W#3
jery.b
HIS206.FrequentlyAskedQuestions_Assignments.pdf
Frequently Asked Questions—Assignments
Table of Contents:
Choosing a topic
WK3 Assignment
Writing a Thesis
Sources
Creating an Annotated Bibliography
Explaining your events
Final Project
Choosing a topic
Q: Why do I have to choose a topic for my final project now?
A: Throughout the course, we discuss events that can be used in your project. Sources that you
can use for your project are listed in each week. You need to choose a topic now so that you can
begin gathering information and sources. This process will make putting your project together
much easier than having to do everything in the final week.
Q: What if I want to change my topic later?
A: You can change your topic later in the course if you want to. However, completing your
project will be much easier if you choose a topic now and stick with it.
Q: If I choose immigrants for my topic, can I do my project on a specific immigrant group?
A: Yes. If you choose immigrants for your topic, you can choose a specific group (like Irish,
Chinese, German, Latin American, etc.) for your final project and look at how the experience of
that specific group has changed since 1877.
Q: If I choose immigrants for my topic, do I have to choose a specific immigrant group, like the
Irish, Chinese, German, or Latin American immigrants?
A: No. Instead of choosing a specific immigrant group, you can do your project on how the
immigrant experience as a whole has changed since 1877.
WK3 Assignment
Q: Is the WK3 assignment asking for a rough draft of my project?
A: No. The assignment is asking for your thesis, a short explanation (1-2 paragraphs) of the
events that you plan to discuss in your project, and an annotated bibliography. Please do not turn
in a rough draft as this puts undue strain on your instructor and does not satisfy the assignment
requirements. Please be sure to use the worksheet provided.
Q: Do I have to use the worksheet?
A: Yes. You must use the worksheet provided for this assignment. If you do not use the
worksheet provided for this assignment, you will lose points.
Q: Do I have to include all parts of the assignment—a thesis, explanation of events, and
annotated bibliography—for this assignment?
A: To get full credit for the assignment, you must include all required elements of the
assignment.
Q: The final project is not due for a couple more weeks. Why do we have to turn in our thesis,
explanation of events, and sources now?
A: This assignment is designed to help you organize the information that you have and it gives
you the opportunity to get feedback from the instructor so that you can fix any issues before you
turn in your final project.
Q: Do I have to cite my sources in this assignment?
A: Yes. In the explanation of your events and Reference list, you must properly cite your
sources using APA formatting.
Writing a Thesis
Q: Do I have to write a thesis?
A: Yes. A thesis is required for the WK3 assignment and for the final project.
Q: What is a thesis?
A: A thesis is the main point of your project. It sums up the main point that you’ll be making in
your project.
Q: Why do I need a thesis?
A: As you work on your project, your thesis will keep you on topic. In your final project, it is
part of the introduction and tells your reader what your main point is.
Q: How do I write a thesis?
A: In your thesis, you should include your topic (African Americans, Native Americans, women
or immigrants), the time frame that you’ll be discussing (1877 to the present), and the main
conclusion you came to about the topic. You can find a thesis generator in the Ashford Writing
Center to help you.
Q: How long should my thesis be?
A: Your thesis should be a maximum of 2 sentences.
Q: Where does my thesis go in my final project?
A: Your thesis goes at the end of your introductory paragraph.
Q: Can I change my thesis?
A: Yes. Your thesis is a work in progress until you submit your final project. Your thesis
should reflect the information that you include in your final project. If your conclusions changed
based on the information that you found while working on the project, then you should change
your thesis.
Sources
Q: How many sources do I need for the Week 3 Assignment and for the Final Project?
A: For both the Week 3 Assignment and the Final Project, you need at least 4 scholarly sources.
At least 2 of your sources must be primary sources and at least 2 of your sources must be
secondary sources.
Q: What are primary sources?
A: Primary sources are artifacts or documents that were created at the time of an historical event
or by someone who personally witnessed the event. Primary sources can be anything that was
created during an historical event and that tells us something about the event, like speeches,
letters, photographs, and oral history interviews. Newspaper and magazine articles can be
primary sources ONLY if they were written at the time of the event.
Q: Where do I find primary sources?
A: In the Week 3 discussion board 1, there are primary sources provided for you. You can find
other primary sources online. Good places to look are archive websites, like the Library of
Congress. You can also look at the History Matters website.
Q: What are secondary sources?
A: Secondary sources are books or journal articles written by professional historians. Secondary
sources are based on the analysis of primary sources and backed up with other secondary
sources. Throughout the class, there are secondary sources provided for you in the required and
recommended sources sections.
Q: Where do I find secondary sources?
A: The best place to find secondary sources is the Ashford University Library research
databases or ebook databases.
Q: Is my textbook a primary or secondary source?
A: No. Your textbook is neither a primary or secondary source. It was not written during any of
the events that we discuss in this course so it is not a primary source. Your textbook is not a
secondary source because it was not based on primary sources. Instead, it is based only on
secondary sources. Like Encyclopedias, Dictionaries, and non-academic websites, your textbook
is a useful for background research, but it does not count towards your four required sources.
Q: Can I use my textbook as a source for my final project?
A: Yes. It is fine to use your textbooks as source for your final project BUT it does not count as
one of the four required sources because it is not a primary or secondary source.
Creating an Annotated Bibliography
Q: What is an annotated bibliography?
A: An annotated bibliography is a list of your sources (in APA reference format) with an
annotation, or an explanation of the type of source that it is (book, article, oral history, etc.), what
information the source provides, and how you plan to use it in your paper. You can find
information about annotated bibliographies in the Ashford Writing Center.
Q: What is an annotation?
A: An annotation is a note that provides information about the source. It should contain an
explanation of the type of source that it is (book, article, oral history, etc.), what information the
source provides, and how you plan to use it in your paper.
Q: How long should annotations be?
A: An annotation should be at least one paragraph that is at least three sentences long.
Q: What information do I put in my annotations?
A: Your annotation should contain an explanation of the type of source that it is (book, article,
oral history, etc.), what information the source provides, and how you plan to use it in your
paper.
Q: How do I put together an annotated bibliography?
A: To put together your annotated bibliography, you should list all of your sources in APA
reference format. Then, put the annotation after each source. You can find information about
annotated bibliographies in the Ashford Writing Center.
Q: Do I have to have an annotation for every source?
A: Yes.
Q: Can I just write a paragraph or two explaining the information that I found and how I plan to
use each source in my paper?
A: No. That is a bibliographic essay, not an annotated bibliography.
Explaining your events
Q: Should I just write a rough draft of my final project for the week three assignment?
A: No. The week three assignment is asking for your thesis, a short explanation (1-2 paragraphs)
of the events that you plan to discuss in your project, and an annotated bibliography. Please do
not turn in a rough draft.
Q: How many events do I need?
A: For the Week 3 Assignment and for your Final Project, you need at least 4 events. At least
two of those events must be from the period 1877 to 1945 and at least two events must be from
the period 1945 to the present.
Q: What kind of events should I choose?
A: You should choose events that show how life changed for your group since 1877.
Q: Does the order of my events matter in my WK3 Assignment and Final Project?
A: Yes. You should put the events in chronological order so that they make historical sense.
Q: Do I have to cite my sources in this part of the assignment?
A: Yes. In the explanation of your events, you must properly cite your sources using APA
formatting.
Final Project
Q: Does my final project need a title page/slide?
A: Yes. Whether you write a paper or create a PowerPoint presentation, you must include a title
page or slide formatted according to APA style.
Q: Does my final project need a reference list?
A: Yes. Whether you write a paper or create a PowerPoint presentation, you must include a
reference list formatted using APA style.
Q: Do I have to have in-text citations for my final project.
A: Yes. Whether you write a paper or create a PowerPoint presentation, you must have in-text
citations formatted using APA style.
Q: Can I include images in my project?
A: Yes. However, you must correctly cite the source of the images that you use. Your citations
should be inserted beneath your images and must be formatted according to APA style.
Q: How long does my final project have to be?
A: If you write a paper, it must be 4 to 5 pages, plus a title page and a reference list, all
formatted according to APA style. If you choose to create a PowerPoint presentation, it must be
12 to 15 slides, plus a title slide and a reference slide, all formatted according to APA style.
Q: How many sources do I need for the Final Project?
A: For both the Week 3 Assignment and the Final Project, you need at least 4 scholarly sources.
At least 2 of your sources must be primary sources and at least 2 of your sources must be
secondary sources.
Q: What are primary sources?
A: Primary sources are artifacts or documents that were created at the time of a historical event
or by someone who personally witnessed the event. Primary sources can be anything that was
created during a historical event and tells us something about the event, like speeches, letters,
photographs, and oral history interviews. Newspaper and magazine articles can be primary
sources ONLY if they were written at the time of the event.
Q: Where do I find primary sources?
A: In the Week 3 discussion board 1, there are primary sources provided for you. You can find
other primary sources online. Good places to look are archive websites, like the Library of
Congress. You can also look at the History Matters website.
Q: What are secondary sources?
A: Secondary sources are books or journal articles written by professional historians. Secondary
sources are based on the analysis of primary sources and backed up with other secondary
sources. Throughout the class, there are secondary sources provided for you in the required and
recommended sources sections.
Q: Where do I find secondary sources?
A: The best place to find secondary sources is the Ashford University Library research
databases or ebook databases.
Q: Is my textbook a primary or secondary source?
A: No. Your textbook is neither a primary or secondary source. It was not written during any of
the events that we discuss in this course so it is not a primary source. Your textbook is not a
secondary source because it was not based on primary sources. Instead, it is based only on
secondary sources. Like Encyclopedias, Dictionaries, and non-academic websites, your textbook
is a useful for background research, but it does not count towards your four required sources.
Q: Can I use my textbook as a source for my final project?
A: Yes. It is fine to use your textbooks as source for your final project BUT it does not count as
one of the four required sources because it is not a primary or secondary source.
