historical analysis

Instructions for Two-Page Paper for Your Final Paper Proposal Think of your two-page final paper proposal as if it was a grant proposal. Your paper will identify the source you will analyze, explain the focus of your analysis of the source, indicate what methodology or theory you might employ, demonstrate that the research you intend to undertake can be completed according to the schedule laid out in our HST 201 syllabus, and articulate why your paper will be significant and original. Obviously, this is the start of the process, and your ideas may change or evolve as you research your source more fully and familiarize yourself with related secondary literature, but it is good to begin your project already thinking about these issues and finding the words to help you articulate your goals. Why is this source appropriate for the type of focus you intend to undertake in your paper? Remember your audience (do not imagine it is only me but someone who may not be familiar with your source, its author, or its context. Give a little bit of information to your reader about the source. Who wrote it? When was it published? What was the author’s intended audience? How might these factors have influenced the author’s depictions of the environments, cultures, and individuals they depict? In terms of audience, a diary and travel literature can be quite different from one another. One is intended to be a commodity for public consumption, whereas the author of a diary may have never wanted anyone other than her or himself to read it. Some travel literature, however, is based on diaries traveler’s kept, so they remain related to one another. Also, indicate potential secondary sources you have identified that will allow you to contextualize your source. If you have chosen to research travel literature, you might want to reference Pratt, for instance, though it is not a requirement. You are free to argue against Pratt’s arguments; indeed, I encourage you to be critically minded with all the secondary sources you employ. You may find points where you agree and others where you disagree with other scholars’ interpretations. Please include a brief bibliography at the end of your paper. The bibliography will not count as part of the two-pages designated for this assignment. HST 201 section 001 Spring 2017 Professor Peter M. Beattie Seminar Room: 145 Natural Sciences Bldg. Office: 340 Old Hort Seminar Hours: T-TH 2:40-4:00 Office Hours: Wed. 1:00-3:00 Historical Methods and Skills This seminar is intended to introduce students of history to the ways in which historians work and think: how they conceptualize the problems they investigate, how they identify the sources on which to base their investigations, how they go about examining the evidence in those sources, how they come to their conclusions on the basis of that evidence, and how they present the results to their readers. Students will not only look at how other historians do these things but also do them themselves through individual research projects. As we are reading these works, we will explore various types of sources used to study the lives of ordinary and extraordinary individuals in Latin America history (the region about which your professor does his own research and writing). Each student in the class will choose a topic based on primary sources. Some of you may have the ability to read sources in Spanish, Portuguese, or French, but those of you who do not will have to find appropriate sources in English. For this reason, the seminar will focus on travel literature as a primary historical source (either in translation or originally written in English, e.g., Sir Richard Francis Burton’s Travels through the Highlands of Brazil or his Letters from the Battlefields of Paraguay). The second half of the term will be devoted primarily to students’ individual research projects: Students will discuss the progress of their research in class and will make formal oral and written presentations of the results. Class meetings will be devoted to student-centered discussions of reading materials and individual projects. By the end of the term, students should be able to • identify the principal types of historical analysis • use the principal parts of a scholarly book to navigate the author’s argument • identify the principal thesis of a historical argument and its subordinate contentions • identify the evidence on which a historical argument is based • evaluate how well evidence is used to support an argument • identify the sorts of information which different sources can give the historian • use information from sources to construct an argument about the past • make a formal, oral scholarly presentation • write a clear, well argued and persuasive presentation of the results of original research Because writing clearly and persuasively is an important set of skills, we will also spend considerable time polishing these skills in class and in written work. By the end of the term, students should have improved the following skills: • to write in a formally correct and tonally appropriate style • to use correct grammar • to use correct punctuation • to avoid wordiness and awkwardness • to employ language with precision How to get in touch with me: Office: 340 Old Hort Office hours: Wednesday 1:00-3:00 E-mail: [email protected] Office telephone: Please do not phone my office. I do not use the voice mail on our phone system. Rather send a polite email and allow adequate time for me to respond 24 to 48 hours. Books to buy for this course: John Lewis Gaddis, The Landscape of History: How Historians Map the World. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002. Mary Louise Pratt, Imperial Eyes: Travel Writing and Transculturation. 2nd edition. New York: Routledge, 2008. If you do not yet own a stapler, you should buy one. Written work which is more than one page long should be stapled. All work for this class shall be handed in on paper, no electronic submissions please. Grades will be based on the following: 1. Short papers and class exercises: In the reading and assignment schedule below, you will see there are a series of short two page papers. Some will ask you to analyze a source. This exercise will ask you to think like a historian and to evaluate what a source can reveal about the past. Others will ask you to write a critical evaluation of a scholarly article (I will share sources and articles on our Angel account at the appropriate time). The purpose of the latter assignment is to get you to examine a historical argument and evaluate whether it hangs together and holds up to your scrutiny. (20% of your final grade). So- metimes I will ask you to do an in class exercise that you turn in at the end of class that will also contribute to this portion of your grade 2. The preliminary prospectus for your research paper, due at the beginning of the class on February 9, 2017. This assignment is worth 10% of your final grade. You should prepare a two-page proposal that states what sources you will research, how you intend to analyze the sources (methodology), and what you intend to argue on the basis of this research. 3. Reading quizzes and peer reviews: 10% of your grade. I will give pop reading quizzes on required readings for the course administered in the first five minutes of class. Students will also be required to evaluate and edit one of their peer’s final papers. I will evaluate the thoughtfulness and precision of the student’s editorial work and suggestions for improvement. 4. Initial five pages (double-spaced) of analysis of your source(s) due on March 23, 2017. Then on March 30, 2017 extend your first five pages to ten double spaced pages. These assignments are each worth 5% of your final grade each. 5. Class participation, worth 20% of your final grade. Class participation consists of coming to class, being prepared for class, and contributing to class discussion. Attendance will be taken. Also, your final paper presentation in April will account for half of your participation grade. NOTE: Because this is a discussion class, attendance is mandatory: you cannot participate if you are not present. Each student is allowed two unexcused absences. After that, each unexcused absence will lower your class participation grade by five percent, which means that a total of ten unexcused absences will render this portion of the final grade a 0.0, no matter how good your participation is when you are present. If you are absent (unexcused) for an eleventh time, you will fail the course. 6. A research paper (10-15 double spaced pages), worth 30% of the final grade. • Each student will meet with me to discuss his or her individual progress. (You are, of course, welcome to discuss your projects with me much more often than that, but there are required conferences too.) • You will hand in a polished, carefully edited paper on the day when you are assigned to present the results of your research to the class. • The order in which students will present on the days reserved for this activity will be determined by lot. • I will read these papers carefully, comment on them extensively and return them to you in a timely fashion. If I am satisfied with your paper you will not be required to rewrite, but this is rare. Most students will be asked to respond to their peers and their professor’s comments to rewrite and resubmit the paper for the final grade. How seriously you have worked with comments to improve your paper will be taken into account in assigning the grade for the final paper. In other words, if you resubmit an unchanged paper or one revised in a perfunctory manner, your grade on the paper will go down. • Resubmitted drafts may be handed in at any time up to the scheduled final exam date: May 2, 2017. 7. Note the following: • Improvement will be taken into account. If your attendance has been satisfactory and you have participated adequately in discussion, then it is likely that, no matter what your grades on prior written work may have been, if you get a 4.0 (or a much improved mark) on the resubmitted final paper I will give that extra weight in the determination of your final grade. • If your contributions to class discussion have been consistently excellent and I evaluate them as better than your written work, I may count this aspect of your performance as more than 20% of the final grade. • Extra credit: From time to time, I may announce events outside of class for which you can earn extra credit. The likely example is a scholarly lecture on a historical topic. To receive extra credit, you will need to attend the lecture, write a one-page evaluation of it, and report to the class on the event. Academic dishonesty: Be advised that academic dishonesty includes not only such obvious violations of the norms of academic behavior as copying examination answers from someone else’s exam or handing in as your own work material actually written by someone else, but also plagiarism, that is, presenting the words and/or the ideas of others as your own work. When the words are someone else’s you must use quotation marks and cite your source. For more information on the general subject of academic dishonesty, including links to various sites which, among other things, provide exercises on what is and is not plagiarism, I suggest you see the web site of the MSU ombudsman. Note that the penalty for academic dishonesty is at the discretion of the instructor. The least harsh penalty is likely to be a grade of 0.0 for the assignment, but gross plagiarism may entail failing the course. If an instructor in any course chooses to fail a student on any assignment on grounds of plagiarism, he or she is required (yes, required) to write a letter to the dean of the student’s college explaining the reasons for the failure. Such a letter may lead to further sanctions, up to and including expulsion from the university. Course Reading and Assignment Schedule: Note that assignments are due and readings must be completed before the corresponding class meeting dates below. This is a discussion-based semi- nar. It is your responsibility to come to seminar fully prepared to contribute to a thoughtful discussion of readings and assignments. This is a responsibility you owe to your fellow seminar participants and your efforts will directly affect the quality of this class. So, take pride in your preparation and take time to think about your readings. Do not be afraid to discuss them before seminar with your fellow students. I have worked to keep reading light, so I expect you to read and take notes on your reading carefully. Tuesday, 1/10 Introduction Thursday, 1/12 Course Theme: Travel Literature Read: Pratt, p. xi-36. Tuesday, 1/17 Due: Two-page paper evaluating the scholarly article on D2L and in class. Gaddis, p. ix-34. This article will be posted after class on this date. Thursday, 1/19 Library Orientation and Quiz Read Pratt, p. 37-83; Brief Reading Quiz followed by a trip to the library, get to class early so we can get it all in. Tuesday, 1/24 Due: Two page paper analyzing a source available on D2L and in class. Gaddis, p. 34-70. Thursday, 1/26 In Class Exercise Read: Pratt, p. 84-140 Tuesday 1/31 In Class Exercise: Due Two Page paper analyzing a source Read: Pratt, p. 141-194 Thursday, 2/2 In class exercise Gaddis, p. 71-108 Tuesday, 2/7 Due: two page paper analyzing a source shared on D2L Gaddis, p. 109-128 Thursday, 2/9 Gaddis, p. 129-151 Tuesday, 2/14 In Class Exercise: Due: Two-page double-spaced proposal for final research paper Read: Pratt, p. 197-243 Thursday, 2/16 No class: Individual conferences Indentify a scholarly book related to your research to read and write a review Tuesday, 2/21 No class: Individual conferences Thursday, 2/23 Due: Two Page Review Essay of the Book you read related to your research Come to class prepared to discuss with your peers the book you read and to explain how it fits or has influenced ideas about your project. Tuesday, 2/28 No class: Identify a second scholarly book related to your research project and read it Thursday, 3/2 No class: Individual consultations Tuesday, 2/27 No class: Individual consultations Monday, 3/6- Friday, 3/10 No class: Spring Break! Prepare your preliminary oral presentation and your initial written work on your project Tuesday, 3/14 No class. I will be available during class hours for individual consultation Continue to take notes on your primary source and write your two-page paper Thursday, 3/16 Turn your 2nd two-page paper on a secondary source related to your primary source and take notes on your primary source(s) Tuesday, 3/21 No Class: Start to develop your notes on your primary source and be Thursday, 3/23 Due: Notes (separate document of notes you have take from specific passages from your primary source) and in addition preliminary analysis of passages from your primary source (five doublespaced pages). Integrate information and arguments from secondary sources into your analysis. Tuesday, 3/28 No Class: Professor available for consultation Thursday, 3/30 Due: Extend your analysis of your primary source to ten double-spaced pages, integrate insights from secondary sources, explain how your analysis is original and how it relates to existing debates in secondary sources Tuesday, 4/4 No Class: Continue to work on developing your final draft and your fifteen minute power point presentations of your research: Professor available for consultation Thursday, 4/6 No Class Professor out of town for a conference. Tuesday, 4/11 Class Presentations (Polished draft of paper due for those who present this day) Thursday, 4/13 Class Presentations (Polished draft of paper due for those who present this day) Tuesday, 4/18 Class Presentations (Polished draft of paper due for those who present this day) Thursday, 4/20 Class Presentations (Polished draft of paper due for those who present this day) Tuesday, 4/25 Class Presentations (Polished draft of paper due for those who present this day) Thursday, 4/27 No class: revise papers based on comments no class (Professor available for consultation during class and office hours or by appointment)