A thesis: Your paper MUST have an argument, and it must be about the argument. Without a thesis, your paper will not score more than a D.
Research: The bulk of your score will come from your data. The rule is very simple – more is more. More the data, more you demonstrate your research, stronger your grade.
References: Your sources MUST be cited properly. You must inform your reader the author of your source, the title of the source, and facts of publication. These citations must be included in the body of your paper – you may chose to do this in the form of parenthesis or footnotes, I am not particular, but a works cited page is insufficient citation. You will not get points for research that is not cited in the body of the paper itself.
A note on sources: a minimum of five sources is necessary for your paper. Sources from websites such as History.com, the History channel, and Wikipedia will not be accepted.