Global Awareness Article
Purpose: Construct an evidence-based argumentative history paper
Skills:
Knowledge:
Task:
Write a minimum 500-word article contextualizing your chosen issue/topic in the historical regional, national, and/or international context. Think of this paper as the chronological overview or starting point of the topic.
For example, say you were interested in Apartheid and narrowed down you focus to the township of Soweto. If your Travel Guide topic is “Taking a Stand in Soweto” you would want to use this article assignment to write a context paper that examines the “big picture” of the Soweto township >> When and how was it created? Who lived there? Etc. You’d want to start with the discovery of gold in Johannesburg in the late nineteenth century, and discuss the impact of immigration and the mining economy on local populations. You would also want to explain how Soweto was created in the early 20th century as a way to create separate black townships. You would also want to provide context of the grievances that those in the township had against the government and explain how this resulted in the Soweto Uprising.
Make sure your paper begins with an introduction, continues with body paragraphs, and ends with a brief conclusion. Your introduction must feature a straightforward thesis statement that identifies your historical argument. Your argument for this particular paper should answer the question: How did the regional, national, and/or international context shape the development of or effect the outcome of the topic under scrutiny? Your body paragraphs need to begin with topic sentences that establish a connection to your argument.
Double-space all text (except for footnote text). Use margins of one inch on each side of each page. Indent the first line of each paragraph.
Your paper must be at least 500 words, but should be as long as necessary to effectively answer the prompt. Paginate the paper throughout and include a word count at the end.
Submit as a Microsoft Word or PDF file.
Format your paper in accordance with the standards of the Chicago Manual of Style (Links to an external site.). Identify all directly and indirectly cited content with the aid of proper footnotes (Links to an external site.).
Submit the paper to Canvas by the date indicated. Please and by all means heed what the syllabus states with regard to academic honesty (particularly plagiarism) and late submissions.
Criteria for Evaluation:
20% Overall Impression
(Innovative, clear, and strong ideas. Displayed an excellent grasp of the material. Demonstrated mastery of the content, application, and implications. Directly addresses main question, issue, or prompt and adds new insight to the subject.)
40% Argument & Support
(Contains a clear argument. Provides proper, compelling, and accurate evidence. The importance/relevance of evidence is clearly stated. No gaps in reasoning – the reader does not need to make any assumptions or conduct additional research to accept main argument.)
15% Sources & Citations
(Evidence is used from a wide range of sources, including lectures and course readings. All evidence is properly cited in footnotes or endnotes.)
15% Organization
(Essay contains an introduction, main body, and conclusion. Introduction lays out main argument and gives reader a sense of what to expect in the paper. The conclusion brings everything together, acknowledges the shortcomings of the paper, and provides either a connection to broader themes or suggests what further work might be done to advance the subject matter described in the paper.)
10% Clarity & Style
(All sentences are grammatically correct and clearly written. No words are misused. Technical terms, words from other languages, and other historical periods are clearly explained. All information is accurate and up-to-date. Paper has been spell-checked and proofread, and contains no errors.)
