Essay Assignment
The essay gives you the opportunity to go in-depth into an issue in world history. Your four possible topics are:
1. Relations between colonizers and colonies (social history) over time, but skip the slavery issue;
2. The status of women and level of equality in modern history (history of gender relations);
3. Relations between the U.S. and the rest of the world (foreign affairs; diplomatic history);
4. How wars were fought over 500 years (military history).
You pick one of these topics and, using only our textbook, write 1800 words (6-7 pages) on how you have seen that topic throughout the course, from the beginnings to the present. Focus on two regions of the world, such as Europe and China, or the U.S. and Europe, or India and Russia.
How has it changed over time? What were the big events or people involved in it? What analysis can you bring to the topic, in order to assess it critically? The essay is to be critical and not just a summary of sections in which your topic is mentioned in the textbook.
The essay should be double-spaced, with one-inch margins, and a 12-point Calibri or Times New Roman font. Frequent citations to the textbook are essential for each point you find from the textbook. Use Turabian or the MLA style for your citation format; plan on 4-6 citations per paragraph. No title page or works cited page are needed.
Do the word count and include it at the end of the essay. For example: "Word count: 6233 words."
See also the grading rubric for the essay.
cted to speak frequently. You should have notes with you on the readings, ready to use when it's you are called on. The notes can be written in the book's margins or on a separate sheet of paper. Have clear statements to make for each reading we discuss. Read carefully and come to class ready to talk, ask about, criticize, and comment on the readings.