week by week
date work

Monday,

August 29

Discussion: Housekeeping & Introductions

Wednesday,

August 31

What Is a Good Paper Topic? (Discussion)

Monday,

September 5

NO CLASS (Labor Day)

Tuesday,

September 6

LAST DAY TO DROP WITH NO TUITION PENALTY

LAST DAY TO ADD CLASSES

Wednesday,

September 7

Topic Presentations–Group 1 (Discussion)

Reading: Edwards, New Spirits: Americans in the Gilded Age, 1865-1905

Discussion: Selecting a Research Topic

ASSIGNMENT #1: GILDED AGE THEMES (Group 1) DUE: First, list six themes that appear in New Spirits. Second, using the text, choose three topics in Gilded Age history that interest you. For your short paper, briefly report on your topics and list four questions (4) about your topics that might lend themselves to a research paper. Your paper should be 1–2 pages.

Monday,

September 12

Topic Presentations–Group 2 (Discussion)

Reading: Edwards, New Spirits: Americans in the Gilded Age, 1865-1905

Discussion: Selecting a Research Topic

ASSIGNMENT #1: GILDED AGE THEMES (Group 2) DUE: First, list six themes that appear in New Spirits. Second, using the text, choose three topics in Gilded Age history that interest you. For your short paper, briefly report on your topics and list four questions (4) about your topics that might lend themselves to a research paper. Your paper should be 1–2 pages.

Wednesday,

September 14

Secondary Sources: Databases & Topics Part 1

(Meet in Johnson Center 228)

Monday,

September 19

Secondary Sources: Databases & Bibliography Part 2

(Meet in Johnson Center 228)

ASSIGNMENT #2: SECONDARY SOURCES (All Groups) DUE: Using the America: History & Life database or one of the other online databases available from the GMU libraries, select three articles (secondary sources) pertinent to your topic, read them, and write a brief annotation for each to include in your paper. Print these out. Go to the library and select two books pertinent to your paper; bring both the books and articles to class.

Wednesday,

September 21

Primary Sources: Databases & Bibliography Part 1

(Meet in Johnson Center 228)

Monday,

September 26

Primary Sources: Databases & Bibliography Part 2

(Meet in Johnson Center 228)

ASSIGNMENT #3: PRIMARY SOURCES (All Groups) DUE: GMU’s databases are also valuable resources for primary documents. Using the HarpWeek database or one of the other online databases available from the GMU libraries, select four (4) primary pertinent to your topic, read them, print them, and write a brief annotation for each to include in your paper.

Wednesday,

September 28

Topic & Thesis

ASSIGNMENT #4: TOPIC & THESIS (All Groups) DUE: In a very short, one-page paper, write one sentence in which you name your topic; in a second sentence, write your provisional thesis. Remember: a thesis is a proposition or a summary statement of an argument. We will spend these class periods, going over the topics and thesis statements by group.

Friday,

September 30

LAST DAY TO DROP CLASSES WITH NO TUITION PENALTY

LAST DAY TO ADD CLASSES

Monday,

October 3

Field Trip to Library of Congress/National Archives

Wednesday,

October 5

NO CLASS (Field Trip Compensation)

Monday,

October 10

NO CLASS (Columbus Day)

Tuesday,

October 11

Bibliography

ASSIGNMENT #5: ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY (All Groups) DUE: By this point, you should have your bibliography fairly finished and in acceptable format. As a rule of thumb, it should contain at least four—preferably more—primary sources or groups of primary sources (3), five to seven articles from scholarly journals (5–7), and two to three books (2–3). Your list should include sources that you intent to quote from or paraphrase and not simply bib filler. We will spend class time going over the bibliographies as well as quotation and footnote format. Note that the bibliography is to be annotated.

Wednesday,

October 12

NO CLASS (Research)

Monday,

October 17

NO CLASS (Research)

Wednesday,

October 19

NO CLASS (Writing)

Monday,

October 24

NO CLASS (Writing)

Wednesday,

October 26

<<FIRST DRAFT DUE>>

Monday,

October 31

Individual Conferences–Revision Strategies

(Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday)

Wednesday,

November 2

Individual Conferences–Revision Strategies

(Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday)

Monday,

November 7

NO CLASS (Revision)

Wednesday,

November 9

NO CLASS (Revision)

Monday,

November 14

Individual Conferences–Research Progress

(Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday)

Wednesday,

November 16

Individual Conferences–Research Progress

(Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday)

Monday,

November 21

Presentation/Final Draft Discussion

 

Wednesday,

November 23

NO CLASS (Thanksgiving)

Monday,

November 28

ORAL PRESENTATIONS (Group #1)

Wednesday,

November 30

ORAL PRESENTATIONS (Group #2)

Monday,

December 5

ORAL PRESENTATIONS (Group #3)

Wednesday,

December 7

ORAL PRESENTATIONS (Group #4)

Monday,

December12

NO CLASS

FINAL DRAFT & PDF VERION DUE

SELF-EVALATION DUE