Final Project Submission:Purpose
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Use research and reporting on a chosen global trade good to:
o Identify the global political, economic, social, and cultural forces that shape human experiences in different
regions and eras.
o Articulate historical causation (change-over-time) for a specific region and era.
o Draw conclusions from historical secondary sources and articulate them to lay, educated audiences.
o Recognize the interconnectivity of the human experience
Task:
Students will submit revisions and reflections on their independent research projects into an individually chosen trade good.
Students will include the following materials in a single document during the finals period:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Revised Topic Proposal
Revised Bibliography
Revised Speech Outline
Reflection that Connects Individual Good back to Course Materials
Individual Instructions for Each Section Below.
Item #1: Revised Topic Proposal
Directions + Format:
Students will submit a 100–150-word paragraph topic statement that includes:
1. A first sentence that declares your topic in a clear, declaratory statement.
2. Two-to-three sentences describing (5Ws):
a. Who: your historical actor(s) related to your topic
b. Where: the events/figures impacted by your historical topic
c. When these events occurred
d. What happened: what the change over time related to your topic? Describe what happened as part
of/because of your event.
3. Reflect/Revision Statement (2-3 sentences)
a. Explain what revisions, if any, you made to your topic. Explain alterations or changes to your topic. If both
topics were approved, explain why you selected the topic you ultimately completed.
Item #2: Revised Bibliography
Directions + Format:
Students will submit a revised source list that includes each of the following organized under labelled headers:
1. A list of your final sources (no annotations needed or wanted)
2. A 200-word reflection statement that explains:
a. The changes that I recommended/suggested following your draft assignment.
b. Three tangible takeaways that you gained from this process of searching, vetting, and selected secondary
sources for your project.
Item #3: Revised Speech Outline
Directions + Format:
Students will provide both a response to the instructor’s comments and their revised outline in this section.
1. Response to Feedback: In at least 50 words, you will outline the 1-2 biggest/more important pieces of feedback that I
gave in response to your first outline and describe what you did to address each of these critiques.
a. If you got an “all-clear,” simply state so in this area.
2. Revised Outline: complete your 600-750 outline in the space below.
a. If you made corrections/revisions to your outline, highlight them on your revised outline.
Item #4: Final Course Reflection
Directions + Format:
Students will compose a reflection of at least 200 words to articulate specific and compelling connections between their
individual topic and the course topics, themes, and events. The reflection should:
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Articulate connections to course Modules and course events.
Use the most specific historical terms possible to review to eras, events, and locations.
Provide full historical definitions for the terms that they introduce from the source.
Provide a full explanation of why/how your event connects to these events.
Assessment
Topic Proposal
Points
Criteria
Excellent/Proficient
Emerging
Developing / Absent
(3 points)
(2 points)
(0-1 points)
Student identified two topics that Student selected at least one
fell within the assigned dates,
topic that fell within assigned
regions, and topics.
dates, regions, and topics.
Student provided a full, detailrich, and context-rich definition
of the historical event/topic.
Student chose topics that fell outside
of the assigned dates, regions, and
topics.
Student provided broad or
Definitions were missing or ahistorical.
incomplete definitions of these
terms.
Bibliography
1. Relevant and Scholarly
a. Did your sources come from reputable history authorities?
b. Did you successfully find a secondary source rather than just tertiary (encyclopedia) articles?
c. Are your sources histories instead of some distant disciplinary field?
2. Citations are tidy, consistent, and complete
a. Do you select and consistently use a single professional citation style (APA, Chicago, MLA).
Outline
Student submissions are graded using the following criteria:
1. Central Message is clear, concise, and effectively communicates the historical importance of the topic.
2. Organization is easy to see, follow, and is logical for a history class. Student uses signposts to indicate the connections
between pieces of evidence and transition sentences to move from main point to point.
3. Evidence (detail) used:
a. comes from diverse sources and is diverse in nature (statistics, stories, facts, data, stories, analogies).
b. Events and developments are identified using the most specific historical terminology. Student provides full
and frequent historical definitions for novel concepts, events, and figures.
c. All included detail is relevant and is connected back to the thesis statement explicitly.
Reflection
Up to 10 points
1. Thorough and Complete
a. Student completed the reflection/response section for each of the three above components.
b. These responses have been thorough in detail and in thought and have demonstrated serious/full
engagement with the questions.
2. Quality of Historical Detail/Thinking (The Final Reflection)
a. Student chose historical events that accurately connected to their own topic
b. Student provided both appropriate terms and full historical definitions for events introduced
c. Student demonstrated understanding of historical causation in articulating connections – historical causality,
contingency, concurrency, etc.