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Writing Assignment for HIST 2010

Instructions:

The purpose of this assignment is to allow students the opportunity to explore a topic in early American history in greater depth.

Students will choose a significant event in early American history (1500-1865). A significant event could be any of the following:

· War (Battle, Riot)

· Election of a new president

· Supreme Court ruling

· Act, law, or executive order

· Publication of a document or story

· Emergence of a political party or social movement

· Development of a new idea or technology

· Disease outbreak or epidemic

· Economic recession

· Treaty or formation of an alliance

Students will then write research paper discussing and analyzing that event in terms of its impact on America’s history. Analysis should include, at a minimum, a discussion of the following:

· Explanation of cause-effect relationships

· What factors contributed to the event? (social, political, economic, etc.)

· How did those factors contribute to the event?

· What changes occurred after the event? (social, political, economic, etc.)

· How did those changes take place?

· Explanation of long-term impact

· How is the current state of affairs connected to those changes?

Format:

Papers must meet the following criteria:

· 1200-1800 words in length

· Reference at least five scholarly sources

· Acceptable sources include academic journal articles and books (no websites, text books, or encyclopedias).

· Listed in bibliography and cited in footnotes

· Typed in twelve point font and double spaced with one inch (“normal”) margins all around.

If you have further questions about searching for appropriate academic sources, consult with the APSU Library: http://library.apsu.edu/.

If you have further questions about proper style, formatting, or writing methods, consult with the APSU Writing Center: http://www.apsu.edu/academic-support-center/writing.

no late work will be accepted.

Students will turn in an electronic copy to the Drop Box on D2L, and a paper copy (with pages stapled together).

Grading Rubric:

This assignment will be worth a total of 100 points, which will be broken down into four categories as outlined below.

Thesis Statement (10 points)

· Clearly stated and specifically focused (should be some kind of specific statement about the significant event and its impact on America’s history).

Arguments/Discussion Points (40 points)

· At least three separate supporting arguments (discussion points)

· Directly address the thesis

· Incorporate critical analysis of relevant evidence

· Do not simply list facts. Explain why those facts are important.

Evidence (40 points)

· Specific examples that support the arguments or establish context

· Scholarly sources (at least five) are both relevant and reliable

· Citations (footnotes) are complete and accurate

Organization (10 points)

· Introduction contains thesis statement and identifies main arguments

· Arguments build on one another and lead the reader on a logical path toward the thesis, with separate paragraphs for each idea

· Conclusion clearly shows the connection between the arguments and the thesis, and suggests a possible direction for further research

· Written in the third person and generally free of spelling and grammatical errors

· Bibliography formatted correctly (Chicago-Turabian: see the university writing lab or Purdue OWL at https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/717/1/ )

· Heading should include student’s full name, class title and section, and the date