HIST 1483—U.S. History to 1865, Spring 2020—Paper Two …

[Pages:3]HIST 1483--U.S. History to 1865, Spring 2020--Paper Two

What is Paper 2? Paper two is an original research paper of approximately 2,000 word (6-7 pages, double-spaced). It calls for you to engage in the essential skills of a historian: defining a research question, gathering evidence, analyzing primary and secondary sources, and developing and articulating an original argument based on your findings.

Who is the audience for this assignment? Imagine your audience as intelligent readers craving new knowledge about the past, but unfamiliar with these documents. What can you tell them about the sources that will surprise them--that will deepen their understanding of American history?

How should you approach this assignment? You have two choices:

1. Select a research topic from one of the seven research kits provided at . Each research kit has multiple primary sources and secondary sources. Using these research kits, write an original research paper that includes roughly six to ten of the primary sources and at least two of the secondary sources provided. Please note that while there only are seven research kit topics, there are various research questions that you can pursue within each of them. You can take these papers in many different directions as long as your argument is supported by evidence.

2. In consultation with your TA, you may come up with your own research topic. If you choose this option, you will need to find at least 7 to 10 primary sources and at least 3 secondary sources on your own. You must receive formal approval of your topic from your TA in advance if you choose this option.

For help finding additional primary sources, please see: . The library stacks and electronic resources are where you should look for secondary sources. For additional help, please see the OU's library webpage devoted to this course:

What are the requirements for this assignment? ? Your paper should be submitted in whatever format your Discussion Leader prefers, and should be around 2000 words long (about 6 or 7 double-spaced pages in Times New Roman font). Please include a word count at the end. ? Use 7 to 10 primary sources as a target figure. Depending on the sources you use, you may need to go over this range. Check with your Discussion Leader for approval in that case. ? You will also be required to turn in three preliminary assignments in preparation for writing the research paper: a paper topic/research question, an annotated bibliography, and a primary source analysis.

? All papers must include footnotes formatted according to the Chicago Manual of Style. See the Citation Guide on the Exploring U.S. History website:

How to insert a footnote in Word:

How to insert a footnote in GoogleDocs:

What are the expectations?

Please see the rubric on Explore History for a detailed explanation of how we will grade your paper. Use the rubric to guide your writing and editing. Refer to it as you write to ensure that you've completed all of the requirements.

You should work closely with your Discussion Leader and use the resources on the Exploring U.S. History website to include the following in your paper:

? A strong thesis statement in your opening paragraph ? Body paragraphs that begin with clear topic sentences and support your thesis with

quotations from the primary documents ? Historical writing that carefully guides the reader through your argument

Throughout the essay, your sentences should be clear, logically organized, and efficient. Quotes and evidence need to be smoothly integrated into sentences and paragraphs, and both your spelling and grammar must be correct. Conversely, you need not use fancy vocabulary or convoluted jargon. Simpler is better.

After you've completed your first draft, please proofread out loud. The best argument can be undermined by poor writing--weak topic sentences, poor paragraph structure, awkward phrasing, excessive quotations, a feeble vocabulary, or typos. Clear writing is hard, and requires time, patience, and repetition.

Your work is expected to be your own.

Please note that collaboration between students on the assignment is considered inappropriate and plagiarism of any sort will not be tolerated.

If you plagiarize, you will not only earn a zero on this assignment; you will also be reported to the Office of Academic Integrity. If you have questions academic integrity, please consult: and

Important Due Dates

Week 7 (Feb. 26-28): Final Paper Topic and Research Question is due in section. Your discussion leader will inform you whether they require an electronic or hardcopy, or both.

? 25 points. Graded on a scale of check plus (25 points), check (20 points), check minus (15 points), or F (0 points).

Week 11 (March 25-27): Annotated Bibliography and Primary Source Analysis due in section. Your discussion leader will inform you whether they require an electronic or hardcopy, or both.

? The bibliography is a finalized list of primary and secondary sources for your essay and a 2-3 sentence summary for each. o 25 points. Graded on a scale of check plus (25 points), check (20 points), check minus (15 points), or F (0 points).

? The analysis asks you to go more in-depth on one of your primary sources. Directions below. o 50 points. Graded on a scale of check plus (50 points), check (40 points), check minus (30 points), or F (0 points).

Week 15: (Monday, April 20): Paper due via canvas at 11:59pm. (200 points)

Primary Source Analysis Directions

Primary sources form the base that supports historians' reconstructions of the past. To use primary sources with confidence, historians need to be alert to potential causes of bias, distortion, and inaccuracy in the sources. This assignment will give you practice in ways to identify such causes. Address the following sets of questions in 400-500 words (approximately 1.5-2 pages).

1. Who wrote the document, and for whom was it written? What does this suggest about the point of view reflected in the document?

2. Why was the document written, and what form does it have? A document's purpose and form (e.g. legal testimony, letters, newspapers) will affect the sorts of material it contains and might cause a systematic bias.

3. How do author, audience, purpose, and form relate to the event or phenomenon that the document describes? Was the author in a position to have reliable knowledge of the event or phenomenon? Does the form of the document permit accurate reporting? Does the author have any reason to avoid telling the truth as he or she saw it?

4. In conclusion, how reliable do you think this document is? What other kinds of documents would you want to examine to corroborate its claims?

5. How does this document help you to answer your research question? How will you use it in your paper?

All of these questions are interrelated; your paper should not be a simply a list of answers to individual questions, but a coherent essay with an introduction and conclusion.

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