Doing the Decades:
Group Investigations in Twentieth Century U. S. History

Illustrated Children's Book Requirements

Content:

1. Answer all investigative questions about group themes in the final presentation.

2. Use a minimum of 10 secondary and 15 primary sources in each individual's research. The 15 primary sources must be represented in the final presentation, along with documentation of a sampling of the secondary sources.

3. Use a minimum of 10 American Memory primary sources in the final presentation.

4. Hand in a complete works cited list for each individual's section of the presentation on the day of the final presentation.

5. Sources gathered from electronic media (Internet, CD-ROMs, online databases, computer software, videotape, audiotape).  For Internet sources (photos, maps, audio recordings, documents, movies), use How To Cite Electronic Sources, Learning Page, Library of Congress.

6. Content must represent accurate information from the time period of your investigation.

7. In writing a children's book that includes illustrations, consider your audience to be between 8-12 years of age.  Illustrations - whether you draw them, create them in a software drawing program, or use historic photos - must have captions that explain or suggest the meaning of the visual.  A source reference is required at the bottom of each illustration that is reflected in the works cited page.

8. The children's book must be a minimum of 48 pages per group.  That includes both text and illustrations.

Design:

1. Make illustrations no smaller than one half of an 8.5 x 11 page. Text wrapped around an illustration should not detract from the power of the illustration.

2. Be creative in cover and text design. Many different techniques will get the reader's attention and keep it. Look at sample children's books to get ideas.

3. Use color to enhance the design, but all text should be black on a white page.