please see attachments

Essay

Instructions

What are three of the most defining events or eras in African American History? Please keep in mind that there are no strictly “right” or “wrong” answers to this question. However, to maintain an adequate amount of historical distance from the present, no event should be more recent than the 1990s. Keep in mind that the purpose of this essay is to demonstrate that you can defend your choices using a clearly constructed argument and supporting evidence.

Your essay must be at least 2000 words (approximately 8 pages) with an introduction, conclusion, and at least three body paragraphs. The essay must be typed, double-spaced, and written in clear, concise prose. Cite all sources used for direct quotations. In-text citations are acceptable for this assignment, but please be mindful of how they falsely inflate your word count.

Some Guidelines:

Sources and Citations A formal research paper relies heavily on the evidence you use to support your argument. Your opinion means nothing without this evidence. For this paper, you must use at least SIX (6) sources. At least three of these must be primary sources. Failure to cite sources is plagiarism, which will result in a failing grade.

For the love of all that is good and scholarly, please do NOT use history.com, biography.com, wikipedia.com, about.com, or any such basic website. At this point you should be skilled enough to seek a better source. This is college. Step up your game or go home. Seriously, if you cite any of these sources, there will be a steep deduction from your grade.

Purdue University has an excellent writing lab with an online guide for research and citations. It contains instructions for Chicago, MLA, and APA formatting. I strongly recommend using the Purdue OWL guide.

You may also use Citation Machine or a comparable website to help format your citations.

Plagiarism The use of another individual's ideas or words without proper citation constitutes plagiarism. This is the worst form of academic misconduct and will result in a failing grade on the assignment. If you are still unsure about what plagiarism is, please speak with me after reviewing TSU’s policy online.

Quick suggestions:

 Avoid using too many quotations, and quote only when absolutely necessary. Do not use long quotes (more than a sentence or two). Do not use block quotations. Be sure to mention who you are quoting. Failure to cite your source is plagiarism and will be handled through the appropriate channels.

 Organize your paper into discrete paragraphs. Avoid overwriting (using several sentences when a single, short sentence will make your point). Avoid the passive voice. Avoid using phrases such as "seems to," "may be," "appears to," and similar phrases that weaken your writing. Write with confidence.

 Keep a copy of your paper for your own records.

 Do not play games with fonts and margins. I will count words if I must.

Grading Rubric:

A = Excellent. Your paper will:

 Provide excellent examples to support your thesis.

 Show thorough comprehension of the ideas presented in class and in the reading.

 Demonstrate your ability to go beyond ideas presented in class.

 Have strong analyses of material and arguments found in lecture, & reading

 Connect ideas and arguments to the overall historical period.

 Be written clearly, with no errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation or usage.

B = Very Good. Your paper will:

 Have a good thesis that is supported by a mostly organized paper.

 Provide good examples to support your thesis.

 Show comprehension of the ideas presented in class and in the reading.

 Demonstrate familiarity with appropriate standard sources for the topic.

 Analyze material and arguments found in lecture, & reading

 Connect ideas and arguments to the overall historical period.

 Be written clearly, with few errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation or usage

C = Good/Average. Your paper will:

 Have a thesis, perhaps flawed, or one that is incompletely supported by the paper.

 Show a few flaws in organization.

 Provide average examples to support your thesis.

 Show some limitations to comprehension of the ideas presented in class and in the reading.

 Incompletely analyze material and arguments found in lecture & reading.

 Incompletely connect ideas and arguments to the overall historical period.

 Be written clearly, with some errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation or usage.

D = Below Average/Barely passing. Your paper will have one or more major problems:

 A weak thesis; or one that is incompletely supported by the paper.

 Incomplete or weak organization.

 Weak examples or neglect to include textual examples.

 Show minimal comprehension of the ideas presented in class and in the reading.

 Partially analyze material and arguments found in lecture, reading, and research.

 Show lack of coherence, or many errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation or usage (>5/page).

F = Failing. Your paper will receive an F if it meets ANY of the criteria below:

 Does not meet the minimum requirements for a D.

 Shows evidence of plagiarism.

 Does not fulfill the requirements of the assignment.

 Is obviously a first draft.

*adapted from H-Teach – “Teaching Rubric” – Pappas, 1996