It looks like opensocial-jquery will satisfy most of what you need. It's not limited to gadgets (here's a fetch person example: http://code.google.com/p/opensocial-jquery/wiki/ExamplePerson ) and it wraps URL2. MakeRequest, which allows the AJAX functions to work.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.