. What is it that you are trying to “interpret” for your classmates?
 * Questions for Next Steps** Record responses to the following questions as you look ahead to the last phase of this assignment.

6. You will be asked to present your process in the form of a web page on the class website. Talk together about what you think needs to be on the page and how you will work together to create it. Write your ideas/notes below.