History 491, Section 2
Writing and Research in History
Morgan 207; TTH 2:00-3:15pm
Spring 2008
Prof. Greg Hall
Office: Morgan 203-E
Office hours: TTH 11am-12:30pm and by appointment
Phone number: Dept. 298-1053 and Office 298-1575
Email: G-Hall@wiu.edu
Fax number: 298-2540
Webpage: www.wiu.edu/users/gh101/
Course Description and Goals:
This course will provide students majoring in history with the opportunity to learn the practice of the historian’s craft through critically reading and discussing historical literature and through researching and writing on a historical topic. The course will be taught as a research seminar on a specific historical theme. Students will be introduced to the historiography of the subject and will read a monograph and/or essays on that particular topic. Reading the assigned weekly literature, participating in class discussions, giving presentations, and writing short papers and a research paper will be required of each student. Students are expected to leave this course with an improved understanding of historical inquiry, a better grasp of the concept of change through time, exposure to historiographic debate, and improved skills in critical thinking, research and writing. I also expect students to be able to apply their improved analytic skills in the further study of history, teaching, other employment, and in lifelong learning.
Prerequisites:
Junior or senior standing, at least eighteen semester hours in history, or permission of instructor.
Required Texts:
William Cronon, Changes in the Land
Richard White, The Organic Machine
Mark H. Lytle, The Gentle Subversive
Recommended Texts:
Diana Hacker, A Pocket Style Manual
Kate Turabian, A Manual for Writers
Short Book Review Papers:
Students will write three short book reviews approximately four to five pages each in length. Each paper is worth 50 points.
Research Paper:
A twenty page research paper is required of all students in the course. Although students are free to consider any subject within the course theme, the topic must be cleared with the instructor and cannot be an identical subject of a previous paper written for this course. The paper should have a balance of primary and secondary sources. The paper will be worth a total of 150 points. Students will need to immediately begin to consider a topic. Students will turn in a prospectus (20 points) at the end of the first third of the semester and a first draft (30 points) by the end of the second third of the semester. A late prospectus and/or late first draft will be docked 5 points a day, regardless of the excuse. Two copies of the final draft (100 points) of the paper – including the original prospectus and original first draft with my comments – will be due the day and time of the final exam. No late research papers will be accepted, and no final drafts will be accepted without the specified accompanying materials. Endnotes or footnotes are required in the prospectus, first draft, and final draft of the paper in accordance with Chicago Style. A more detailed description of this assignment will be available to students in handouts at intervals during the semester.
Participation, etc:
Students are expected to attend every class session, attend the library workshop, participate in class discussions, and give presentations to the class. Students' combined attendance, class participation, and presentations will be worth up to 100 points.
Academic Accommodations:
“In accordance with University policy and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), academic accommodations may be made for any student who notifies the instructor of the need for an accommodation. It is imperative that you take the initiative to bring such needs to the instructor’s attention, as he/she is not legally permitted to inquire about such particular needs of students. Students who may require special assistance in emergency evacuations (i.e. fire, tornado, etc.) should contact the instructor as to the most appropriate procedures to follow in such an emergency. Contact Disability support Services ad 298-2512 for additional services.”
Student Behavior:
Students are expected to behave with respect toward the course, their fellow students, and the instructor. Cell phones and other electronic devices are prohibited in the classroom. If a student uses such a device in class then the student will be asked to leave. Conversations and other disruptive behavior that interferes with teaching and/or learning will not be tolerated and can result in an assigned classroom seat or expulsion from the class. Continued disruptive behavior on the part of a student can result in an “F” in the course.
Academic Dishonesty:
Academic honesty is expected of all students. Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated on any course assignments. Cheating is broadly defined as any activity, method, or technique which gives a student an unfair advantage over other students in the completion of evaluated work or which substitutes work done by another for one's own. Cheating can result in failure in the course. Plagiarism involves submitting as one's own the words, ideas, or information of others without proper and customary acknowledgment of one's sources. To avoid plagiarism, students must use a citation. When directly using an author's words in a research paper, students must use quotation marks to distinguish a source's words from their own. Students who plagiarize in their research paper risk failing the course.
Grading Policy:
I will base your final grade on a 400-point scale. The short papers make up 150 points of the total, the research paper 150 points, and participation, etc. will make up the remaining 100 points.
A=400-360; B=359-320; C=319-280; D=279-240; F=239-0
This syllabus is subject to revision at the discretion of the professor as necessary.
Course Schedule:
Week One: Cronon, chapters 1-3
1/15 Introduction; 1/17 discuss Cronon
Week Two: Cronon, chapters 4-8
1/22 discuss chapters 4-6; 1/24 discuss chapters 7-8
Week Three:
1/29 First Short Paper Due and students present their essay to the class; 1/31 meet individually with professor to discuss research paper topic
Week Four: White, all
2/5 discuss introduction and chapters 1 & 2; 2/7 discuss chapters 3 & 4
Week Five: 2/12 Second Short Paper Due and students present their essay to the class; 2/14 library workshop LCC3 (third floor periodicals)
Week Six: Lytle, prologue and chapters 1 & 2 (Work on prospectus)
2/19 discuss prologue and chapters 1 & 2; 2/21 meet individually with professor to discuss research paper topic
Week Seven: Lytle, chapters 3 & 4 and epilogue (Work on prospectus)
2/26 discuss chapters 3 & 4 and epilogue; 2/28 Third Short Paper Due and students present their essay to the class
Week Eight: Work on prospectus
3/4 no class; 3/6 Prospectus due
Week Nine: Spring Break
3/11 no class; 3/13 no class
Week Ten: Work on first draft of research paper
3/18 meet to discuss prospectus; 3/20 no class
Week Eleven: Work on first draft of research paper
3/25 no class; 3/27 no class
Week Twelve: Work on first draft of research paper
4/1 no class; 4/3 First Draft of Research Paper Due
Week Thirteen: Work on final draft of research paper
4/8 no class; 4/10 no class
Week Fourteen: Work on final draft of research paper
4/15 meet to discuss first draft; 4/17 no class
Week Fifteen: Work on final draft of research paper
4/22 student presentations; 4/24 student presentations
Week Sixteen: Work on final draft of research paper
4/29 student presentations; 5/1 student presentations
Week Seventeen:
5/6 @ 3pm turn in two copies of your final draft of your Research Paper with the original prospectus and first draft. Final drafts will not be accepted without the accompanying materials