History Department      

HISTORY 345/RELIGION 345:
RELIGION in AMERICA
Fall 2005



Dr. Robert Whalen
Office:  209 Watkins 

Phone:  704-337-2208
Email:  whalenb@queens.edu

                                                  

R. Whalen                                                                                      209 Watkins

Ofc Hrs: Th 9:25-10:30                                                                 ofc: 704 - 337‑2208

    & by app’t.                         

[Please Note:  an electronic version of this syllabus is posted on the Queens University of Charlotte webpage, under the heading “2005 History Courses.”  This electronic version will be the “official” syllabus, and will include all updates, corrections, and changes.  So be sure to review the electronic syllabus frequently!].    

I.   History 345/ Religion 345 studies the key movements, events, and people in the history of religion in the United States, from the colonial era to the present. History 345 is cross-listed as Religion 345 – Religion in America.  Students may receive credit for the course EITHER as a History course OR as a Religion course (but not both!).  History/ Religion 345 meets Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 10:00 – 10:50.    

II.   HONOR.  Everyone member of the Queens Community is governed by the Queens Honor Code.  Its principles are:  

The Queens Honor Code  

·          As a member of the Queens Community, I will endeavor to create a spirit of integrity and honor for its own sake at Queens University of Charlotte.

·          Academic Pledge:  I pledge truthfulness and absolute honest in the performance of all academic work

·          Community Pledge: I pledge to be truthful at all times, to treat others with respect, to respect the property of others, and to adhere to university policies

·          Accepting both the privileges and responsibilities of living by this code of honor, I resolve to uphold this code and not to tolerate any violations of its spirit or principles.

 The Honor Code absolutely prohibits all forms of academic dishonesty, such as cheating and plagiarism, and calls for serious punishment of academic dishonesty.   

III. Objectives.            

History/Religion 345 has TWO OBJECTIVES:  

(1)     this course will enable students to master key materials concerning the origins and development of religion in the United States, and    

(2)     will engage students in those methods of scientific analysis called “historical thought.”  

“The origins and development of religion in the United States.”  Whether you’re religious or not, one thing seems clear – religion has had, continues to have, and most likely will continue to have, an immense impact on Americans, on American culture, and on American public life.  To understand the United States, in fact, you must know something about the role of religion in America.    

An “excellent” performance in this class means that a student has attained mastery over a wide array of empirical information regarding religion in America.

“Historical thought.”  This course, secondly, will engage students in a specific form of CRITICAL THINKING called “historical thought.”   

            Humans have the great gift of REASON.  Reason connects humans with reality.  Thinking clearly and carefully enables us to make good judgments; thinking poorly leads to disaster.  

            “Critical thinking” means thinking clearly and carefully.  We often connect critical thinking with science.  “Science,” though, does not refer only to the physical sciences.  Scientific thinking is the attempt to use your mind to understand your world.  To think scientifically means to think in a disciplined, systematic, and thoughtful way.   It means to think “carefully,” in which “carefully” means both that you think logically and that you “care about” how you think.   History is a form of scientific thinking.  

            Scientific thinking is dedicated above all else to truth Non-partisanship, open-mindedness, and objectivity are essential to good science. True, we all have our own agendas, perspectives, and psychologies, we all start from our own personal experience – nevertheless, what matters in history, as in all science, is not whether I’m right or you’re right, but rather whether what’s claimed is right.  In doing scientific history, conservatives and liberals, believers and non-believers, everyone with this cause and that, must set aside their own perspectives and work together to determine the historical truth.   

            “Historical thinking” is a specific form of critical thinking.  Thinking historically means thinking about time, about the complex and turbulent interaction of past – present – and future.  

An “excellent” performance in this class means that a student has mastered the techniques of thinking critically about the empirical information relevant to religion in America.  

IV. A Labor Theory of Knowledge.

Knowledge is better than ignorance.  Knowledge brings with it both power and pleasure.  But - the acquisition of knowledge demands very hard work.  We live, alas, in an age in which instant gratification and immediate entertainment are the norm.  Anything that requires effort we often think of as “boring” or “too hard.”  This course, however, will demand the kind of hard work athletes devote to sports or musicians devote to their instruments.  Specifically, STUDENTS SHOULD INVEST FROM 2 1/2 TO 3 HOURS OF OUT-OF-CLASS WORK FOR EACH HOUR SPENT IN-CLASS. If you are unable to invest this amount of work, you should not take the class.  

This course will function primarily as a SEMINAR, not as a lecture course.  That is, the course will stress reasoned, rigorous, and thoughtful conversation among seminar participants, and not simply lecture by the instructor.  Seminars – based on Socrates’ conviction that truth emerges through dialogue – can be extraordinarily effective learning devices – IF EVERYONE IN THE SEMINAR IS WELL-PREPARED FOR THE DAY’S WORK. Therefore, please do not come to class unprepared!!  

V. Registration, Disability, Attendance.  

A.       Be sure that you’re registered for this course BEFORE you take it!  You cannot be registered after-the-fact.  If you’ve any questions about registration, speak with the Queens Registrar.

B.       If you are a student with a verified disability, and require accommodation, you must provide the instructor with a statement to the effect from the Student Disabilities Services Office.  Without such a statement, the instructor cannot provide special accommodation.

C.       The ATTENDANCE POLICY for this course is as follows: A student may miss three classes during the term without penalty.  If a student exceeds this limit, the student’s final average will be reduced by 5 points (on a 100 scale) for each additional absence. Students who have reason to believe that because of some emergency they may have to miss a number of classes should consult the instructor as soon as possible. 

 VI. Texts. The texts for this course are:

a.        John Corrigan and Winthrop S. Hudson, Religion in America.   

b.        Robert Mathisen (ed.), Critical Issues in American Religious History.

Books will be available in the bookstore.  It is YOUR responsibility to purchase or borrow the books and study them as assigned!  

We will view FILMS, parts of films, and videos in class.  These materials will NOT be on library reserve because in most cases they will be borrowed for a short time only and will have to be returned.  The films are as important a part of the class as the readings and other materials and you will be Quized on them.    

Other readings will be available as Library Reserves (LR) in Everett Library, as handouts, and on the History Department web page.

 VII. Internet Materials. The syllabus, handouts, and supplementary readings will be found on the History Web Page at www.queens.edu.    

VIII. Quizzes.  Just about every week, we’ll have a brief (10-20 questions) objective quiz.  The quiz will be on that week’s work AND will review earlier material. These quizzes are designed to measure your mastery of the class’s information.  Students who come late to class will not be eligible to take the quiz for that class.  There will be no make-up quizzes for any reason.  Any missed quiz will count as a “zero.”  At the end of the term, the TWO lowest scores will be dropped, and the average of the remaining scores will be your weekly quiz grade.  This will count as 20% of your course grade.    

IX.   HOMEWORK.   Just about every week, students will have brief homework assignments.  These assignments are to encourage students to keep up with class work, but more important, these assignments are occasions for students to practice that type of critical thinking called “thinking in time.”  

Here are the rules:  

1.        Each homework assignment MUST BE TYPED.  Handwritten submissions WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

2.       Each assignment should be about 2 typed pages in length.

3.       Assignments should be written in response to the “critical thinking” questions of the appropriate day’s handout.  Students may write on questions of their own – provided that the question is a genuine “critical thinking” question!

4.       Each assignment must QUOTE FROM THE DAY’S READING.  Each submission must include at least ONE QUOTATION.

5.       THE HOMEWORK IS DESIGNED TO PREPARE STUDENTS FOR THE RELEVANT DAY’S WORK.  DOING THE WORK AT SOME LATER DATE OBVIOUSLY DEFEATS ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS FOR THE ASSIGNMENT.  THEREFORE NO LATE ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.

6.       Homework must be kept together in a folder.  SUBMIT THE HOMEWORK IN THE FOLDER. (Be sure your name’s on the folder).

7.       Each assignment will receive a “0/1” grade.  It will receive a “0” grade if it isn’t turned in; if it isn’t typed; if it does not include at least one direct citation from the text; if it fails to answer the question.  I will receive a “1” grade if it is turned in on time, and is typed, and includes at least one quotation from the text and if it answered the question!

8.       There will be 12 assignments.  Students can score a maximum of 10 points.  Thus, if you miss a couple of assignments you still have several chances to do well; or, if you accumulated all the points you need, you no longer need to submit assignments!

9.       Points accumulated will but put on a 100-point scale.  This 10 points = 100%.; 9 points = 90%, etc. This score, in turn, will count 15% of the final course grade.  

X. Examinations.  There will be two examinations in this course, the Mid-Term and the Final. Each will be primarily an “objective” Quiz, that is, roughly 75% of each will consist of fill-in-the-blanks, multiple-choice, true/false, and other informational questions.  Roughly 25% of each will be devoted to essay questions.  

AN EXAMINATION MISSED FOR ANY REASON WILL COUNT AS A “ZERO.” MAKE-UP EXAMINATIONS MAY BE POSSIBLE ONLY IN THE MOST EXTREME AND UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES.   

The Mid-term counts 20% of your final course grade.  The Final counts 30% of your final course grade.  While the Final Examination will focus on material since the Mid-Term, it will include materials from the beginning of the course.  The Final Examination will be scheduled by the University.  

PLEASE!  Do not make travel or other personal plans that interfere with your exams!  Fairness demands that all students in the class should take the same examination at the same time – exceptions will be granted only in the most unusual and extreme situations!  

XI.   Essay. 

Each student will write a single RESEARCH ESSAY.  The grade for this essay will count 20% of your final course grade.  

The attached rubric explains the essay assignment.  BE SURE TO WRITE YOUR ESSAYS IN ACCORD WITH THE ATTACHED RUBRIC!!  

XII. Grades.  The grading system for this course is as follows:   

A

94 – 100

4.0

“superior”

A-

90 – 93

3.7

 

B+

87 – 89

3.5

“good”

B

83 – 86

3.0

 

B-

80 – 82

2.7

 

C+

77 – 79

2.5

“satisfactory”

C

73 – 76

2.0

 

C-

70 – 72

1.7

 

D+

65 – 69

1.5

“poor”

D

60 – 64

1.0

 

F

59 and below

0

“failing”

 

Your Final Grade will be computed as follows:  

            Quiz Average                 20%

              Homework                     15%

            Mid-Term Exam               20%

            Final Exam                     25%

              Essay Average              20%  

Instructors are required to KEEP GRADES PRIVATE.  Therefore, they cannot be sent to you by e-mail; they cannot be given to you over the telephone; they cannot be given to another student; they cannot be posted on the instructors’ door.  Nor, in most cases, can graded materials be left for you outside the instructor’s door.    

[Note: On very rare occasions, according to the Queens University Catalog, when “unusual circumstances” make it “impossible” to complete class work, students may request a temporary grade of “incomplete.”  Please note however:  (a) “Incompletes” are not normally given.  An “Incomplete” is given only in “unusual” circumstances, such as family emergencies, sudden illnesses, etc.  Note quite completing assigned work promptly is NOT an “unusual” circumstance; (b) the “unusual circumstance,” must make it “impossible” to get the work done.  Students are expected to complete the course on time; only when it’s obvious that because of the “unusual circumstances” it’s simply impossible to complete the work, will an incomplete be issued; (c) any requests for a temporary grade of “Incomplete” must be made in writing prior to the date of the Final Examination.  This request must explain the nature of the “unusual circumstances” and also explain just why that makes completing the work on time is “impossible.” Should you receive a grade of “Incomplete” it is YOUR responsibility to turn in the outstanding work before the DEADLINE set by the Registrar’s office.  If work is not submitted by the deadline, the temporary grade of “Incompletes” will be turned into an “F”].                    

XIII. Calendar.                                         

NOTE:  Additional readings will regularly be added to the syllabus.  They will normally be available on the web.  BE SURE TO CONSULT THE WEB-SYLLABUS BEFORE CLASS!  YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL LISTED READINGS, AND THEY ARE ALL POTENTIAL SUBJECTS FOR QUIZZES & EXAMS!

Also: be sure to download the handout for each class!     

DATE

TOPIC

READING

OTHER

1. W 24 Aug

Religion?

America?

 

 

 

 

2. F 26 Aug

Backgrounds & Beginnings

Corrigan & Hudson: 1

 

Reading: “Notes on Native American Spirituality”

 

3. M 29 Aug

Religion in Early America

Mathisen 2: Documents 1-6 + Webb  

Reading: “The Jesuits & the Catholic Revival”

"In the Moon of Wintertime"

Journal 1

 

4. W 31 Aug

England & America

Corrigan & Hudson: 2 (41-62)

 

Reading: “Who Were the ‘Puritans’”?

 

Quiz 1

 

5. F 2 Sep

England & America

Corrigan & Hudson: 2 (62-end)

 

 

6. W  7  Sep

Religion in Colonial America

Mathisen 2: Cogliano & Dunn

Journal 2

7. F 9 Sep

The Great Awakening

Corrigan & Hudson: 3

NO CLASS MEETING TODAY

8. M 12 Sep

The Great Awakening

Mathisen: 3: Documents 1-6

 

9. W 14 Sep

The Great Awakening

Mathisen: Cowing; Blauvelt & Skinner

  Quiz 2

10. F 16 Sep

The Birth of the Republic

Corrigan & Hudson: 4

Journal 3

11. M 19 Sep

Religion in the American Revolution

Mathisen: 4: Documents 1-5

Quiz 3

12. W 21 Sep

Religion in the American Revolution

Mathisen: 4: Hatch;  Noll

Chester

 

13. F 23 Sep

The New Republic & the Churches

Corrigan & Hudson: 5

Review

QUESTION &  BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE IN CLASS

14. M 26 Sep

American Religion in the Middle Period

Mathisen: 5: Documents 1-6

Peter Cartwright

Sacred Harp Singing

 

15. W 28 Sep

Expansion & Consolidation

Corrigan & Hudson: 6  

 

Journal 4  

Quiz 4 (on material from 26 Sep)

16. F 30 Sep

American Religion & the West

Mathisen: 6: Documents 1-6

NO CLASS MEETING TODAY

17. M 3 Oct

American Religion & the West

Mathisen 6: Szaz; Berkhofer

 

18. W 5 Oct

The Broadening of Denominational Life

Corrigan & Hudson: 7  

Overview chart

 Journal 5

19. F 7 Oct

Visions of Religious Community

Corrigan & Hudson: 8

 Quiz 5

20. M 10 Oct

Religious Communities

Mathisen 5: Mintz; Mathisen

Journal 6

 

21. W 12 Oct

 

MID-TERM EXAMINATION

 

22. M 17 Oct

Slavery & American Religion

Mathisen 7: Documents 1-8

 

23. W 19 Oct

Religion & the Civil War

Mathisen 8: Documents 1-6

Quiz 6

 

24. F 21 Oct

Religion in Post-Civil War America

Corrigan & Hudson: 9

 

RESEARCH REPORT DUE IN CLASS

25. M 24 Oct

New Americans

Corrigan & Hudson: 10

 

 Journal 7  

26.  W 26 Oct

A New Intellectual Climate

Corrigan & Hudson: 11

 

 

27. F 28 Oct

Science & the Crisis of Faith

Mathisen 9: Documents 1-5; EITHER Carter OR Turner

Quiz 7

28. M 31 Oct

The New Society in Industrial America

Corrigan & Hudson: 12

Journal 8

29. W 2 Nov

Religion in Industrial America

Mathisen 10: Documents 1-6; Dolan; Fulop

 

30. F 4 Nov

Religion & Empire

Mathisen 11: Documents 1-6

A 19th century conversation  

ARGUMENT OUTLINE DUE IN CLASS

31. M 7 Nov

Religion & Empire

Mathisen 11:  Handy;  Hunter

 Quiz 8  (to be keyed to "A 19th century conversation")

32. W 9 Nov

A Shifting Religious Configuration

Corrigan & Hudson: 13

US Religious Affiliation

Journal 9

33. F 11 Nov

Fundamentalism & Modernism

Mathisen 12: Documents 1-5

Quiz 9

34. M 14 Nov

Fundamentalism & Modernism

Mathisen 12: Marsden, Gatewood, Szaz

 

35. W 16 Nov

The Great Depression & World War II

Mathisen 13: Documents 1-5; Pratt; Carpenter

Journal 10

36. F 18 Nov

Protestantism in the mid-20th century

Corrigan & Hudson: 14

Quiz 10  

 

37. M. 28 Nov

Religion from World War II to Vietnam

Mathisen 14: Documents 1-6

Journal 11

38. W 30 Nov

A New Catholicism

Corrigan & Hudson: 15

Mathisen 14: Gleason

 

 

39. F 2 Dec

Religion & Civil Rights

Mathisen 15: Documents 1-6; Marsh

Quiz 11  

40. M 5 Dec

Old & New Centers

Corrigan & Hudson: 16

RESEARCH PAPER DUE IN CLASS

41. W 7 Dec

Religion in America – Tomorrow

Mathisen 16: Documents 1-7; Wuthnow

 Quiz 12  

Journal 12

 FINAL EXAMINATION: MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1:30 - 4:30, ROOM TO BE ASSIGNED BY THE UNIVERSITY  

PLEASE!  DO NOT SCHEDULE TRAVEL OR OTHER PERSONAL PLANS THAT WILL INTERFERE WITH YOUR EXAMINATION!!

       

 ESSAYS  

Due dates:  essay assignments are due AS SCHEDULED.  LATE ESSAYS WILL BE PENALIZED ONE GRADE FOR EVERY DAY LATE!!  

Historians try to “Think in Time.”  That is, historians try to understand the complex interactions of past, present, and future.  As with science, there are both empirical and critical aspects to “thinking in time.”  

Historians start with a question about some dimension of human life.  They then gather all the data they can find about that topic (the empirical step in the process) and then they try to make sense out of that data (the critical step in the process).  Based on this two-step process, historians than can make Quizable claims about the issue being examined.    

For example:  an historian might ask:  “How did the USA get involved in a war in Iraq?”  Having posed the question, the historian than works to gather all the available material.  The historian, then sorts that material into a framework that makes sense – the historian begins with chronology; then moves to change and continuity, and perhaps compare and contrasts;  then the historian might consider cause and effect, forces and motivations.  Finally, the historian can make a claim, supported by both solid data and coherent thinking.  

Historians report their data in various ways.  One common way is chronological narrative, in which the historian relates the data discovered, usually arranged chronologically.  

Or historians write in the form in argument.  They begin by posing their question and identifying the conclusion they’ve reached (the claim in their paper).  They then marshal their data in a critical way to demonstrate the extent to which it supports their claim.  

This is hard work!  But this work is good for your mind!  You both learn important things about the human experience, and Quiz your ability to tease out the truth from a mass of disconnected evidence.   

This is the work you’ll do in this paper.  

YOUR JOB:  write a compelling, fascinating, logically powerful, convincing paper of around 10-12 pages.   

Here are the FOUR STEPS you’ll take:  

STEP ONE:  QUESTION AND ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY.

 

DUE IN CLASS: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23.

 

FORMAT: TYPED, 3 PAGES. 

 

Select a general topic – related to our class.  Explain in a paragraph or two why you think this topic is important.

 

POSE A QUESTION TO THIS TOPIC.  Be careful as you do so!  Are you going to ask about “motives”?  “Forces?”  “Culture?” “Politics?” “Personalities?”  “Causes?”  WHY do you think this topic is important.

 

This should take up 1 – 1 ½ pages.    

Now: what evidence will help you answer your question?    

Create a bibliography for your topic.    

List at least TEN sources you’ll use.  

ONLY FIVE CAN BE INTERNET SOURCES.  The others must be books, newspapers, journal articles, etc.  

ANNOTATE each bibliographic entry.  That is, write at least one sentence below the entry, explaining what is in that source.  

10 points

STEP TWO: RESEARCH REPORT  

DUE: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23  

FORMAT: TYPED, 5 PAGES

Write, in paragraph form, the key bits of information you’ve discovered.  

Arrange your data in chronological order (“this happened, then this, then this …”).  

Your job here is NOT to make any claims about your topic.  Instead, your job is simply to report what happened. 

20 points

STEP THREE: ARGUMENT OUTLINE  

DUE: FRIDAY, 4 NOVEMBER  

FORMAT: TYPED, 1-2 PAGES

Now: answer your question!   

What do you make of this data?  Consider issues like continuity & change; cause and effect; forces and motivations.  Based on your research, what argument can you make.  

Be sure that your outline looks like this:  

1.        Question:  

2.        CLAIM: (“Here’s the answer to my question”)  

3.        REASONS WHY THIS CLAIM IS RIGHT  

a.        Reason 1 + evidence

b.        Reason 2 + evidence

c.        Reason 3 + evidence  

4.        WEAKNESSES, LIMITS, POSSIBLE OBJECTIONS TO YOUR CLAIM?  

5.        AREAS OF FUTURE RESEARCH (if you were continuing with the project, where would you go from here?)  

10 points

STEP FOUR: THE FINAL PAPER  

DUE: Monday, 5 December  

FORMAT: TYPED, 10-12 PAGES, complete with notes and bibliography

Write up your final paper.  Please use the checklist below to make SURE that the paper is done properly!  

A COPY OF THIS CHECKLIST MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH YOUR PAPER!!

60 points

  

Check List.  

Before you submit your final paper, be sure to review this checklist.  A COPY OF THIS CHECKLIST MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH YOUR FINAL PAPER!  

Topic

Requirement

Notes

 

1.  Plagiarism & originality.

Each essay must be original to this class, and be, without question, the author’s own work.

No recycled essays!  Feel free to discuss your essay with anyone, but when you put your name on it, you must be able to say honestly that “this is my work.”  When you use information taken from others, honestly requires that you footnote or endnote properly.  Your works-cited page also clearly states the sources you used.

 

2. Mechanics

Each essay must be written without technical error.

Please: PROOFREAD!  Spelling errors, typing errors, grammatical errors, and all other such technical errors SERIOUSLY detract from the quality of your essay.

3. A CRITICAL essay

Each essay must be a “critical” essay, with thesis, reasons, and evidence.

See above:  be sure that your essay is not a personal or a descriptive essay, but is indeed a “critical” essay.

4. Topic

Each topic must be appropriate to the class and be neither too broad, nor too narrow. 

Finding a topic can be tricky.  Be sure its relevant to the class; be sure that it’s manageable (neither too broad nor too narrow); you might look for topics thematically (culture, politics, economics, social issues), or by person, or by event, etc.   

 

 

 

 

5. Introduction

Each essay must have a distinct introduction, which typically begins with an anecdote, quotation, or other “hook;” states the essay’s general topic; and places the essay in a general context. Typically the introduction is one or perhaps two paragraphs.

Open in a way that attracts your reader’s attention.  Be sure to state your general topic, and place your essay in context. 

6.  CLAIM/ THESIS

Since this is the KEY to an critical essay, each essay must have a PRECISE THESIS.  The thesis must be ONE SENTENCE and state EXACTLY the claim you wish to make. 

Work hard to get a precise thesis!  You might have a claim in mind early; you might have to work through your topic for some time before you arrive at a thesis.  Here’s one good way to discover one: POSE A QUESTION TO YOUR TOPIC – THE ANSWER YOU COME UP WITH IS YOUR THESIS!

7. Thesis “flag”

The thesis must be clearly identified (that is, “flagged”)

 

No, you don’t have to say “this essay will claim that …”  However, there must be not doubt whatsoever about the claim you intend to make. 

 

8. Thesis location

The thesis must be at the end of the introduction – or in some other clearly marked location within the introduction.

The thesis works best at the end of the introduction, so that the introduction works like a “funnel,” and leads the reader to the thesis.  Some writers prefer to locate the thesis at the very beginning of the introduction;  most prefer to locate it at the end of the intro.  Wherever you put it, flag it!

9. Roadmap

At the end of the introduction, each essay, must have, typically right after the thesis, a “roadmap” which explains how the essay will be organized, something like “In what follows, I will X … Y … Z.”

No you don’t have to be so mechanical!  Still, it does help if you tell the readers what you’re going to tell them (then tell them in the “body,” then tell them what you told them, in the “conclusion”).

10. Reasons.

The “body” of the essay must consist of several pages in which the author states the 2, or 3, or 4 key Reasons why the Thesis is correct. 

Typically each Reason takes several paragraphs, that is, 1-2 pages to develop. 

11.  Reasons “flagged.”

Each essay must clearly identify the reasons as their developed. 

Be creative and original – but – also, be sure that the reader can follow your discussion!  It helps to mark transitions from one main point to another.

12. EVIDENCE

Each essay must be FILLED with solid evidence to support the reasons offered – such evidence may be quotations from relevant texts, eyewitnesses, or experts; statistical data; references to visual or audio works, etc. 

Essays without a rich evidentiary base are profoundly weak essays.

You’ve got to provide evidence for your reasons, and in general, the more the better!  No – don’t just string quotations together!  But – be sure that you provide enough evidence to support your reasons. 

IF YOU DON’T PROVIDE SOLID EVIDENCE, YOUR ESSAY WILL BE VERY WEAK INDEED!

13.  SOLID evidence.

Each essay must provide SOLID evidence, from reliable sources.  Reliable sources must be eyewitnesses; experts; original artifacts, etc.  In every case, authors must demonstrate that they have approached their evidence in an appropriately critical fashion.

Just because you find it on the Internet doesn’t make it true!  Who’s your source?  WHY do you believe your source?  Whenever possible – like a good detective or journalists – have  at least two independent sources to back up a main point. 

14. Notes

Honesty demands that whenever you use another’s information, you include an appropriate footnote or endnote.

A matter of honesty, not must mechanics.  You need evidence; you need foot/ or end notes.  Use whatever notation system you’ve learned; be sure that it’s consistent and thorough.

15.  Command of Class materials

Evidence used in the essay must demonstrate the author’s THOROUGH COMMAND of class materials.

Your evidence also demonstrates that you’re in command of class materials.  A thin use of evidence both shows a weak argument and suggests a weak command of class materials.

16. Method

Each essay must be explicit about its method of analysis. 

 

Here are just a few of the ways one analyzes things:

·          Compare and Contrast

·          Look for “causes” and “effects”

·          Look for Changes and Continuities

·          Consider Motives

·          Consider Meanings

·          Examine Chronology (what came first, second third – and why might this matter?)

17. Conclusion

Each essay must end with a clearly identified conclusion, which restates the Thesis and re-locates the thesis in a wider context.

Be sure to end coherently (“here’s what I’ve told you”) and then put your discussion back in a wider context (“here’s where my comments fit in the wider scheme of things”).

 

 

18. Write in paragraphs.

Each essay must be written in well-developed paragraphs, each of which begins with a topic sentence, includes several sentences of discussion and evidence, and ends with a transition to the next paragraph.

Or course, be original!  Vary paragraph lengths, put in the occasional one-sentence statement, etc.  But – in general, you essay must be written NOT in disjointed “bullets” but in well-developed paragraphs.

19. Wit, charm, grace.

Each essay should be written in an engaging, lively, graceful, and (where appropriate) witty way.

Don’t’ be boring!  Use active voice; appeal to the five senses; use arresting anecdotes; build strong word pictures!

20. Originality, creativity, uniqueness, insightfulness.

Each essay should strive to be original, creative, unique, and insightful.

Don’t just march down well-trodden paths!  Think YOUR OWN thoughts, not someone else’s!  Look at things from a different perspective.  Be bold!  Be creative!

21. Title

Each essay must have an arresting and informative title.

Work on your title a bit.  Make it both smart and informative.  “Essay One” is not a particularly catchy title!

22.  Works Cited page/ Bibliography

Each essay must include a works cited/ bibliography page, which lists, normally in alphabetical order by other, the works used in preparing the essay.

The page needn’t be long, but it is an important part of the essay.

23.  Pages numbered, author’s name.

Pages must be numbered; the essay’s author must be properly identified.

Don’t forget!  Don’t forget to put your name on the essay too!

         

 

 

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