Students will write weekly response papers (8 total) that synthesize the assigned readings.
These papers should be 2 pages and contain three key elements:
1) Summary of the Argument(s): Describe the main historical argument of the text. What is the main
point of argumentation?
Note: If you are dealing with a group of articles or primary sources, you will need to
approach this differently. Describe, instead, how the articles fit together. What story do
they tell as a whole? Or, what debates or perspectives do they cover?
2) Evidence: How is the argument supported? What type of source materials does the author use?
How is the text organized?
3) Evaluation: How does this author contribute to the historiography? Does the author make a
convincing argument? How does this text work as a piece of historical writing? How does it relate
to your knowledge of history or other books you have read (either inside or outside this course)?
