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| HISTORY 347 |
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| HISTORY 347 |
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Assessment: Each student is required to Produce:
Course Structure: From week 2, the Wednesday slot will be used for lectures or multi-media presentations - mostly videos - that will provide the narrative thread for the development of topics. The Thursday time slot will be used for seminars. As you will see from the assessment section above, all students are required to present a seminar paper in class, and an essay based on their seminar of between 1000 and 1500 words. Typically the seminar presentation will last for about 30 minutes. The essay based on the seminar is due one (1) week after the presentation is completed in class. Because this is a seminar class, I expect students to have read the article/s or chapter/s selected each week before class. This is to enable informed discussion on the topics. These readings form the basis for the short reviews mentioned above, which are due on From week 2, the Tuesday slot will be used for lectures or multi-media presentations - mostly videos - that will provide the narrative thread for the development of topics. The Thursday 2-hour slot will be used as a seminar session, where we explore the ideas presented in the class reading 'brick'. As you will see from the assessment section above, all students are required to present a seminar paper in class, and an essay based on their seminar of between 1000 and 1500 words. Typically the seminar presentation will last for about 30 minutes. The essay based on the seminar is due one (1) week after the presentation is completed in class. Because this is a seminar class, I expect students to have read the article/s or chapter/s selected each week before class. This is to enable informed discussion on the topics. These readings form the basis for the short reviews mentioned above, which are due on Essay Questions:
Guide to Essay Writing Writing an essay is a craft that has to be learnt like any other and having the ability to present information and arguments persuasively and professionally on paper is one of the most important skills that you will learn at university. Step 1: defining the topic An essay has a set topic, so it is really important that you understand exactly what the question is asking you to do; that you define the topic. First, you have to work out what the question means, and to do this you may have to check the meaning of words or expressions. Second, you have to think what kind of answer the question might generate and be aware that people are likely to have opposing views on the subject. A good essay will respond to arguments that might contradict your answer. Step 2: research An essay is an informed argument. To inform others, you first have to inform yourself. A good way of doing this is to assemble a reading list of material relevant to the essay topic. This can be done in a number of ways: checking the reference sections at the end of each chapter in recommended texts and required readings, or consulting a specialist bibliography in a library. You must make notes on the material you are reading. Whatever notation system you prefer, make sure you keep a full record of the source of the information you are recording. Keep thinking about the topic as you work and you will find that you begin to sort the information mentally into different sections ready for assembling later into an argument. Step 3: writing Unless you feel at ease writing, it is usually better to keep your sentences short and sharp rather than long and florid. Whatever your writing style (and everybody's is different), bear in mind that you will make a better impression on your reader if your argument is clearly developed and consistently supported by mutually reinforcing evidence that is properly referenced. Plagiarism means presenting somebody else's words as your own without due acknowledgement. Plagiarism can be grounds for failing a paper. Step 4: presentation A few general points about presentation should be borne in mind. It helps to write in paragraphs: each paragraph should present a coherent set of ideas and should play a clear role in the development of your argument. Short paragraphs tend to disrupt your argument; long paragraphs tend to ramble. Please take care to punctuate correctly. Punctuation not only affects an essay's 'readability' but can also effect a sentence's meaning as well. Finally, remember to proof-read your work carefully before submission. Step 5: referencing You should take particular care to reference your essay properly by attributing facts and opinions to the source from which you acquired them. If these technical aspects are neglected, you will be asked to resubmit your paper. Note: this section is a liberal adaptation of a Guide to Writing Essays compiled by Dr Robert Cribb at the University of Queensland and reproduced with his permission. |
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