· Web viewHistory 200 - Doing History: An Introduction. Fall 2016: MWF 10:00-10:50 (Wyatt 313)...

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History 200 - Doing History: An Introduction Fall 2016: MWF 10:00-10:50 (Wyatt 313) Professor Katherine Allen Smith email: [email protected] phone: (253) 879-3906 (campus ext. 3906) office hours: Wyatt 142: Mon. 11-12 and Thurs. 1- 3 (and other times by appointment) “The memory delights in brevity, yet the events of history are nearly infinite.” - Hugh of Saint Victor, medieval theologian (d. 1141) 1 “[Historians] choose the data. We draw the conclusions. We choose to speak. And this choice involves us in responsibilities, as we are all aware. We need to ask ourselves: to whom are we speaking? But let me put that aside for the present. We have another, overriding responsibility. The dead have no voice but ours. How best can we find the voices of our dead, and speak of patterns and principles to which they would have assented, however shruggingly?” - Eleanor M. Searle, American historian (d. 1999) 2 “An acute sense of history, the feeling of being in the middle of a story fraught with meaning, which must have had a beginning somewhere and will somewhere have an ending, in which the pattern will be completed and revealed, is characteristic of a highly self-conscious culture. […] Fully and humanly against reason, we are determined to work out the pattern of our plot, even after we realize that no one dies at the end, but in the middle of everything, and is born into the middle as well.” - Nancy F. Partner, American historian 3 1 “The Three Best Memory Aids for Learning History,” in The Medieval Craft of Memory: An Anthology of Texts and Pictures, ed. and trans. Mary Carruthers and Jan Ziolkowski (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2002), 39. 2 “Possible History,” Speculum 61/4 (Oct. 1986): 779-86 (quoting 779). 3 “Making Up Lost Time: Writing on the Writing of History,” Speculum 61/1 (Jan. 1986): 90-117 (quoting 90-91).

Transcript of   · Web viewHistory 200 - Doing History: An Introduction. Fall 2016: MWF 10:00-10:50 (Wyatt 313)...

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History 200 - Doing History: An IntroductionFall 2016: MWF 10:00-10:50 (Wyatt 313)

Professor Katherine Allen Smithemail: [email protected] phone: (253) 879-3906 (campus ext. 3906)office hours: Wyatt 142: Mon. 11-12 and Thurs. 1-3 (and other times by appointment)

“The memory delights in brevity, yet the events of history are nearly infinite.”

- Hugh of Saint Victor, medieval theologian (d. 1141)1

“[Historians] choose the data. We draw the conclusions. We choose to speak. And this choice involves us in responsibilities, as we are all aware. We need to ask ourselves: to whom are we speaking? But let me put that aside for the present. We have another, overriding responsibility. The dead have no voice but ours. How best can we find the voices of our dead, and speak of patterns and principles to which they would have assented, however shruggingly?”

- Eleanor M. Searle, American historian (d. 1999)2

“An acute sense of history, the feeling of being in the middle of a story fraught with meaning, which must have had a beginning somewhere and will somewhere have an ending, in which the pattern will be completed and revealed, is characteristic of a highly self-conscious culture. […] Fully and humanly against reason, we are determined to work out the pattern of our plot, even after we realize that no one dies at the end, but in the middle of everything, and is born into the middle as well.”

- Nancy F. Partner, American historian3

Description: This course is intended to serve as an introduction to history for prospective or recently declared majors or minors, and to prepare them to succeed in upper-division courses in the History Department. In the first unit of the course, students will learn about the craft of history, including its history as a discipline, the rise of various schools of historical thought and their methodologies. In the last three units of the course, students will practice the craft of history, learning to read primary sources closely and critically, identify and engage with modern historians’ arguments, and diving into a research project on a topic developed in consultation with the instructor. Since my own training and research focuses on the history of Western Europe in the medieval

1 “The Three Best Memory Aids for Learning History,” in The Medieval Craft of Memory: An Anthology of Texts and Pictures, ed. and trans. Mary Carruthers and Jan Ziolkowski (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2002), 39.2 “Possible History,” Speculum 61/4 (Oct. 1986): 779-86 (quoting 779). 3 “Making Up Lost Time: Writing on the Writing of History,” Speculum 61/1 (Jan. 1986): 90-117 (quoting 90-91).

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and early modern periods, we will read many sources related to that period, and research projects will address some aspect of European history pre-1650. There is no expectation that students will have any background in premodern or European history.

Course Objectives: All students will have the opportunity to• become familiar with the kinds of primary and secondary sources

commonly used by historians, and with the methods of analysis that can be applied to these sources;

• gain experience with the kinds of writing assignments often encountered in college-level History classes, including close readings of primary sources, reviews, and research papers;

• acquire the research skills needed to locate and assess the value of historical sources and other resources, such as reference works, books, journal articles, databases, and websites;

• and carry out research on a subject of special interest to them, culminating in a final paper showcasing the historical research and writing skills developed over the semester.

Texts: The required texts listed below are available for purchase at the campus bookstore. Additional readings may be found online or on our course’s Moodle page, as noted in the schedule of classes.

• Steven Bednarski, The Life and Times of Margarida de Portu, a Fourteenth-Century Accused Poisoner (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2014)

• John H. Arnold, History: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000) ISBN: 019285352X

• Mary Lynn Rampolla, A Pocket Guide to Writing in History, 8th edn. (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2015) ISBN: 1457690888

• History 200 Course Reader (= ‘CR’ in schedule of readings)

Requirements and Evaluation:1) Class Participation (including attendance): I may give short

lectures from time to time, but our class will be primarily discussion driven. Class discussion is not a spectator sport! In a discussion-based class, everyone shares responsibility for making each meeting a success. I will do my part, and expect each of you to do yours by coming to class with reading done, notes, questions, and any assignments in hand, prepared to listen and share ideas. Your participation grade will reflect not only your physical presence in the classroom, but your level of engagement. Please come prepared to think and talk about history, and be kind enough to refrain from texting, reading for other classes, or any other rude or distracting behavior during class. Finally, since you cannot participate if you are not in class, regular attendance is essential to your success in this course (on which, see more under ‘Other Policies’ below).

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2) Nine Graded Preps: In the schedule of classes below, you’ll see that nearly every class has an associated prep (marked ), designed to help you get the most out of that day’s assigned material or to help you make progress on your research paper. These are not busy-work; all the exercises are designed to help you master specific skills and complete major assignments in a timely fashion. I will collect and grade 9 of the preps on a scale from 1 to 10. Graded preps must be typed, double-spaced, and proofread, with Chicago-Style citations as appropriate. I will not accept late or emailed preps except in cases of documented serious illness or other emergencies. Due Sept. 2 nd , Sept. 9 th , Sept. 16 th , Sept. 26 th , Oct. 10 th , Oct. 19 th , Oct. 24 th , Nov. 11 th , and Nov. 28 th .

3) Short Essay: Everyone will write a formal essay of 2.5-3 pages in response to Steven Bednarski’s Poisoned Past. Due Sept. 19 th .

4) Group Website Project: In the first half of the course, students will spend three weeks working in groups to research and develop content for a public history website to be hosted by Collins Library. In addition to the group-generated website content, each student will turn in a short reflection on the assignment. Due Oct. 7 th .

5) Article Review: As part of the initial research for the final project, everyone will select a scholarly article related to their topic, and compose a 3-4-page review of it. Due Oct. 28 th .

4) Research Project: The culmination of your History 200 experience will be a research paper based on primary sources and informed by secondary scholarship. The second half of the semester will be dedicated to the research and writing process. The first draft (8 pp. minimum) is due on Nov. 21st and the final draft (10 pp. minimum) on Dec. 14th. I will provide a number of handouts on the research project, including details on exactly what should be included in each draft. Due Nov. 21 st (first draft) and Dec. 16 th (final draft) .

Grading Scale: All assignments and participation will be graded on a 100-point scale from A to F. Here are the numerical equivalents of each grade: A

Breakdown of Final Grade:class participation: 13%9 short preps: 15% first short essay: 5%website project: 15% (of which 3% = personal

reflection)article review: 12% final paper, first draft: 15%final paper, final draft: 25%

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(94-100); A- (90-93); B+ (87-89); B (84-86); B- (80-83); C+(77-79); C (74-76); C- (70-73); D (67-69); D (64-66); D- (60-63); F (0-59).

Help with Research and Writing: I am available to discuss readings and assignments, offer research advice and discuss writing strategies during office hours and by appointment. Once we move into the final unit of our course, there will be designated research or writing days (not ‘days off’) when we will not meet as a group. I will be available in my office on these days during our usual class time and I encourage you to stop by to discuss your research progress.

I also encourage you to make use of the staffs of Collins Library and the Center for Writing, Learning, and Teaching. We will have library workshops with our liaison librarian, Peggy Burge, but feel free to make an appointment to meet with her to discuss your research. I guarantee she will help you find sources you would have otherwise missed! You you can arrange a research consultation with Peggy via our course website. Our archivist, Katie Henningsen ([email protected]), is another great resource for students interested in working with original materials (not just in History 200, but in History 400, summer research, etc.). The CWLT (located in Howarth 109) is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to improve their writing, is learning to write in a new discipline, or who just needs help getting started on an assignment. You can make an appointment with one of the peer writing advisors by emailing [email protected] or calling ext. 3404.

Other Policies: Attendance: Regular attendance is essential to your success, and you will

find that I take attendance at every meeting. I understand that illness and emergencies occur in the course of the semester, and will not penalize you for missing up to two classes, but will deduct ½ letter grade from your participation grade for each additional absence. I reserve the right to withdraw any student from the class for excessive unexcused absences, normally defined as more than 6 absences. If you become ill or have an emergency that will take you out of class for several days, please contact me so we can arrange for you to stay on track.

Disability-Related Accommodations: If you have a physical, psychological, medical or learning disability that may impact your course work, contact Peggy Perno (105 Howarth, ext.3395). She will determine with you what accommodations are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation is confidential.

Academic Honesty: All students are expected to abide by the guidelines concerning academic honesty outlined in the Logger Handbook (at http://www.pugetsound.edu/student-life/student-resources/student-handbook/academic-handbook/academic-integrity/) Violations of honesty in research (i.e., inventing or falsifying sources or data) or writing (i.e., borrowing the arguments or words of others without attribution), or the defacing or destruction of library materials will result in a grade of ‘0’ for the assignment in question and, at the instructor’s discretion, dismissal from the course.

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Additional University Policies:Bereavement policy: Students are normally eligible for, and faculty members

are expected to grant, three consecutive weekdays of excused absences, without penalty, for the death of a family member, including parent, grandparent, sibling, or persons living in the same household. Should the student feel that additional days are necessary, the student must request additional bereavement leave from the Dean of Students or the Dean’s designee. In the event of the death of another family member or friend not explicitly included within this policy, a bereaved student may petition for grief absence through the Dean of Students office for approval.

Emergency Information : Please review university emergency preparedness and response procedures posted at www.pugetsound.edu/emergency/. Familiarize yourself with hall exit doors and the designated gathering area for your class and laboratory buildings. If building evacuation becomes necessary (e.g., earthquake), meet your instructor at the designated gathering area so she/he can account for your presence. Then wait for further instructions. Do not return to the building or classroom until advised by an emergency response representative. If confronted by an act of violence, be prepared to make quick decisions to protect your safety. Flee the area by running away from the source of danger if you can safely do so. If this is not possible, shelter in place by securing classroom or lab doors and windows, closing blinds, and turning off room lights. Stay low, away from doors and windows, and as close to the interior hallway walls as possible. Wait for further instructions.

SCHEDULE OF CLASSES (readings listed below the class for which they are due)

Unit I. What is History? What do Historians Do? In this class we will move from the abstract to the concrete, and the first few weeks will accordingly be dedicated to big questions about the nature of historical knowledge. We will begin by tackling (notice I didn’t say ‘answering’) the biggest question of all: ‘What is history?’ Is history an art or a science? When we speak of the ‘historical record,’ are we talking about a universally agreed-upon set of facts, or something more elusive? We will consider the issue of historical objectivity, and explore how historians have addressed the problems of bias and presentism. This unit will introduce you to various strategies historians have used to get at the past, as well as the assumptions upon which these are based. By the end of the unit, you should have gained a sense of ‘historical-mindedness,’ and be starting to think like a historian.

(M) Aug. 29th - Introductions

(W) Aug. 31st - Historians, Truth, and the Search for the Past Rampolla, Pocket Guide, pp. 1-7Arnold, Very Short Introduction, chapters 1-3

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Arnold insists that ‘history’ and ‘the past’ are different things. Think about how he defines history’s relationship to the past and present. How does history relate to truth, imagination, rhetoric, and philosophy? What are the most important qualities for historians to possess? Is there a difference between ‘composing’ and ‘doing’ history?

(F) Sept. 2nd - Sources, Sleuthing, and Interpretation Arnold, Very Short Introduction, chapters 4-5(CR, 1-7) Shannon McSheffrey, “Detective Fiction in the Archives: Court

Records and the Uses of Law in Late Medieval England,” History Workshop Journal 65 (Spring 2008): 65-78.

Using the discussion in Arnold’s Introduction as a framework, write a thoughtful 1.5-2-page assessment of McSheffrey’s article, focusing on her use of evidence. What kind of history is she doing – political, economic, social, cultural – and how can you tell? What kinds of sources (primary or secondary) does she use, and how does she deal with their limitations? *Graded prep #1.

(M) Sept. 5th – Labor Day (no class)

(W) Sept. 7th - Objectivity, Relativism, and the Challenge of PostmodernismArnold, Very Short Introduction, chapters 6-7(CR, 8-15) Hayden White, “The Fictions of Factual Representation,” in

Tropics of Discourse: Essays in Cultural Criticism (John's Hopkins University Press, 1978), 121-134.

Arnold identifies two sorts of modern historians: “those who believe that people in the past were essentially the same as us; and those who believe that they were essentially different (p.96).” How does adherence to one of these viewpoints shape how the historian ‘does history?’ White presents a postmodern challenge to all claims to historical truth. What is your response to his piece?

(F) Sept. 9th - One Extraordinary Story Bednarski, Poisoned Past, intro, chapters 1-2, and appendix III

After reading the assigned chapters of Bednarski’s book, write a 1.5-2-page analysis of how his work illustrates at least one strength and one weakness of the microhistory genre. *Graded prep #2.

(M) Sept. 12th - Setting the Story in ContextBednarski, Poisoned Past, chapters 3-4

What methodological choices has Bednarksi made to produce his admittededly selective and subjective account of the events of 1394-95? How does he justify interpretive leaps regarding the personalities and motives of Raymon Gauterii and Margarida? What do we learn about the different kinds of questions different kinds of historians (social, cultural, legal, political) ask of their sources?

(W) Sept. 14th - Witnesses, Memory, and SpeculationBednarski, Poisoned Past, chapter 5 Rampolla, pp. 51-69

Is the ending Bednarski gives his story a satisfying one? What does it reveal about the limits of narrative technique in historical writing? How convinced are you

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of the general conclusions Bednarski draws about medieval society on the basis of Margarida’s experience?

Prep: Bring in the typed draft of your introduction and first body paragraph for the essay due on Monday, Sept. 19 th , since we will be working with these in class.

*Today’s class will end at 10:45 for the shelter-in-place emergency drill

Unit II. Working with Primary SourcesIn this unit we wil address the value of primary sources for ‘doing history,’ while considering the limitations and even dangers of certain kinds of primary sources. Working with a variety of archival, edited, and electronic primary sources, we will cultivate the close reading skills that allow historians to make the most of their evidence, and learn to transform a close reading of a source into a written piece of historical analysis. In addition, we will begin work on our second major assignment, for which students will read and research a single primary source in Collins Library’s Special Collections, in order to create a public history website designed for the use of future researchers.

(F) Sept. 16th – Documents of Theory and Documents of PracticeDocuments of practice are records that purport to convey facts or describe actual occurrences. Such documents include legal, economic, and institutional records, such as charters recording land transactions, letters, chronicles, wills, and inventories. Documents of theory are prescriptive or hortatory records that show the world as their writers thought it should be, and promote particular values, beliefs, or models of behavior. Such documents include law codes, political or theological tracts, sermons, and works of literature.

Rampolla, Pocket Guide, pp. 8-17, 29-35(CR, 16-18) Documents of Theory: 1) Ceremony for the Exclusion of a

Leper (c.1360s), ed. John Shinners, Medieval Popular Religion: A Reader (Peterborough: Broadview, 2002), 279-81; and 2) Bertran de Born, A Poem of War, trans. Frederick Goldin, Lyrics of the Troubadours and Trouvères (Garden City, NY: Anchor Books, 1973), 243, 245, 247.

(CR, 19-22) Documents of Practice: 1) Foundation Charter for the Monastery of Cluny, ed. Paul

Halsall, Internet Medieval History Sourcebook, accessed April 27, 2015, http://legacy.fordham.edu/halsall/source/chart-cluny.asp; and 2) Household Accounts of Dame Alice de Bryene (1412-13), ed. Emilie Amt, Medieval Women’s Lives: A Sourcebook, 2nd edn (London: Routledge, 2010), 138-41.

Write a 1-2-page close reading of one source you find interesting. What are this source’s strengths and weaknesses (i.e., what kinds of questions can/can’t it answer)? What can you extrapolate about the outlook of the person who wrote it, their values, hopes, fears? What could you do with a large number of similar sources? What other kinds of sources might enrich your reading of this source? *Graded prep #3.

(M) Sept. 19th- Primary Sources for the English Civil War and Revolution(CR, 23-32) Clayton Roberts, David Roberts, and Douglas R. Bisson, “The

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English Revolution: 1640-1660,” in A History of England, Vol. 1: Prehistory to 1714, 6th edn. (Boston: Pearson, 2014), 208-25.

(CR, 33-35) A royal decree: Charles I, Declaration Concerning Lawful Sports (1633), Hanover Historical Texts Project, accessed April 28, 2016, http://history.hanover.edu/texts/ENGref/er93.html.

(CR, 36) An engraving: Frontispiece to The Shepheards Oracles (London, 1644)

(CR, 37) A personal letter: Lucy, Countess of Huntingdon to her brother (1644), in The English Civil War, ed. Martyn Bennett (London and New York: Longman, 1995), 117-18.

(CR, 37-38) A manifesto: The Souldiers Catechisme (1644), in The English Civil War, ed. Bennett, 119.

(Moodle) Douglas Seefeldt and William G. Thomas, “What is Digital History?” Perspectives on History (May 2009), available at https://www.historians.org/publications-and-directories/perspectives-on-history/may-2009/intersections-history-and-new-media/what-is-digital-history#

Read Roberts, Roberts, and Bisson for context, then apply the standard historian’s questions to the primary sources, before reading the Seefeldt and Thomas article as an introduction to our website project. Class will begin with a discussion of the English Civil War materials, then shift to a conversation about digital history methodologies with Professor Andrew Gomez.

(W) Sept. 21st- Library Visit: Primary Sources for the English Civil War (Library, Shelmidine Room)

(CR, 39-41) Vivienne Larminie, “Herle, Charles (1597/8-1659),” Oxford Dictionary of National

Biography, 61 vols, gen. eds. H.C.G. Matthew and Brian Howard Harrison (Oxford, 2004), vol. 26: 780-82.

(Moodle) Charles Herle, A fuller answer to a treatise written by Dr. Ferne…(London: John Bartlet, 1642)

Prep: Read the secondary sources and pamphlet, complete the accompanying worksheet, and submit your first and second choices for website groups to me via email. *Announcement of website working groups (4-5 students each). Groups will research:

1) Political, intellectual, and religious debates that shaped Herle’s pamphlet

2) Printers and print culture in and around London in Herle’s day 3) Charles Herle’s life and career (including the Ferne-Herle pamphlet

war)4) The pamphlet itself and Collins Library’s specific example

Today we’ll examine an original 1642 pamphlet by Charles Herle dealing with the right of subjects to resist kings. This pamphlet will be the subject of our second major writing assignment, for which we’ll work in groups to create a public history website. Before class, review what happened in England in the early 1640s, read

Short essay #1 on Bednarski’s Poisoned Past (3 pp.) due Sept. 19th at the beginning of class

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Herle’s biography to situate him in the Civil War context, then read Herle’s pamphlet, using the worksheet as a guide.

Unit III. Working with Secondary SourcesIn addition to reading primary sources, historians use each other’s work (in the form of scholarly articles, monographs, essay collections, etc.) to develop their own pictures of the past. Historians often disagree, and this is reflected in the secondary sources on a given topic; scholars who approach the same question through different sources might arrive at opposite conclusions, or scholars might read the same body of sources and come away with quite different interpretations. Sometimes the dominant interpretation of a particular historical question changes dramatically over time, as historians uncover new evidence or develop new methods of interpreting old sources. In this unit, students will become a more critical reader of secondary sources, able to assess their usefulness and reliability, and to identify and critique an author’s thesis. Using this skills, students will complete their work on the website devoted to Charles Herle’s pamphlet.

(F) Sept. 23rd - First Library Research Class with Peggy Burge (in Library 118)

All read: Rampolla, Pocket Guide, pp. 18-21Additional reading on Moodle, by groups (group 1 reads source 1,

etc.): 1) Martin Dzelzainis, “Ideas in Conflict: Political and Religious Thought

during the English Revolution,” in The Cambridge Companion to Writing of the English Revolution, ed. N.H. Keeble (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001), 32-49.

2) Sharon Achinstein, “Texts in Conflict: The Press and the Civil War,” in The Cambridge Companion to Writing of the English Revolution, ed. Keeble, 50-68.

3) James Mawdesley, “The Harassment of Isaac Allen: Puritanism, Parochial Politics and Prestwich's Troubles during the First English Civil War,” Historical Research 87, no. 238 (Nov. 2014): 655-78.

4) James Peacey, “Pamphlets,” in The Oxford History of Popualar Print Culture, Vol. 1: Cheap Print in Britain and Ireland to 1660, ed. Joad Raymond (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011), 453-70.

Do the assigned reading on your own, then meet with the rest of your group outside class to define the questions your group will need to answer through your research, and decide how you will divide the necessary work. In today’s session, Peggy Burge will introduce RefWorks (which will allow groups to share ideas and document their research), as well as some relevant library resources, after which each group will have time to search for sources.

(M) Sept. 26th - Digital Methods Workshop #1 (Groups 1 and 4) Today, Group 1 will meet with Peggy Burge in Lib118 (Coggle) and Group 4 will meet with Profs. Smith and Gomez (ThingLink) in our usual classroom for training. Groups 2 and 4 should use this time to meet in person to share research findings and move forward with planning for their part of the project.

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(W) Sept. 28th - Digital Methods Workshop #2 (Groups 2 and 3) Today, Group 2 (Storymaps) will meet with Peggy Burge in Library 118 (StoryMaps) and Group 3 (Timeline JS) will meet with Profs. Smith and Gomez in our usual classroom for training. Groups 1 and 2 should use this time to meet in person to share research findings and move forward with planning for their part of the project.

(F) Sept. 30th - Group Working Day (back in our regular classroom) By today’s class, each student should have located and read at least one new secondary source that is relevant to their group’s research questions. Type up a Chicago Style bibliographical citation for your source, along with a paragraph-long summary of it, including consideration of the author’s thesis and use of evidence, to turn in. *Graded prep #4.

(M) Oct. 3rd - Reading Secondary Sources like a HistorianRampolla, Pocket Guide, pp. 24-28(CR, 42-69) Clive Holmes, “The Trial and Execution of Charles I,” The Historical Journal 52, no. 2

(2010): 289-316. Summarize Holmes’ thesis in 1 sentence, then note one aspect of his article that you admired, and identify at least one possible criticism or weakness of it. In addition to doing the group reading, continue to work independently and in groups on the website project over the weekend!

(W) Oct. 5th - Group Working Day (Lib018, with Katy Fain) Today educational technologist Katy Fain will show us how to upload the group projects onto the course website. Each group should be able to access their project’s completed written content, as well as embed codes for digital components during the class session. (Note: each group will be able to make minor changes to their page up to Oct. 7th.)

(F) Oct. 7th - Presentation of the Herle Pamphlet Website Work in your groups to make any last revisions to your section of the website, and come prepared to present your research findings to the class. Each group will have 10 minutes to present and answer questions. In addition to presenting the group portion of your project, you will turn in your individual reflection on the project.

**Seattle Antiquarian Book Fair: Sat. Oct. 8th- Sun. Oct. 9th (optional extra credit assignment)**

**Group website assignment due Friday, October 7th by the beginning of class**

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Unit IV. Research Project In this final unit of the class, you will put the historical tools you’ve acquired to use in a research project culminating in a substantial piece of written work. Research is a craft, and you should think of yourself as an apprentice, mastering the tools of the researcher’s trade so you can produce a polished final product. Producing a convincingly argued, solidly researched, and well written piece of historical scholarship takes lots of time and energy – in fact, the two months or so left in the semester is not much time for this kind of project! Expect to run into roadblocks: you may not be able to find sources you were counting on, materials ordered from SUMMIT or ILL may take longer to arrive than you anticipate, and you may need to revise your working thesis several times. To keep things manageable and help you stay on track, we will break down the research process into stages: an initial stage where you cast a wider net, followed by a period of reading and following up new leads, and finally several weeks of outlining, drafting, and revising your paper.

(M) Oct. 10th - How to ‘Gut’ a Book(WEB) Peggy Burge, Guide to distinguishing monographs from other

kinds of secondary sources, available at our library course page: http://research.pugetsound.edu/hist200Smith.

Locate several possible titles related to your proposed research topic, then browse nearby shelves when you go to pick them up. The book you select should be a monograph (i.e., a study of a single subject, normally by a single author), with footnotes or endnotes and a bibliography. Spend no more than two hours ‘gutting’ it and fill out the gutting worksheet. Then, find at least one book review and compare it with your impressions. Bring your book, completed worksheet, and review(s) to class. *Graded prep #5.

TIP: Find book reviews by searching for the book’s author and title (in quotes) in the following databases: JSTOR, Academic Search Premier, and ProQuest Research Library Complete.

(W) Oct. 12th - Using and Writing ReviewsRampolla, Pocket Guide, pp. 38-39(Moodle) Prof. Catherine Lavender, “On Writing Book Reviews” (CR, 70-76) The following reviews:

1) Reviews of Dyan Elliott, Spiritual Marriage: Sexual Abstinence in Medieval Wedlock: by Penelope D. Johnson in American Historical Review 99/1 (Feb. 1994): 172-73; and by Glenn Olsen in Speculum 70/2 (Apr. 1995): 363-64.

2) Reviews of Jay Rubenstein, Armies of Heaven: The First Crusade and the Quest for Apocalypse, by James Naus, in The Historian 75/1 (2013): 212-13; and by Jonathan Riley-Smith in The Catholic Historical Review 98/4 (2012): 786-87.

3) Reviews of R.I. Moore, Formation of a Persecuting Society: Power and Deviance in Western Europe, 950-1250, by Miri Rubin in Speculum 65/4 (Oct. 1990): 1025-27; and by Robert E. Lerner

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in The Journal of Interdisciplinary History 19/4 (Spring 1989): 659-60.

Which reviews did you find the most (and least) helpful? Why? How closely did the various reviewers follow the guidelines for writing reviews outlined by Rampolla and Lavender?

(F) Oct. 14th – Second Research Class with Peggy Burge (Meet in Library, room 118)

Rampolla, Pocket Guide, pp. 82-98 In preparation for today’s session, do some process writing to brainstorm research topics. Write down subjects, events, and figures you are interested in, and the question(s) you hope to be able to answer. Next, locate an entry in a subject encyclopedia that is relevant to your research, read the entry, and bring a copy of it to our library class. Start by consulting the list of subject encyclopedias Peggy Burge has compiled on our course webpage: http://research.pugetsound.edu/hist200Smith*If you have a wireless enabled laptop, please bring it to today’s workshop.

Reminder: if you are interested in setting up an on-demand class to learn how to use Zotero to manage your research, or to fine-tune your understanding of RefWorks, email Peggy Burge this week!

(M) Oct. 17th - Fall Break (no class)

(W) Oct. 19th- Keeping Track of Your Research (CR, 77-80) Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Willliams,

“Recording What You Find,” in The Craft of Research, 3rd edn (Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 2008), 95-100.

By now you need to choose a method for taking and organizing notes on your research. If you have not already done so, choose a note-taking format and create two notes that reflect two sources (primary sources, articles, monographs, etc.) in their entirety. If you are taking notes electronically, print out two hard copies of two complete notes to bring to class, one set to work with in class and one set to turn in to me. *These notes = Graded prep #6.

(F) Oct. 21st - Academic Honesty and the Effective Use of SourcesRampolla, Pocket Guide, pp. 103-110(Moodle) University of Puget Sound Policy on Academy Honesty, from The Logger(CR, 81-83) David D. Kirkpatrick, NY Times articles on the Stephen Ambrose plagiarism scandal (CR, 84-85) Richard Goldstein, “Stephen Ambrose Dies at 66,” NY Times, Oct. 14, 2002(CR, 86-88) Joanne Meyerowitz, “History’s Ethical Crisis: An

Introduction,” Journal of American History 90/4 (Mar. 2004): 1325-26. (CR) Joyce Seltzer, “Honest History,” Journal of American History 90/4 (Mar.

2004): 1347-50. What is your reaction to the 2002 scandal involving popular U.S. historian Stephen E. Ambrose? Would Ambrose have been guilty of plagiarism as defined by the Logger? Why or why not?

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(M) Oct. 24th - Citations and Bibliographies (and why they are so important!) Rampolla, Pocket Guide, pp. 116-150 (skim documentation models that

look familiar) Create three annotated bibliography entries for sources, including at least one primary source, which you have read for your final project. Each entry should contain a complete Chicago Style citation and annotation. See Rampolla, p.29 for an excellent sample annotated bibliography entry. These citations = Graded prep #7.

(W) Oct. 26th - Individual Research (No Class) If you haven’t yet selected a scholarly article to review, do this today. If you’ve already found your article, work on your review or use the footnotes to identify additional sources.

(F) Oct. 28th- Engaging with Other Scholars*Your only responsibility is to come to class on time with two hard copies of your completed article review.

(M) Oct. 31st - Individual Research (no class) Get your working bibliography in order, focusing on locating primary sources, and fleshing out any other category of sources (e.g., monographs, journal articles) where your bibliography looks thin.

(W) Nov. 2nd - Working with the Language of Your Sources Rampolla, Pocket Guide, pp. 111-116

Bring in a hard copy of one of the primary sources you will use for your paper (or part of the source if it is very long) to work with in class today.

(F) Nov. 4th - Individual Research and Writing (no class) Read, take good notes, and continue to follow up new leads. If you are stuck, make an appointment to see me or Peggy Burge for research help.

(M) Nov. 7th - From Research Question to ThesisRampolla, Pocket Guide, pp. 55-61 (review)

Type up your revised research question and your working thesis (2 sentences max!) and bring it into class.

(W) Nov. 9th - Individual Research and Writing (no class) If you aren’t happy with your working thesis, revise it with colleagues’ suggestions in mind. Also spend time hunting for new sources, targeting gaps in your research. Read footnotes and bibliographies, browse the stacks, and search WorldCat to fill in holes in your working bibliography of primary and secondary sources.

**Review of a scholarly article (3-4pp.) due Oct. 28th at the beginning of class**

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(F) Nov. 11th - Developing Your Outline Rampolla, Pocket Guide, pp. 101-02(Moodle) Patrick Rael, “The Three Parts of a History Paper”

Create a draft outline, making it as detailed as you can, and including your draft thesis and at least two quotations from primary sources you plan to use in your paper. Bring two copies of the outline with you to class, and be prepared to explain your organizational choices. *This outline = Graded prep #8.

(M) Nov. 14th - Tackling the First Draft (CR, 89-98) Robert C. Williams, “Narrative and Explanation,” in The

Historian’s Toolbox: A Student’s Guide to the Theory and Craft off History, 2nd ed. (Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 2007), 90-109.

Revise your outline, noting at least one place where you might use narrative to good effect. Using Williams’ example, write out a chronology of significant dates and corresponding events related to your project.

(W) Nov. 16th - Introductions and Conclusions Rampolla, Pocket Guide, pp. 61-69 (review)

Revise your paper’s introduction and bring two typed, double-spaced copies with you to class.

(F) Nov. 18th - Individual Writing (no class) Push ahead with your rough draft, fleshing out the main body of the paper before returning to your introduction and tackling the conclusion. Remember to cite your sources as you write – it will be much harder to reconstruct all these citations at the end!

(M) Nov. 21st - Exchange of Drafts Your only assignment is to finish your draft and print out 3 copies (1 for me and 2 for peer reviewers).

**Thanksgiving Break: No Classes Nov. 23rd-Nov. 25th

(M) Nov. 28th - Revisions: Workshop with Peer Reviewers Today I’ll return my copy of your draft with comments, and you’ll be able to exchange feedback with your authors and editors. Bring in the two drafts you’ve edited, along with two copies of your typed comments for each draft. (You’ll return the papers and one set of comments to each author, and one set of comments to me). *Your 2 peer reviews = graded prep #9. *Sign-up for individual meetings

**History Thesis Presentations this week and next week (optional extra credit assignment)**

(W) Nov. 30th- Individual Meetings and Writing Time (no class)

**3 copies of your rough draft (8 pp. min.) due at the beginning of class on Nov. 21st**

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Read my comments and those of your peer reviewers carefully before we meet, and come to our meeting prepared to talk about your concrete plans for revising the first draft in the next two weeks. (F) Dec. 2nd - Writing Workshop

Rampolla, Pocket Guide, pp. 69-81 Use Rampolla’s suggestions to rewrite at least two pages of your paper, paying careful attention to sentence structure, active/passive verbs, and pronoun usage. Bring a copy of the revised pages to class.

(M) Dec. 5th - Individual Writing and Revising (no class) Keep working on your revisions: fill gaps in your evidence, make sure your argument is clear and consistent throughout, and polish your language. Be sure you have footnotes wherever you need them!

(W) Dec. 7th - Last Class: Final Revisions and Polishing Revise your introduction one more time. Be sure it makes a claim, positions your argument within the topic’s historiography, and addresses the ‘so what’ question. Now tackle your conclusion, so that it restates your claim as clearly as possible and suggest its wider implications, Finally, assess the title you have chosen: Is it clear? Accurate? Suggestive of your claim? Intriguing?

**Final Papers due Friday, Dec. 16th by noon on Moodle**

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