Historical Analysis of China. History Essay Research Paper

Use "which", "that" and "because" whenever possible, and keep the grammar simple, like clauses, etc.

1 Fall 2019 HIST:1602 Civilizations of Asia: China, 17th c. to Present Term Paper Assignment: Historical Argument Assignment I. Analysis a. Select one of the discussion readings we read this semester. b. Write a narrative of the people and events related to the document, using only the information in the document. Identify: i. The storyline or main message described in the document. ii. Who is the author and what is his/her relation to the people and events described in the document? iii. For whom did the author write the document? c. Expand on the above narrative by adding background and bigger-picture information from the relevant textbook reading and lectures (from the same week as the document). Identify: i. The political/social/economic background of the time and place described in the document and/or in which the document was created. ii. The political/social/economic background of the author. iii. The author’s motivations/interests and potential biases of the document. d. Identify similarities and differences between the document’s content (b) and the more general history in which it existed (c). Explain: i. What new information the document provides, if any. ii. The limitations of the document and its content – what does it not tell us? iii. The relationship between the document’s story and the more general history. II. Essay a. Using the above analysis and insights, make an argument for why we should care about this document. Explain: i. How did the document and/or its content influence history, if at all? ii. How can the document change our understandings of Chinese history? iii. How can we use this analysis to inform our understanding of the present? For your final submission, you are only required to turn in your argumentative essay (II). Requirements Essay Length: 900-1,100 words (honors students: 1,800-2,200 words). Formatting: Times New Roman 12 font, double-spaced, left-justified, 1-inch margins, pages numbered. Audience/Style: An essay that your friends who have not taken this class can understand. Your goal is to persuade your audience that your interpretation of Chinese history is meaningful and applicable in their own lives today. 2 References: As described above, all of your evidence should come from your selected document and other course materials. This assignment is not a research paper. Nevertheless, when you use any information or ideas in your paper that you got from someone else’s work, you must give them credit and cite their work. Besides showing respect for others, the purpose of citing your sources of information is to make your analysis and thought process as transparent as possible. If your readers are unable to verify your sources of information, then they will not believe you. For course materials, use simple in-line citations like (Chen et al., p.85), or (9/16 lecture, slide 2). If you use any outside sources, in addition to an in-line citation you must also include full bibliographic information, following the format used in the syllabus (under “References”). Grading Criteria Your final submission will be graded according to three major criteria: 1. The persuasiveness of the analysis or argument. a. Goal: A persuasive argument changes the way your reader thinks about the topic. The overall development of the argument builds up to a new insight or larger idea, rather than just repeating the thesis. Achieving this usually involves a combination of insightful ideas, new evidence or new perspectives on existing evidence, and well-crafted writing. 2. The accuracy, relevance, and quantity of evidence used to support the argument. a. Goal: Strong evidence convinces the reader that your argument rests on solid facts and has meaningful implications for a broader audience. 3. The clarity and effectiveness of the organization and writing. a. Goal: The language of a well-written paper in itself strengthens the persuasiveness of the argument. The paper has an introduction with a thesis statement, a body with ample evidence and analysis, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a topic sentence that summarizes the main point of the paragraph. Transitions between paragraphs are smooth and logical. Sentences are clear and concise, and typographical errors do not distract or confuse the reader. Submission Deadline Submit your essay through the “Final Term Paper” ICON assignment by December 16 at 11:59 pm. Late submissions will not be accepted. Please also review the syllabus, “A Note on Academic Honesty” before submitting your essay. You are strongly encouraged to begin working on the analysis outlined above as soon as possible. At each step of this writing process, we strongly recommend you to visit the History Writing Center (see https://clas(dot)uiowa(dot)edu/history/teaching-and-writing-center) or any other writing center on campus, and/or our office hours for help and feedback. These visits are not formally required, but doing so (or not) will significantly affect your grade.