| The paper assignments are based primarily on common readings and lectures for the course. Occasionally you may be asked to do a very small amount of additional extra reading (e.g., a few poems by a World War I poet other than Wilfred Owen), but this will be very little extra reading. In no case should you base your paper on reading other than what is specified. The argument that you make must be entirely your own, not what you found on Google or in the library. Using arguments other than your own, even if you cite the source, will result in no credit for the paper.
TOPICS AND DUE DATES:
1. Napoleon considered himself the protector and savior of the Revolution. How could he make that claim? His opponents considered him its destroyer. Were they right -- or was he? Due date: Feb. 16.
2. Click here to view a selection of poetry and paintings from the Romantic period. What are the characteristics of Romanticism found in these works? How would you know that these were from the Romantic period even if I hadn't told you? Due date: March 11.
3. Several cities in Minnesota, and the state as a whole, are currently considering some sort of comprehensive ban on indoor smoking. Based on what he writes in On Liberty, what position would John Stuart Mill take on such a ban? Due date: March 16.
4. Both Frankenstein and The Island of Dr Moreau are works of fiction which deal with the creation of monsters, and both novels reflect the concerns of the time period in which they were written. How are the concerns expressed by Wells different from those of Shelley? How can you tell that Wells was not writing in the period of Romanticism? Due date: April 11.
5. Read the linked poems written by World War I soldier-poets. Do these poems present the soldier's perspective in the same way as Wilfred Owen does, or are there things in these poems that offer contradictory and/or different insights? If there are differences, how might you account for those? Due date: April 20.
6. Using Haffner's Defying Hitler, assess the strengths and weaknesses of personal memoirs as historical sources. Can they be used as reliable or should they be avoided as hopelessly self-serving and selective -- or are they something in between? Due date: May 9.
COMMON EXPECTATIONS:
Purpose: Regardless of the specific topics on which you write, your papers are always expected to be primarily analytical; in other words, you must make an argument supported by evidence.
Audience: Although I may be the only person who reads your papers, you should write not specifically for me but for an intelligent reader who may be unfamiliar with the material that you read. A good test for whether or not you have done this is to have a friend or roommate read your paper. If it's not clear to her/him, then you need to revise it before turning it in.
Format: Papers must be
-at least c. 900 words long (c. 3 full standard pages) and usually no longer than 1200 words;
-typed using a standard reader-friendly 12 point font, double-spaced, with one-inch margins;
-written in standard, grammatical English; and
-stapled (not clipped) together.
In addition:
-do not provide a separate title page, and
-number every page, preferably in the upper right corner.
In the upper left of the first page, please provide the following:
Your Name
HIS-120
The Date, 2005
Papers that do not follow this format in other than minor ways may be returned ungraded.
Citing sources: You must cite your sources for all quotations and paraphrases. Refer to your writing handbook for examples of what must be cited. The format you will use is the MLA in-text citation method--not footnotes/endnotes. Example: According to Carlson, "Historians should make more money than heart surgeons" (Carlson 45). Note that you do not use a comma or a 'p.' in this format; the parentheses go outside of the quotation marks, but inside the period at the end of the sentence. You do not need to make a list of works cited. Failing to cite your sources adequately is plagiarism. As required by college policy, you may receive an F for plagiarism. If you have any questions about citing sources, ask me!
Language: All papers are to be written in standard formal English. When writing history papers, it is conventional to avoid the first person (I, me, my, us, we, our) and not to address the reader directly ("as you will see", for example). While some historians are moving away from these conventions, most still try to minimize if not altogether avoid these usages.
Proofreading: You should never turn in a paper that has not been carefully reviewed for errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation.
Due dates: The due dates for each paper are given next to the topic. I expect papers to be turned in on time. Since you have many options here, I will generally not grant extensions but instead ask that you write on a topic with a later due date. I will accept late papers without extensions on the next class day after the due date, but with an automatic full letter grade penalty. In case of truly unusual circumstances, if you feel that an extension is justifiable, please do ask; I am not ruling them out completely -- but they will be extremely rare.
GRADING:
In assigning grades to your papers, I will apply the following general standards:
A The argument demonstrates a very high level of understanding of the material. A great deal of thought went into this paper. Use of evidence is excellent. The paper is well-organized, and it is nearly free of errors in grammar, spelling and word choice.
B This is a solid paper. It demonstrates a reasonably good grasp of the material and some thought seems to have gone into it. It is not as sophisticated as an A paper will be and/or may not use evidence as well. It is generally well-executed but may have some relatively minor problems with organization, grammar, spelling and/or wording. (A paper with an excellent argument and use of evidence will get a B if it is marred by excessive errors in grammar, spelling and word choice.)
C There are some significant flaws with this paper, either in its argument, use of evidence, or execution. There is enough of merit in it to demonstrate that the author made some effort but it is not as effective as a college history paper should be.
NC A paper that appears to have been thrown together with little or no reflection, uses no evidence or uses it incorrectly, and/or is riddled with technical problems is a waste of paper, toner, and time for all concerned. No credit will be given to such papers.
Given these criteria, it is my expectation that every student should be able to get at least a B on every paper. The comments that I make on your paper are intended both to explain the grade and to point out what you should do on future papers -- both things that you did right that you should keep doing and things that need to be improved. I am eager to talk with you privately about papers as well. Please don't hesitate to ask if you would like to meet with me!
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