This assignment asks students to adapt the interpretive methods of one or more of the cultural historians read for the course and extend those methods to a text or other cultural object, chosen in consultation with the instructor.
Students are asked to interpret the object (e.g., text, story, advertisement, photograph, building, diary, poem, film, sculpture, piece of music, comic strip, painting, government document, radio or television broadcast, memoir, play, material object, cartoon, newspaper or magazine article) in relation to its historical context, in an essay of 1000 - 1500 words (4 - 6 pages).
In preparation for the final essay, students will give a 15-minute presentation in class during the final three weeks of the course. Sign-up for days/times for presentations will take place during Week 9.
In individual meetings during week 9 / 10, you should present your choice of cultural objects for approval, subject to the guidelines below. If you choice is not approved, be ready with a second choice.
In Weeks 12, 13, and 14, you will give a 15-minute presentation to the class. In the first five minutes, you should present your chosen object to the class, and summarize your interpretive approach to it. Pay particular attention to describing what the object says (or lets you say) about a particular historical period, event, person, or topic.
The remaining ten minutes should be reserved for class discussion, suggestions, and questions from the class to you about your object and your interpretations of it. The presentation will be part of the final grade for the assignment.
General requirements:
Students should not use texts / objects that have been the focus of class discussions / lectures during the semester.
The text / object may be from any period of American history. The origin of the object should be American (though its creator, language, style, reference may lie elsewhere).
Please consult with the instructor if you would like to use a text / broadcast whose primary language is not English, Czech, or a Germanic or Romance language.
Please include a copy of the work with your essay. Please consult in advance with the instructor if this is not possible.
Paper requirements: As described in the Course Outline.
Format: Electronic - Microsoft Word (but not .docx) or Rich Text Format (rtf).
The assignment is due by email to wbarnard@unyp.cz by 30 January 2009.
The assignment meets these course objectives:
* critically interpret and evaluate primary sources of a variety of types/media, and with a sensitivity to historical context;
* develop coherent, sustained arguments in writing, supported with appropriate examples and placed in the context of scholarly discussions;
* use research skills to discover relevant material for discussion and written assignments;
articulate ideas, and respond respectfully to the ideas of others, in the context of a group discussions;
* manage self and time to successfully meet course requirements, including preparation (homework), attendance, active participation, and the timely submission assignments.
Grading criteria
An “A” Paper:
This paper is exceptional. It takes some intellectual risks, and carries out its project with an impressive sophistication of thought and style. The main idea or thesis is clearly communicated. While significant and worthy of being developed, it is also limited enough to be manageable. The paper shows an awareness of some complexity in the thesis: it may discuss possible contradictions or qualifications of the thesis and their implications. The paper’s terms and keywords are clearly defined and all sources are critically examined. The structure of the paper is clear, whether it is a “logical” structure or a more “associational” organization. The paper is generally free from grammatical and spelling errors.
A “B” Paper:
This paper does more than fulfill the assignment. It carries out its project with a noticeable degree of skill and competence. It has a clearly stated thesis and organization. It touches on the complexity of the thesis and shows careful reading of the sources. All relevant terms are defined. The paragraphs are unified and relate to the thesis. It has not major distracting errors in usage or mechanics (grammar and spelling), and no major lapses in diction or organization.
A “C” Paper:
This paper acceptably fulfills the assignment, though in a routine way. There is a thesis, though it may be rather general. The complexity of the thesis may be touched upon but is not really addressed. The paper’s terms and keywords tend to show a similar generality. The paper’s concepts and thesis are clear enough, but their generality is often a way for the writer to avoid engaging the issues in any real depth. The paper may use sources and cite counter-arguments, but does not critically engage them. The paper has a structure that the reader can discern, though it may be interrupted at times by random or unclear paragraphs and sentences. There may be errors in usage or mechanics.
A “D” Paper:
This paper does not have a clearly defined and meaningful thesis, or shows a lack of engagement on the part of the writer. The paper may lack a meaningful purpose: that purpose could be so vague that the reader is unsure why the writer is writing the essay, or the purpose could be so specific that the reader is uncertain why he or she is reading the essay. The paper does not have a coherent structure, uses few or inappropriate transitions and lacks coherent paragraph structure. Specific and relevant evidence is often missing to support the paper’s assertions. There are enough mechanical errors to make it difficult for the reader to understand the writer’s point clearly and quickly. Typically, this paper will have problems such as vague diction, ambiguous phrasings, awkward sentences, undefined terms, unexamined sources, or no sources at all.
An “F” Paper:
This paper does not respond to the assignment, or has no main idea or thesis and uses no sources. There is no clearly discernable organization or structure to the paper. There is no relevant supporting evidence. The amount of mechanical errors makes it difficult to follow the sequence of ideas. A stylistically adequate paper that does not respond to the assignment is an “F” paper, as is a paper that is not turned in on time.
Digital collections
Below are links to a few digital collections that could be helpful in locating objects you wish to write about.
Making of America
A digital library of primary sources in American social history from the antebellum period through reconstruction. The collection is particularly strong in the subject areas of education, psychology, American history, sociology, religion, and science and technology.
American Memory
American Memory provides free and open access through the Internet to written and spoken words, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music that document the American experience. It is a digital record of American history and creativity. These materials, from the collections of the Library of Congress and other institutions, chronicle historical events, people, places, and ideas that continue to shape America, serving the public as a resource for education and lifelong learning.
History Matters – Many Pasts section
This feature contains primary documents in text, image, and audio about the experiences of ordinary Americans throughout U.S. history. All of the documents have been screened by professional historians and are accompanied by annotations that address their larger historical significance and context.
History Matters –www . history section
This feature is our annotated guide to the most useful websites for teaching U.S. history and social studies. We have carefully selected and screened each website for quality and provide a paragraph annotation that summarizes the site’s content, notes its strengths and weaknesses, and emphasizes its utility for teachers. Information is provided on the type of website (Archive, Electronic Essay, Gateway, Journal, Organization, Syllabi/Assignments) and the type of resource (text, images, audio, and video). Browse sites by topic and time period or look through a list of some of our favorite sites on this page. The full search feature allows you to quickly locate WWW.History resources by topic, time period, keyword, or type.
Documenting the American South
a digital publishing initiative that provides Internet access to texts, images, and audio files related to southern history, literature, and culture. Currently DocSouth includes twelve thematic collections of books, diaries, posters, artifacts, letters, oral history interviews, and songs.
Valley of the Shadow: Two communities in the American Civil War
The Valley Project details life in two American communities, one Northern and one Southern, from the time of John Brown’s Raid through the era of Reconstruction. In this digital archive you may explore thousands of original letters and diaries, newspapers and speeches, census and church records, left by men and women in Augusta County, Virginia, and Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Giving voice to hundreds of individual people, the Valley Project tells forgotten stories of life during the era of the Civil War.
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