American Studies Name:

Mr. Provost & Mr. Taylor

My Inquiry (Phase 1) “Road Map” Summative

Directions: Use the template below to create a “roap map” of how your inquiry research both expanded and
narrowed through the gathering and organizing or thesis-driven, narrative and informational sources.

1a.) Highlight the “starting point” for your inquiry (Post WWII “class-wide/so what” topics)
Healthcare Technology Military/Veterans Gender/Identity
Civil Rights Housing/Infrastructure Media/Entertainment

1b.) Why did you choose this topic? (Describe in 2-3 sentences a personal connection, emerging interest or
other reason why you were drawn to this topic.)
I chose this topic because I have an interest in it. I have always loved surfing and it was realy
interesting to see how it evolved. Not just how the technology of surfing changed, but the idea of
surfing.
_____/5

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2a.) Explain in your own words how this topic makes news/headlines today? (Another way to think about this
would be if I saw this topic trending online, what type of stories would be associated with it?)
Surfing today could be a hobby for people just trying new things, trying to relax, or just to have
fun.
It is also a way for people to get a good full body workout. Some may do it as a pro sport. Today
people use it as a way to vent from their working life. ____/10

2b.) Copy and Paste a headline (from the last 5 years) and explain how it illustrates your answer above:
The Psychology behind surfing & relaxation

_____/5

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3a.) Provide and cite by name an expert’s claim that relates to your narrowed topic:
It was not always this way. "In the 1970s, you would stop at 25 and went to work or
you were going straight to loserdom," Mr. Mauro said. "It used to be a strike against
you if you were a surfer." - Matt Higgins _____/5

3b.) What makes this person an expert? What qualifications do they have?
 He experienced the disrespect and stereotypes from people back in the 1900s. He knows what
people used to say because they used to say it to him.
_____/5

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4a.) Summarize how people “today” (in the last 5-ish years) are affected by this topic?
Some opinions are mixed, but the stereotype of beach bums who still ride waves all day and
party all night still persists. However, surfing has come a long way in the past century, from a
unique subculture to a market worth $13.2 Billion. While they still are stereotyped, surfing has
become very popular. ____/10

4b.) Provide a link to a narrative source to illustrate/evidence your answer above. (This is an example of how
someone is/was affected by your topic…):
https://www.theinertia.com/surf/mark-healey-shows-why-pipeline-is-one-of-the-most-challenging-
waves-in-the-world/ _____/2

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5a.) Rank/Order your three most important “topic-specific” concepts/vocab words: (1 pt/each)
1. Media/entertainment 2. Stereotypes 3. Prejudice

5b.) In a short paragraph use all three words above to explain or contextualize your topic. (Another way to say
this would be get me up to speed on your topic using all three words):
During the 1900s surfing was displayed by the media as a hobby for lazy, beach bums, and
stoners. Most people just believed the stereotype the media portrayed. Even today the media
and/or news influence how people see things. There was and still is a lot of prejudice happening.
Without even seeing a “surfer” they believed they were overall bad influences on the community
and didn’t do any work.

____/10

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Bonus: What were some things that you had to look up and/or find more information about in order to conduct
this initial phase of your inquiry work? (This can mean words, names, concepts, elements of historical context,
etc.)
To get all this information I had to search things related to my topic. Some examples of things I searched
were, how did the media portray surfing during the 1900s, when did surfing become recognized as a
competitive sport, and how were people treated if they surfed during the 1900s. These all got me the
information I needed to complete the inquiry.
Total: __________ / 50 (summative)