History 146 Assignments & Schedules

"Brother, you say there is but one way to worship and serve the Great Spirit. If there is but one religion, why do you white people differ so much about it? Why not all agreed, as you can all read the Book?"
~Segoyewatha ("Red Jacket")~

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Last Updated
22 March 2014
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Reading and Writing Schedules

Edmodo Discussions AND Class Assignments:

Edmodo:

Edmodo Class Code:  vwiut9

Edmodo is a secure "social media"-type (think: skinnier Facebook) that is conducive to group interaction and communication.  Rather than the bulletin-board format that many online students are used to, Edmodo streamlines the process so students can quickly shift from their respective group interaction to catching up very quickly on class-at-large information.  In fact, if one looks to the right margin, one can see icons that link to feeds from Edmodo for each Hist&146 class this term.  Assignments for discussions can be submitted very easily and one does not even have to log in through a computer to keep up with one's classmates.  Edmodo also has a mobile site and allows students to send notifications directly to their e-mail (or smart phones, if one has a large text capacity).

The Discussion postings in Edmodo work with your reading assignments. In fact, discussion postings comprise thirty percent (30%) of your class grade for a total of 300 points (see grading scheme page).  Each Edmodo group assignment will be worth a certain number of points.  An individual's discussion posting points will depend on the quality of his or her postings up to the total points for the assignment.  Those members of a group who decline to participate or provide little support will receive fewer points.

Within Edmodo, you will find topics that closely align with topics in your textbook readings. In addition, students are invited to submit topics for discussions. The class will be more interesting if the members of the class took some control over topics they find interesting, collectively. Please do not hesitate to contact the instructor with topic suggestions. Be sure that the questions will provoke good discussions and analyses.

Reading and Writing Assignments

Reading:

Reading and writing schedules can be found in the calendar.  The links to the respective class calendars are found at the top of this page.

• Reading assignments are given by chapters.

• Each group can subdivide concentrations on various parts amongst individual group members, although . . .

• It is a good idea for each individual to at least skim through and have a good outline of each chapter.

• Chapter outlines can be accessed through the Bedford St. Martin's Online Study Guide link found in the More Links page of this site.

• Between the discussion topics in Edmodo and chapter outlines, one should be able to grasp the primary focal points to prepare for examinations.

Writing Assignments

Submit writing assignments through the drop boxes under the Lessons tab in Canvas.  There are essentially two research-based writing assignments that are broken into three phases:

Phase I: Chicago Style Citation Exercise (100 points):

This assignment is actually a drill that runs through most of the term.  In history, we use Chicago style citation to cite our sources when writing research papers.  Most students who are familiar with style guides are familiar with MLA or APA styles, but are not familiar with Chicago style.  Then, there are students who have never had to learn any style.  In order to get students comfortable with Chicago style, I have set up a drill:

• Download the first five documents found in the folder 03_Chicago Citation Documents in the Class Documents widget in the Class Documents page. Alternatively, there is a drop-down menu if the widget does not work for you.

  • These are the two Chicago style guides (.pdf)

  • The Citation Hints document (.pdf)

  • The actual Citation Assignment Sheet (Chicago_CitationEx.doc)

  • The citation source document needed to complete the assignment (CitationExhibits.pdf)

• Read through the style guides and hints document (if needed).

• Read through the assignment sheet including the instructions at the top of the page.

• Open the source document (CitationExhibits.pdf) and look through the exhibits carefully to see how these correlate to the problem sets in the citation assignment.

• Attempt the citation assignment and submit by the due date.

  • You will not receive a grade for the initial attempt - these will remain as a record of your initial attempt.

  • You will receive a link to a page that links to four videos that provide the solutions to the exercise after you have submitted your exercise.

  • Watch the videos and examine your initial attempt.  Correct any errors you can find and resubmit.  At this point, I will grade your second attempt.  If I find errors, I will note those and you will have the option to correct and resubmit until your assignment is error-free and you earn 100 points.

• You will be expected to submit bibliography and footnotes in correct Chicago style with your rough drafts (see below).

Phase II:  Rough Draft (20 points)

A rough draft must be submitted; thiswill receive 20 points towards the total score for the research paper.  Well before the rough draft ("RD") is due, please read the rubric regarding the criteria for the rough draft will be specified, as well as general instructions regarding writing assignments and paper mechanics.

Phase III:  Final Research Paper (180 points)

Due:  Your final research paper will be due the last week of the term.

Topic:  Must stay within the parameters of this class:

• Must not exceed beyond the early 19th century (no later than 1824).

• Must relate to the history of the United States from pre-Columbian to early 19th century.

• Can be on any subject matter: the arts; athletics; economics and trade; fashion; food; etc.

  • There is one exception:  Religion.  Religion is a key factor in history and its importance cannot be overstated.  You may research the influence of a religion or religious doctrine or key figures.

  • What is to be avoided is a paper that becomes a vehicle for proselytizing or denigrating a particular faith.  Papers on one's own religious doctrine will not be accepted.  Papers (and test answers, for that matter) that express intolerance and hatred toward another group of people have no place in this classroom or in any educational institution where people - students, staff, and faculty - of all backgrounds are accepted and welcomed.