HIST 47 - Facts, Evidence, and Explanation

Examples: Open-note essay exams that evaluate students’ ability to compare the reliability of different primary documents as sources of factual information. Instructors will grade essay exams using a rubric which stresses the importance of using specific examples from (and attributes of) all of the sources to appraise their relative reliability. The rubric will also lay out basic structural requirements of an in-class essay exam: a very brief introduction with a succinctly stated argument, body paragraphs with topic sentences that focus on a specific point of comparison between the sources, and a brief conclusion. Review essays which require students to compare, contrast, and synthesize multiple secondary sources (e.g., scholarly articles) in order to outline and evaluate debates between historians on a particular question. Instructors will grade review essays based on timely submission, as well as on a rubric which stresses proper use of citations, relevance of selected sources, and quality of comparative analysis. Annotated bibliographies requiring that students successfully frame a research question, as well as locate and summarize relevant secondary and primary source material. Instructors will grade annotated bibliographies based on timely submission, as well as on a rubric which stresses the relevance of selected sources, the diversity of selected sources (both in terms of perspective and medium), and the accuracy/thoroughness of annotations. One-to-two page write-ups that give students an opportunity to practice asking and answering standard questions about primary sources (one or two sources per assignment). Instructors will evaluate write-ups based on timely submission and a rubric listing the key questions students must ask and answer of the primary source in question (e.g., What was the intended audience?). Assignments that require students to answer questions using online applets based on primary source material, such as the census and mapping applets on the Social Explorer website. Instructors will evaluate worksheets based on timely submission and accuracy of responses. Brief (e.g., one-page) secondary source summaries that require students to clearly and concisely identify the argument and evidence used to support it. Instructors will evaluate the reports based on timely submission, accuracy of the summaries, and students' ability to summarize complex arguments concisely in their own words. Online or in-class quizzes that cover basic definitions and concepts from the assigned readings. Instructors will evaluate quizzes based on the accuracy of student responses. Instructors will evaluate presentations based on a rubric that emphasize organization, clarity, accuracy of information, and level of critical thinking. True-false, multiple choice, matching, and fill-in-the blank assessments will be used to evaluate student mastery of concepts. Instructors will evaluate students based on the accuracy of responses. Oral presentations at the instructor’s discretion. Instructors will evaluate presentations based on instructor-specific rubrics that emphasize organization, clarity, accuracy of information, and level of critical thinking (esp. with regard to the formulation of discussion questions). In-class and out-of-class assignments that require students to use historical databases like Social Explorer to track down specific information. Instructors will evaluate assignments based on the accuracy of responses. In-class and out-of-class group assignments that require students to organize a body factual information (e.g., a list of events in no particular order) both chronologically (as a timeline) and thematically. Instructors will evaluate assignments based on accuracy (in the case of chronological organization) and internal consistency (in the case of thematic organization).