CHICAGO METRO HISTORY FAIR

2017 SUMMARY STATEMENT FORM

Attach an annotated bibliography (AB) that is divided between primary and secondary sources.
Submit two copies of the SS and the AB at the competition. Please type.

Student name(s) Lida Sturm

Title Physicist With a Capital F

Check if applicable (and respond to question 3)

T his project uses the 2017 National History Day theme, Taking a Stand in [Chicago/IL] History.

Project Category:
Exhibit Website Paper Documentary Performance

Student composed Student composed Total word count Time: Time:

Word-Count: Word-Count: (Excluding citations):
1882

1. THESIS STATEMENT
Enrico Fermi's splitting of the atom in Chicago had many repercussions, good and bad. Although his discovery has
undeniably brought much suffering upon humanity, it was so scientifically significant that it should indeed be considered to
have begun a new era of science.

2. SUMMARY OF PROJECT
Enrico Fermi was an Italian physicist; his work focused mainly on atomic and nuclear physics. After emigrating to the United
States in 1938, he began working on the splitting of a nucleus of an atom. He eventually headed the splitting of the atom at
the University of Chicago, and was the leader of the team that was the first to do so. This opened the door for an entire world
of discoveries. The first of these came with nuclear weapons, the second with nuclear power plants. These power plants are
still hotly debated today, and many events have affected public perception of this incredible force for both good and bad. This
discovery, so groundbreaking at the time, continues to be equally or more groundbreaking today, and has opened the doors
for so many discoveries and events that have shaped Chicago, America, and the world.

3. Required for projects using the National History Day theme only.
Explain how this project integrates the NHD theme Taking a Stand in [Chicago/IL] History into its argument.

4. PROCESS

A. What historical question did you start off withand how did it change once you began doing your research?

I started off examining how Fermi and his discovery affected the progression of sustainable energy. However, I soon found
that the connection between Fermi and sustainable energy is tenuous as best, as how sustainable energy is difficult to piece
into a coherent historical narrative. I eventually switched to the merit of Fermis discovery and whether it affected humanity in
general in a positive sense or a negative one. When I found that this was too broad, I finally settled on the scientific merit
instead of the moral kind.

B. What kinds of sources did you use as evidence to develop your argument (for example, letters, photographs,
government documents, interviews, etc.)?
I mainly used websites; there were not many primary sources that suited my argument exactly. However, I made use of many
government websites, as nuclear power is a government-centered pursuit for many countries.

C. Select one piece of evidence that you used and explain how it influenced your argument.

One piece of evidence that really helped me was a transcript of President Dwight D. Eisenhowers Atoms for Peace
speech. This speech was a very important milestone in the history of nuclear energy and power; in it, Eisenhower argued
for peaceful uses of nuclear resources rather than military ones. This letter led in part to the founding of the International
Atomic Energy Agency. This resource helped me immensely in that it helped me rule out my first working thesis, that of
the connection between Fermi and sustainability. I realized that since the issue of nuclear power essentially took root in
this very speech, which has little to no direct connection to Fermi, my thesis was invalid, and I could choose a better one.

D. List libraries (other than school), museums, and other institutions that you visited to do your research.

I visited the Harold Washington Library in Chicago, and the Eisenhower Presidential Library online.