History 261: Research and Methods
Scarboro
Statue of Brue Lee erected in Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina, 2007
Class Meetings: MWF 11:00 (H-M 301)
Office: 312 H-M
Office Hours: M/W 2:00-3:30; T/Th 8:00-11:00
E-mail: cristoferscarboro@kings.edu
Phone: 208-5900 ext. 5637
Sharepoint: http://sharepoint.kings.edu/sites/HIST261/default.aspx
This class is intended as an overview of the basic skills and methods needed for the study of history. Topics will include library and archival research, historical writing, historiography and interpretation, the creation, transformation and enforcement of historical narrative, quantitative analysis in history, and the professional opportunities for the history major. Students will complete a supervised research project as the Sophomore-Junior Diagnostic.
Benjamin Jules R, A Student's Guide to History, 10th ed., Bedford/Saint Martin's, 2007.
Davidson, James West and Mark H Lytle, After the Fact: The Art of
Historical Detection, Combined 5th Edition, McGraw-Hill, 2004.
Loewen, James W. Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History
Textbook Got Wrong, Sagebrush Education Resources, 1996.
Trouillot, Michel Rolph, Silencing the Past: Power and the Production of History, Beacon Press, 1995
B. Course Film:
Kurosawa, Akira, Rashômon, Criterion Collection 2001, (1950)
C. Class Participation and Attendance:
As well as providing you with the methodological and analytical tools for engaging in historical thinking, this class will ask you to actively take part in a larger conversation of historical issues within the class. I expect this class to allow us to delve deeply into the historical topics of each week’s readings. To that end you need to make sure that you arrive to class on time ready to discuss the weekly readings, having carefully read and thought over the material. You must take an active role in the class discussions. Thus a portion of your grade will depend on your in-class performance and presence.
In a class of this nature it goes without saying that a classroom environment in which everyone feels comfortable is essential. You should treat your fellow classmates with respect, listen carefully to their comments and respond to them in a polite manner.
King’s College regards student participation in class as essential to the learning process. Therefore, regular class attendance is required of all students. After three unexcused absences your class participation grade will drop a letter grade (from A to B). Each subsequent absence will result in another letter grade deduction. Please see the King’s College student Handbook for policies regarding excusing absences and campus attendance policies.
Students are responsible for making up any work they miss while absent from class. Work missed should be turned in the day you return from an excused absence (unless otherwise agreed to). Late work due to an unexcused absence will be penalized a 1/3 a grade (from A to A-) for each day late.
If you miss an exam, contact the instructor as soon as possible. You may take a missed exam at the discretion of the instructor.
Learning is a cumulative process in which knowledge and skills are developed and enhanced from course to course. At King’s College the Sophomore/Junior Diagnostic Project This project should determine your ability to transfer learned skill to a significant work of history. It should reveal strengths and weaknesses in your ability to be a successful history major, which will be communicated to the faculty of the department and your major advisor.
Procedure:
You will write a 10-12 page research paper, whose thesis makes a coherent argument about a specific topic of history. The procedure will be monitored by a checklist maintained by the instructor (be sure to collect and consult handouts/forms provided). All materials will be kept in a document case that must be purchased from the instructor. Writing is a process and your major project will be undertaken in a number of steps.
1. Choice of Topic: the general subject area of your project. The class will be divided into two or three groups, American, European, and World. Students in each group will agree upon a specific topic or theme for research. From this larger topic or theme, each student will have to develop an individual project with a unique thesis. At the end of the project, students will evaluate each other’s performance in the group according to a form to be provided by the instructor. The instructor will use this form and his own evaluation to determine the group participation portion of your grade. Your Choice of topic is due in class on January 28th.
2. Tertiary Source Search: Each group will from tertiary sources in King’s Library research the basics about their topic. One student will be appointed project manager and will be responsible for organizing the research done by the other students. Group work will determine the number and kinds of sources to be researched. Produced will be a glossary of the key concepts and problems relevant to the topic or theme. A photocopy of the first page of each article must be attached. A bibliography of tertiary sources will be due in class on February 6th.
3. Sources and Preliminary Bibliography: To help you in your research, you shall draw on the Bibliography in Jules R. Benjamin, A Student's Guide to History, Appendix A, pp. 179-231 (for printed sources only, not from the internet). One student will be appointed project manager (who was not manager of the previous project) and will be responsible for organizing the research done by the other students. The instructor will provide each group with guidelines. Then each group must go through the references in JRB, selecting any and all, which might be relevant for its topic and annotate them (brief description and explanation of how it helps in your papers). List sources separately under a subtitle for each of the three categories (“Tertiary Sources,” “Secondary Sources,” “Primary Sources”). Otherwise, you must follow proper Turabian/Chicago Manual of Style format. See Corgan Library Study Guides #11 and #22
Preliminary Bibliography due in class on February 13th.
4. Prospectus: an explanation and justification for each individual research project. A one-paragraph proposal includes: a one-sentence focused thesis statement of your topic, methods by which research will be conducted, and hoped for results from the project. See Corgan Library Study Guides #1 and #2. You may change your exact thesis at a later date, but it should be guiding your research by this point.
Project prospectus due February 20th.
5. Annotated Bibliography: a list of your sources with a one-paragraph description and evaluation for each. See Corgan Library Study Guides #7, #14 and #17. Each commentary includes: identification of the type of source, its scope and point of view, the qualifications of the author, its level of depth and/or difficulty, how this source relates to others, and its value for the particular projects of specific students.
Annotated bibliography due in class February 27th.
6. Outline and Notes: a one-page structural description of the paper in outline format (to be provided) and all notes collected up to this point (in the required document case). Notes may be on note cards, note paper, processed into the printout of an electronic note document, and/or copies of highlighted and commented sources.
Outline and Notes due in class March 10th.
7. Reviewable Draft: a rough draft suitable for review by other students. Bring two (2) copies to class, during which other students will read and comment on your work thus far. After this session, and more revisions, you should go to the Writing Center with your draft for further input and improvements.
Reviewable draft due in class March 17th.
8. Polished Draft: a draft that as closely as possible incorporates the suggestions and critiques garnered from your classmates from your earlier rough draft.
Polished draft due in class April 2nd
9. Presentation and Defense: a ten (10) minute summary of your research and a two (2) minute response to questions from the class. Each class member will read the paper and offer comments, criticisms, and questions. The oral presentation will be made according to detailed guidelines provided by the instructor.
Presentations given in class April 16-28th.
10. Final Draft: Turn in your Polished Draft which has been commented on by the instructor, with two (2) copies of a finished version of your paper which incorporates the corrections and suggestions made by the instructor, class members, and your own further thought and a proper bibliography. You may pick up a graded copy of your final version after the end of the semester; the other copy and your Polished Draft are to be kept on file in the History Department.
Final draft due in class April 30th.
E. Final Exam:
Your final exam, given during finals week, will consist of two parts: first, you will be asked to answer a series of questions pertaining to the final projects of your classmates, dealing with both issues of content and methodology. The second element of the exam will consist of you working directly with interpreting primary sources.
F. Leading Class Discussions:
You will be responsible for leading class discussion once during this semester. This will entail reading the assigned text, song collection or film closely, arranging a list of topics and themes to discuss in class and preparing a series of questions to discuss during class. You will e-mail a list of 8-10 questions to me and your classmates no later than 5:00 the evening before class so that we will have time to reflect on them and prepare responses.
G. Group Work:
Much of your work this semester will be done in groups. You will choose and analyze sources collectively and use one another as resources throughout the class. On the first day of class you will be assigned three other group mates with whom you will work closely all semester. As a group you will be responsible for helping one another with the early stages of the final project (choosing a topic and sources). As a group you will be responsible for analyzing a primary source in music or art for the class. You will also be required to provide a substantial written peer-review of your group mate's rough draft of the larger paper.
H. Grading:
Your final grade will be based on the following percentages
|
100-98 |
A+ |
|
97-95 |
A |
|
94-92 |
A- |
|
91-89 |
B+ |
|
88-85 |
B |
|
84-83 |
B- |
|
82-80 |
C+ |
|
79-77 |
C |
|
76-75 |
C- |
|
74-70 |
D |
|
69< |
F |
Your grade distribution for assignments is as follows:
|
Class Part. |
10% |
|
Final Paper |
40% |
|
Presentation |
20% |
|
Peer Review |
10% |
|
Leading Disc. |
20% |
I. Academic Integrity:
The Department of History adheres to guidelines on academic integrity outlined in the Student Conduct Code in the Student Handbook: http://www.kings.edu/student_handbook/studentregulations_rights/conductcode.htm
Cheating and plagiarism will be penalized in accord with the penalties and procedures indicated in that source. All students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the definition of these infractions of academic honesty.
J. Disabilities:
King’s College and this instructor will make every effort to accommodate students with a bona-fide disability that impacts on their ability to learn the course material. Please meet with me privately so that appropriate arrangements can be made to help in the learning process.
IV. Course Schedule:
Introduction
Monday, January 14th
The Perils and Possibilities of History
Wednesday, January 16th
**Michel Rolph Trouillot, Silencing the Past, 1-30
Rashômon
Friday, January 18th
Discussant(s):
Michael Carandang
The Question of Heroes
Monday, January 21st
James W. Loewen, Lies my Teacher Told Me, 1-30
Discussant(s):
Jessica Thomas
Chris Kasbohm
Sources: Library Visit
Wednesday, January 23rd
**Jules R. Benjamin, A Student's Guide to History, 77-118
Plagiarism
Friday, January 25th
Sources and their Evaluation
Monday January 28th
Jules R. Benjamin, A Student's Guide to History, 103-115
~Presentation Topic Due
Sources: Remembering Virginia
Wednesday, January 30th
Davidson and Lytle, After the Fact, 1-23
Discussant(s):
Nick Strom
Ryan Arcangeli
Sources: Library Visit
Friday, February 1st
**Jules R. Benjamin, A Student's Guide to History, 77-118
Library Visit
Wednesday, February 6th
Sources: Columbus
Friday, February 8th
**Michel Rolph Trouillot, Silencing the Past, 108-140
Discussant(s):
Mark Esposito
Marisa Sedon
~Tertiary Source Search Due
Historical Narrative
Monday, February 11th
James W. Loewen, Lies my Teacher Told Me, 249-264
Discussant(s):
Johanna Siscavage-Habib
Kristen Delarosa
Historical Narrative
Wednesday, February 13th
Davidson and Lytle, After the Fact, 400-431
Discussant(s):
Phil Gakos
Grant Parsons
~Pre Bibliography Due
How to Write a Paper
Friday, February 15th
History and Race
Monday, February 18th
James W. Loewen, Lies my Teacher Told Me, 131-164
Wednesday, February 20th
Discussant(s):
Genna Delgado
Holly Mattern
**Presentation Prospectus Due
History and the Visual
Monday, February 25th
Davidson and Lytle, After the Fact, 210-233
Discussant(s):
Alex Watty
Richard Lanahan
Unthinkable History
Wednesday, February 27th
**Michel Rolph Trouillot, Silencing the Past, 70-107
Discussant(s):
Cruz Olivarez
Rob Seguin
~Annotated Bibliography Due
How to Evaluate Historical Writing
Friday, February 29th
Jules R. Benjamin, A Student's Guide to History, 45-46
"Presence in the Past"
Monday, March 10th
Michel Rolph Trouillot, Silencing the Past, 141-153
Discussants:
Matthew Meade
Ryan Hiller
~Presentation Outline and Notes Due
"Why is History Taught Like This?"
Wednesday, March 12th
Loewen, Lies my Teacher Told Me, 265-292
Discussant(s):
James Pasquale
Dylan Ostrowski
Sources and Myths
Friday, March 14th
Adam Gopnik, "Angles and Ages: Lincoln's Language and its Legacy," from The New Yorker, May 28, 2007
Discussant(s):
Amamda Armitage
No Class
Monday, March 17th
~Reviewable Draft Due
Sources and the Question of Gender
Wednesday, March 26th
**Davidson and Lytle, After the Fact, 346-373
Discussant(s):
Kyle Gilligan
Sources: Group Work (Art)
Friday, March 28th
The Question of Careers
Monday, March 31st
~Job Site Evaluation Due
Delivering Oral Presentations
Wednesday, April 2nd
**Jules R. Benjamin, A Student's Guide to History, 43-45
~Presentation Polished Draft Due
Sources: Group Work (Music)
Friday, April 4th
Peer Review of Drafts
Monday, April 7th
Peer Review of Drafts
Wednesday, April 9th
~Grading of Presentation Drafts Due
No Class--Prepare for Presentations
Friday, April 11th
No Class--Prepare for Presentations
Monday, April 14th
Presentations
Wednesday, April 16th
Presentations
Friday, April 18th
Presentations
Monday, April 21st
Presentations
Wednesday, April 23rd
Presentations
Friday, April 25th
Presentations
Monday, April 28th
Wednesday, April 30th
**Final Draft Due