Seminar in Historical Research and Writing

Course Description

Locating and using historical source materials, written and oral, published and unpublished. 411A: American; 411B: European; and 411C: Wider World. Prerequisite: For social studies licensure students: HIS 430 and permission of instructor; for all other history majors: HIS 391 and permission of instructor; Notes: Required of history majors; May be repeated once for credit when topic varies.

Syllabus

Student Learning Outcomes, Goals, Objectives:

Students successfully completing this course will be able to:

  • read primary sources critically and effectively by contextualizing their historical context.
  • identify and evaluate historiographical debates in modern German history in the world and critique scholarly arguments in secondary sources.
  • conduct original research to develop a plausible argument of their own in a research paper based on evidence from secondary and primary sources.
  • present research findings effectively in written and oral assignments.

Course Grading Information:

Activity/Performance Measure Percentage/Points
Attendance & Participation15%
Citation Practice5%
Secondary Source Identification5%
Annotated Bibliography & Research Question10%
Primary Source Analysis5%
Research Proposal10%
Presentation10%
Rough Draft & Peer Review10%
Final Paper30%

Grading Scale:

Percentage Letter Grade
≥ 93.0A
90.0-92.9A-
87.0-89.9B+
83.0-86.9B
80.0-82.9B-
77.0-79.9C+
73.0-76.9C
70.0-72.9C-
60.0-69.9D
<60.0F

Attendance/Participation:

This is the capstone course of your History major here at UNCG. Regular attendance and active participation is vital to your grade and your success in this course. As advanced undergraduate students, it is your task to come to class prepared. Your careful reading of the assigned texts will allow us to dig deeper into the course themes.

Each student is allowed up to three excused absences from the course. Any additional missed classes (or unexcused absences) will negatively affect your grade. If you miss more than 5 classes, I may ask you to drop the course. Please notify me about absences ahead of time so I can help you succeed in this course.

Course Materials Purchased by the Students:

William Kelleher Storey, Writing History: A Guide for Students, 6th ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2021). ISBN: 9780190078416.

Scholarly Perspectives

This course engages diverse scholarly perspectives to develop critical thinking, analysis, and debate and inclusion of a reading does not imply endorsement.