basics
description
Be forewarned: this is a challenging academic undertaking. The senior seminar is designed as the capstone course for the history major. As such, it is an opportunity for class members to concentrate on the steps involved in the process of writing an original, extended research paper in which they synthesize the skills that they have honed during their undergraduate majors. This particular offering of the seminar will focus on the history of the American West; its twin goals are, first, to read a basic text that will introduce the history of the region and suggest ideas for further research and, second, to write an extended, formal essay on a topic relevant to the course topic. Along the way, the class will complete several smaller assignments that will build toward the seminar essay.
This course demands a great deal of its participants, but those who commit themselves will have a sense of accomplishment at its end. The reading assignments should be completed before the date they are due so that you will have time to digest the material thoroughly. The assignments are due on date indicated on the schedule above. Because the discussions depend on all participants’ having completed the reading or done the assignments, participants are encouraged to make virtues of punctuality and readiness to facilitate lively exchange.
Since this course is an upper division, it assumes that you have attained a certain level of skill and competency; namely, you can read intelligently and write coherently. It also assumes that you can take responsibility in some measure for the course. The course will primarily depend on your contributions and arguments, although the instructor will deliver mini-lectures from time to time to assist us all in our attempts to grapple with a books and research problems.
This course fulfills all/in part the Writing-Intensive requirement in the history major. It does so through the successive stages, namely the topic statement, a bibliography, and an extended outline; these are due on dates indicated on the syllabus. The Writing Intensive regimen culminates in a 3500-word research paper. The research paper will be completed through a draft/feedback/revision process. (See Work for the specifics of the Writing Intensive regimen.) The first draft will be due on the date specified on the syllabus. I will provide commentary on the draft and return it to you for revision. The essay in its final form will be due on Wednesday, May 5.
books
The following books are required for the course. They are available in the Campus Bookstore.
- Clyde Milner et al. eds.,
Oxford History of the American West - William Kelleher Storey,
Writing History - Kate L. Turabian,
A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations
blog
Rather than have a group blog or design a blog from the ground up, we’ll be doing something a bit different. Because you’ll need a blog that has a photo album, I’ll recommend two options.
You can obtain a Plus-level subscription to Typepad, a blog. The cost is $8.95 per month or roughly $27.00 for the semester (the cost of a modest textbook). The best thing to do is sign up for a free trial; this will furnish you with a month’s free service. At the end of the semester, you can cancel your subscription. Or, you may discover that you like blogging so much that you retain your subscription. The advantages of TypePad are ease of use and the option to customize your design. Please do not ask to use one of the free services, such as Blogger; I have had no end of trouble—spam, trolls, and downtime—in previous semesters.
Alternatively, you can use Movable Type or WordPress software. Both are free, but the installation of the software is challenging, and you will need to contact your ISP to ensure that the necessary software is in place. Movable Type will install the application for you for a $40.00 fee, but you will need to arrange to have CGI and MySQL in place. Be aware that most free web page areas do not support CGI or MySQL or charge extra. George Mason does have a site license for Movable Type, but I’m not clear on the university’s policy on students and MT or WordPress. I do not recommend either of these options unless you have some solid computer skills and access to a sophisticated ISP, but there may some in the class who can avail themselves of the MT or WordPress options.
library of congress field trip
Instead of meeting at our regularly scheduled time, we will meet at the Library of Congress at 10:30 on Friday, March 5, for an orientation and a full day’s work. If you work or have other responsibilities, please arrange your commitments accordingly. The field trip is a course requirement.