King Martin Luther

HIST15 Essay Instructions

This essay won’t be like your typical essay-- YOU get to decide what you focus on and research, and YOU get to decide what direction you take your argument. All you have to do is answer the following historical question as convincingly as possible: how did your topic/subject contribute to American history? What made your topic/subject historically relevant? Historians pick topics to study based on personal interest and historical relevance. Prove in your essay that your topic is historically significant by approaching it in an objective yet interesting way. That means that your argument should be well thought out and well-researched without excessive amounts of personal opinion. Your essay should be persuasive and analytical.

We live and breathe history every day, and the point of this essay is (1) to allow you to step into the shoes of a historian, (2) to effectively argue a point using historical evidence, and (3) to develop an understanding and appreciation of history’s place in American society. Everything around us has a history, and we all play a role in how things are remembered.

Potential Topics You can pick whatever you’re interested in as your essay topic. Literally, anything you’d like. I must approve of your topic beforehand, however, and this is why you’re letting me know of your topic before you start writing. Your topic is due SEPTEMBER 6TH via Canvas.

Please submit an explanation of what you would like to write about and how you’ll be answering the prompt questions above. Do you know what direction you’d like to go with your topic? Do you already have potential sources in mind to use? What attracted you to this particular subject/topic? Do you maybe have a vague idea of what you would like to write about, but are unsure of where to start researching? Include all of these ideas and notions and questions in your essay topic submission! The more detail you give me, the more points and advice I can give you. Therefore this assignment shouldn’t be less than a sizable paragraph. A sentence or two is not enough!

To help you decide on a topic, ask yourself what you’re passionate about and/or if there’s anything you’d like to know more about. I’ve compiled a list of potential topic ideas that I’ve received in the past to help guide you. Please note that you are certainly NOT limited to the following topics:

● Sports (popular, obscure, specific athletes, the Olympics, etc.) ● Fashion (types, styles, development, promotion, distribution, trends, designers, etc.) ● Film (specific genres, actors/actresses, development, distribution, Hollywood, etc.) ● Music (specific genres, music videos, artists, performers, performance, technology, etc.) ● Dance (types, styles, development, popularity, artists, performance, etc.)

● Television (specific genres, development, popularity, relevance, shows, etc.) ● LGBTQ+ culture ● Feminism and masculinity ● Sex and/or Gender ● Medicine/Health ● Environmental issues ● Food (I’ve gotten essays on TV dinners, Hostess products, and the Coke v. Pepsi debate!) ● Pop Culture (video games, comic books, anime, fandom, etc.)

As you can see, you have free reign to pick whatever you’d like. Keep in mind that you must answer the prompt question(s) and your topic must have an effect on or take place within American history. I’ll give my advice on your topics via Canvas so make sure that once you receive a grade on this assignment, check back and see what comment(s) I left for you. Once we’ve expanded on or narrowed your topic down, you can begin writing!

As always, I’m available for any further development or discussion of your topic. Simply email me and we can schedule a one-on-one office hour!

Essay Outline/Draft Once we’ve settled on a topic, start writing as soon as you’re able. Your essay outline or draft is due OCTOBER 11TH via Canvas. You have the option to submit an essay outline in whatever format you choose. The point of this assignment is to get you going on your essay-- I can tell when you write a final essay the night before it’s due, so don’t stress yourself out and be sure to write an outline/draft ahead of time! Simply show me how you’re going to organize your essay by using subject headings or topic sentences or certain sources/quotes that you plan on using. The more you give me, the more I can grade and the better I can guide you.

Unlike your essay topic assignment, you’ll have to turn this in as an upload instead of copying and pasting it into Canvas. That way I can make edits and post comments directly on your assignment. Let me know if you have any questions about this.

If you’ve written more than an outline by this point, that’s wonderful! You also have the option to submit an essay draft. I won’t focus on structure or length or anything of that nature; give me any amount of the essay you currently have and I’ll use that to grade and guide you. Again, the more you give me, the better I can help!

Requirements for the Final Essay ● Title page with your full name, the course subject and number, date and title ● Title your essay in a way that lets me know what your topic is ● Double spaced, 12pt font

● At least three legitimate sources ○ These include but are not limited to primary sources (newspaper articles,

interviews, autobiographies, first-person accounts, etc.) or secondary sources (history books, anthologies, biographies, etc.), along with film documentaries (PBS, History channel, BBC, etc.)

○ These DO NOT include blog posts, YouTube videos, social media posts, etc. ○ If you come across a source you’d like to use but are unsure if it’s credible, let me

know before you use it ● Final essays should be between 5-10 pages in length

○ Because topics vary, some can be thoroughly argued within five pages while others might take longer. Please DO NOT exceed 10 pages. This page count does not include any photos/images used within the essay or the bibliography page.

● Bibliography/Sources Page ● Consistent format

○ You may use MLA, APA, Chicago, or any other format you’re comfortable with. However, make sure that it stays consistent throughout.

● College-level writing ○ The tone of your essay should be formal and professional

● Proofread ○ Grammatically correct, no spelling errors, flows nicely from one idea to the next

Fun Side Note If you’d like to include pictures, go for it! Visual aids always help! But remember that including pictures does not increase your page number.

Need Help? If you’re wondering about getting sources for your topic, the history department has its own library liaison! Send an email to Nyle Monday telling him of your assignment and your topic, and he can find the perfect sources for you. Here’s his email: [email protected].

And I can’t recommend the Writing Center highly enough. They have people who can help you structure your essay and proofread it for you, and all you have to do is book an online appointment based on your schedule. They’re incredibly accommodating and helpful and trust me-- they’re a valuable resource to have for the rest of your college career, not just for this class.

Head on over to this link to create an account and make an appointment!: https://www.sjsu.edu/writingcenter/tutoring/online-tutoring.php

Your final essay is due DECEMBER 6TH via upload to Canvas. Have fun with this-- I hope you pick a topic that inspires you!