American Populism Assignment

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HIST 1302 Writing Assignment I: American Populism: A Social History, 1877-1898 Purpose This assignment asks you to read, analyze, and discuss a scholarly historical monograph. The purpose of the assignment is to promote thoughtful reading, critical thinking, and clear expression of ideas. The Assignment • Part 1: The paper should begin with a brief summary of the book that shows that you have read it and thought about its structure and contents. Don’t just rewrite the table of contents. ***You’ll want to pay special attention to the author’s central argument(s) or “thesis,” the primary idea or ideas the author is trying to convey and convince the reader to accept. What is the author trying to convince the reader…show more content…
I’m not interested here in whether you thought the book was interesting or boring. I’m looking for an exploration of how convincing you found the book’s conclusions. How well did the author support his/her argument(s)? How did the book support, contradict, or complicate what you learned about the subject in lectures and textbook reading? Did you detect any biases in the author’s approach? How, in your opinion, could the book have been improved? Be specific—don’t just say “the author should have made the book more interesting to read.” I’m looking for something more thoughtful and analytical. Would you recommend the book to others? Why or why…show more content…
• Organization. Papers should be logically structured into paragraphs. Use the prompt as your guide • Content. Strong papers will show thoughtful readings of American Populism. This assignment is not just summary of the book. Rather, you are asked to analyze McMath’s arguments and use of evidence. This assignment is also not a book review. While you’ll have a chance to offer your assessment of the book, don’t make that your focus. Your personal reaction to the book is a small part of this assignment. • Style. Papers turned in for a grade should be proofread for grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc. While the purpose of this assignment is not to bust you for minor errors, consistent issues with style will distract readers from the points you are trying to make. Read your paper after you print it out. You may catch errors you might have missed otherwise. (This will also eliminate the old “I printed off the wrong file” problem). ***As you work on this assignment, please feel free to come by my office hours (make an appointment if you can’t make my scheduled hours) or email me if have questions, need help, would like to show me an outline or draft,

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