Assignment Instructions
A second Short Paper Assignment allows you to demonstrate improvements to your research skills to your instructor and to receive feedback that will benefit you with regard to writing future essays. With this assignment, you will learn how to do proper and adequate research and write a short paper and prepare you for writing the research paper.
In this assignment, you will be constructing a brief essay on a controversial topic from the period covered during the readings from Chapter 24 (WWII) to the end of class. You can choose this on your own or I will assist.
There are literally hundreds of controversial issues in American history from this period. Below you will find some of the controversies that historians have identified from this period. You'll notice that a lot of these are down the avenue of military history, this is my specialty:
WWII is a great source for these:
Did the American mutilation of Japanese WWII dead amount to a war crime?
Were the fire bombings of Dresden and Hamburg necessary/morally defensible?
Was the use of atomic bombs against Japan necessary/morally defensible?
From the latter half of the 20th Century:
Did the U.S. lose China? Who does the blame primarily rest with?
Why did the U.S. lose the Vietnam War?
Should Nixon have been pardoned?
Was the Iran-Contra Affair treason? Why or why not?
Should Clinton have been impeached?
Was the invasion of Iraq in 2003 an example of just war?
Your essay should be persuasive and needs to take a side on the issue. It is not enough to note that there are two sides and then explain them. I have deliberately provided you with controversial topics that lend themselves to argument.
Please do not include an abstract. Abstracts will not be considered for grading the essay and will not count to the word total.
Format and Submission
· Is your paper formatted in the proper file format (MSWord .doc or docx or .rtf file)?
· Does your paper include a separate cover page that includes assignment name, student name and student number, course name, professor name, style of citations you are using (Chicago/Turabian is history dept and instructor preferred, but APA/MLA are accepted), date and institution?
· Is your paper formatted with one inch margins and using New Times Roman 11 or 12 point font?
· Is your file submitted using last name first name course and assignment? Example: SmithWilliamHIST102ShortPaper2.
Introduction and Thesis Statement
· Did your essay include an introduction and clear thesis statement at the end of the introduction?
Organization and Body of essay
· Is your essay well-organized with topic sentences and supporting detail that reinforces your thesis?
· Did your essay meet narrative word count requirements? Narrative word count is word count without citation and bibliography.
· Word count requirement= 1000 words. A word count of -100 or more is an automatic 10 point deduction. Citations are not considered when assessing word count.
Historical Analysis
· Did you construct your essay using quality academic sources (specifically book or peer-reviewed sources from our Online Library or other university, governmental, museum, or research websites)? Your paper must utilize a minimum of two primary/secondary sources. Note that the new rubric penalizes the use of your textbook and encyclopedia-type websites heavily. Do not use the textbook as a source or list it in the bibliography.
· Did you include relevant historical support, including historical examples that reinforce your thesis?
· Did you include chronological context in your essay and include important dates or date spans?
Writing Style and Grammar
· Is your essay composed using formal English (no use of slang) and using proper capitalization, grammar and spelling rules?
· Is your essay presented in academic third person (does not use "I")?
· Did you refrain from using abbreviations and contractions in your analysis (use "do not" instead of "don't")?
Use of Citation and Bibliography
· Did you consistently follow the citation and bibliographical requirements of one style manual (Chicago or Turabian, MLA, or APA) and list that style on your title page? If you are familiar with a style, please use that style consistently throughout your essay. Do not switch between styles. History majors are strongly encouraged to use Chicago or Turabian citation as this is a requirement in upper-level courses.
· Did you cite your sources in the narrative of your essay using parenthetical citation or computer-generated footnote/endnote numbering? Remember citation takes place immediately after each use of direct quote and after paraphrasing of information.
· Did you include a separate bibliography with your essay?
· Is the bibliography alphabetized and includes all relevant information depending on source type? Remember accessed date for online sources.
The short paper must include a cover page with your name, course number and course title, instructor's name, writing style you are using and date. Chicago/Turabian is the preferred style but you may use APA & MLA as well, but the paper must use only one style and it must be consistently applied. You must include a bibliography at the end of your paper. While composing your paper, use proper English. Do not use abbreviations, contractions, passive voice, or first/ second person (I, you, we, our, etc).