week by week
date work

Wednesday,

January 23

Discussion: Housekeeping & Introductions

Friday,

January 25

BLOG URL DUE

Wednesday,

January 30

Reading: Exploring a Topic

  • Hine et al., The American West, Chaps.1–8
  • William Storey, Writing History, Ch. 1

Discussion: Selecting a Research Topic

  • Blog Post #1: Using the text, choose two subjects that interest you. For your post, briefly report on what you read and list five to six questions (5–6) about your topics that might lend themselves to a research paper. In addition, comment on a classmate’s post.

Tuesday,

February 5

LAST DAY TO DROP CLASSES WITH NO TUITION PENALTY

LAST DAY TO ADD CLASSES

Wednesday,

February 6

Reading: Exploring a Topic

  • Hine et al., The American West, Chaps.8–16
  • William Storey, Writing History, Ch. 2

Discussion: Electronic Databases

  • Blog Post #2: Once again, using the text, choose two subjects that interest you. For your post, briefly report on what you read and list five to six questions (5–6) about your topics that might lend themselves to a research paper. In addition, comment on a classmate’s post.

Wednesday,

February 13

Reading: Primary/Secondary Sources

  • William Storey, Writing History, Ch. 3

Discussion:

  • Sources & Quotations

Writing:

  • Blog Post #3: For this post there are TWO parts. First, find two primary sources (text, image, or other) focused on a potential research topic, duplicate them, and post them to your photo album or blog. (Be sure that you provide a citation and caption for your selections and that you've provided your primary materials in the best format. You may need to scan your document, download it, or do a “screen grab,” or turn a text document into a PDF and post it for download.) In your post, discuss how the source might be used in a research project. Because some of your primary sources may be quite long, you may post excerpts. Second, using the America: History & Life database or one of the other online databases available from the GMU libraries, select two articles pertinent to your topics, read them, and write a brief annotation for each to include in your blog. Remember to comment on another’s post.

Wednesday,

February 20

Reading:

  • William Storey, Writing History, Ch. 4

Discussion:

  • General & Individual Discussion of Topics

Writing:

  • Blog Post #4: Post your topic statement your blog. The topic statement should be about three paragraphs long and contain a statement of what you have chosen as the topic for your essay in addition to the larger historical question about the history of the American West that your essay seeks to answer. You might begin by asking yourself a question about the material that we have read in the class and then proceed to frame an answer to that question—or thesis. It should also contain, insofar as you are able, a discussion of the kind, quantity, and nature of your potential sources. In addition, respond to another student’s post with suggestions, observations, or criticism.

TOPIC/THESIS STATEMENTS DUE

Saturday,

February 22

LAST DAY TO DROP CLASSES

Wednesday,

February 27

NO CLASS (See Field Trip)

Saturday,

March 1

FIELD TRIP–LIBRARY OF CONGRESS (All Day)

Wednesday,

March 5

Reading:

  • William Storey, Writing History, Ch. 5

Discussion: Planning the Paper

Writing:

  • Blog Post #5: Upload your bibliography as a file in PDF format to your blog. Include an introductory paragraph that comments on your bibliography’s problem and prospects. See also, Work for additional details. Take a look at a classmate’s bibliography and comment accordingly.

BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE

Wednesday,

March 12

NO CLASS (Spring Break)

Wednesday,

March 19

Reading: On Writing

  • William Storey, Writing History, Ch. 6

Discussion: Writing Strategies

  • Blog Post #6: Upload your outline as a file in PDF format to your blog. As part of your post, write an introductory paragraph that describes some aspect of your outline. See also the material on the outline in Work.

OUTLINE DUE

Wednesday,

March 26

NO CLASS (Research & Writing)

Wednesday,

April 2

Reading: On Writing

  • William Storey, Writing History, Ch. 7, 8 & 9

Discussion:

  • Blog Post #7: Upload your paper in PDF format to your blog. Write an introduction to the draft describing your essay to accompany your upload. See Work for the specifics of the requirements for the first draft. In addition, bring a hardcopy of your essay to class. This version will be line-edited and commented on in the most detail. It will also be the basis for your individual conferences.

1st DRAFT DUE (VERY IMPORTANT)

Wednesday,

April 9

Reading: On Revision

  • William Storey, Writing History, Ch. 10

Individual Conferences (Wednesday, Thursday & Friday)

  • Blog Post #8: Post a response to your writer’s paper in the comments section of the writer’s blog; in addition post a copy of your critique to your own blog. Although this critique is not intended to be as extensive as the final one, you will find the “Paper Critique Guidelines” useful.

CRITIQUE DUE

Monday,

April 16

NO CLASS (Revision)

  • Blog Post #9: For this week’s post, provide a brief progress report describing the revisions that you are planning or working on for your essay. See Work for the specifics of the requirements for the second draft.

Wednesday,

April 23

NO CLASS (Revision)

  • Blog Post #10: Upload your paper as a file in PDF format to your blog. Write an introduction to the draft describing your essay to accompany the file.

Wednesday,

April 30

Discussion: Presentations

ORAL PRESENTATIONS (GROUP #1)

CRITIQUE DUE

Wednesday,

May 7

Discussion: Presentations

ORAL PRESENTATIONS (GROUP #2)

CRITIQUE DUE

FINAL PAPER DUE

SELF-EVALUATION DUE

  • Staple your drafts together and attach them to your final essay. (You might wish to put them in a manila envelope to be on the safe side.) Put the essay and the drafts in the plastic container on my office door. Finally, email you self-evaluation to me.