History
480
Spring
2008
Professor
Andrew Kersten
Tuesdays
and Thursdays, 3:30 P.M. to 4:45 P.M.
MAC
236
Contact Information:
Email:
kerstena@uwgb.edu
Course
email: C3097@uwgb.edu
Office
phone: 920-465-2443
Office:
MAC A317
Office
hour: 2:30 P.M. to 3:30 P.M., Tuesdays and Thursdays
Course Description:
This
course ought to be the best history course that you ever take. After
several years of laboring in lecture classes, you now have the opportunity to
become the historian. For many of those interested in the past, there is
no greater adventure than digging in old archival containers or working with
historic objects. This course will provide the historiographical and
methodological background for primary historical research. It will cover theoretical
and practical topics and problems such as research techniques, source
materials, comparative studies, analysis and interpretation, and the writing of
history. One more thing: this semester will have the unique opportunity
to put our passion for the past into action. Collectively, we will be assisting
the Neville Public Museum in developing a new exhibit on World War I. We will
work in work teams to generate key elements of the museumís exhibit. Your work
will take you to the Area Research Center as well as the Neville Public Museum
several times. At all times, you must remember that you represent the
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. You must use your best professional and
historical behavior at all times.
Project Described:
During the
Spring 2008 semester, we will engage in a historically-based research venture.
My goal is to enhance your learning of historical methods and of the history
profession through collaboration with the Neville Public Museum. This semester
we will work together on a project titled ìWorld War I through the Eyes of
Brown County, Wisconsin, Soldiers.î The idea for this project came over dinner
with my friend, Trevor Jones, the history curator at the Neville Public Museum.
Recently Trevor had discovered an unusual archival collection: the Brown County
War History Committeeís Rosters of Men in Service. Inside the collectionís nine
archival boxes were over 1700 files about soldiers from Brown County,
Wisconsin, who had served in the Great War. In 1919, the Committee sent out interviewers
to each Brown County family who had a family member in the military. The
families filled out questionnaires, providing personal, family, and military
information. In addition, the Committee collected hundreds of photographs and
original letters from interviewees. The goal of the Brown County War
Committeeís work was to be a book about this areaís soldiers who served in the
First World War, but it was never written. Although many counties in Wisconsin
and across the nation embarked on similar projects, it is unusual to have such
a complete and comprehensive collection of information about local soldiers and
their families.
Next semester, we will try to complete the work on the
Rosters of Men in Service, but weíll do it in a way the original War History
Committee never imagined. Using two high-resolution scanners, the History
Seminar students will perform the data acquisition part of this project.
Working in the UW-Green Bay Archives, they will scan as many of the 1700 files
as possible, including letters, interview forms, and photographs, into a
database GB Share. Then we will build a web site, which will provide access to
this information about the war and the people who fought it. The studentsí work
will also be featured in an exhibit about the First World War at the Neville
Public Museum. This project will be extraordinarily important to historians who
study the political, social, and economic implications of wartime and to the
general public who will access the web site and visit the Neville Public
Museum. More importantly, this project will enhance the student learning
experience for the History Seminar students by connecting students to a
cooperative venture between the Neville Museum and the University of
Wisconsin-Green Bay. We will be conducting real-world research, and will
participate in a project that will lead to a museum exhibit on World War I as
well as dynamic web page that will be legacy to their work in the seminar. This
collaborative project will accomplish the following goals:
1.
We will
be scanning as many of the 1700 files as possible.
2.
We
will be developing lesson plans for K-12 teachers and their students for our
project web site.
3.
We
will be developing a detailed chronology, an annotated secondary source
bibliography of printed works, and an annotated compendium of web sites for the
exhibit. (Three sentences per annotation.)
4.
We
create a web site for our work. It will become the companion web site for the
Neville Public Museumís exhibit.
Work Teams Described:
Scanning: Each student will be responsible
for scanning the files associated with individuals. This work is to be
completed by February 15, 2008 (Friday). Here is the grading scale:
A
(100%) = 15 individuals
B
(87%) = 10 individuals
C
(75%) = 5 individuals
D
(65%) = Less than 5 individuals
F (0%) = None
Education: Working in pairs, education
students will create 5 lesson plans (one complete lesson per pair) using the
scanned files as their primary sources for the lesson. This work is to be
completed by May 8, 2008 (Thursday).
Research: Working in groups, students will
create a detailed chronology of the First World War, an annotated secondary
source bibliography of 30 books and 20 articles, and an annotated compendium of
web sites relating to the First World War. (Three sentences per annotation.) This
work is to be completed by May 8, 2008 (Thursday).
Web
site: Working as a
team, this group will design and create a web site for the entire project. The
web site will have an inviting index page, links for educators and students for
the lessons that the Education Team will create, links to the chronology,
bibliography, and compendium from the Research Team. The web site will also
have a searchable database for the scanned files we will create. This work is
to be completed by May 8, 2008 (Thursday).
Course Requirements:
1) All work is to be done on time and in the proper format.
Historians use the Chicago Manual of Style, and you are required to do so as
well. The basic formats for Chicago Style are at the end of this syllabus and
online at: http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/DocChicago.html
2) You must help scan the documents. This is worth 20% of
your grade. The scale is above.
3) Make periodic updates of your teamís work. These updates
constitute 10% (@3% each) of your grade.
3) On reading discussion days, come prepared with a 300-600
word critical summary of that dayís reading. In your summary, which must follow
the normal rules writing, you must not only restate the authorís main points
but also offer some criticism (or praise) of those points. These reviews (there
are eight of them) constitute 35% of your grade (5% each). You are required to
read the books (four reviews), summarize the Brinkley and Grele articles, and
do one more. You are to read all the articles but you only need to write a
summary either the Burg, Cary, OR Falk articles.
4) Turn in your groupís final product. Your particular
grade will be an average of your grade plus your individual grade. On the last
day of class, you must turn in a summary of what YOU did for your group.
This summary can be no longer than 300 words. Your final product grade is worth
35%.
5) Attend the lectures of the Center for History and Social
Change on April 23 (Wednesday, 11 am); and other dates. More information to
follow.
Project Updates Explained
Update #1: Week Seven: On these class days, the
teams will present what they have done and how their work is progressing. You
should by this date have a clear work assignment for each member and a clear
path to how your work will be competed. You must turn in what so have so far on
March 6.
Update #2: Week Twelve: On these class days, the
teams will present their progress, which must be significant. You also must have
a clear path to finish your work. You must turn in what so have so far on April
10.
Update #3: Week Sixteen: On these class days, the
teams will present their final and revised projects. Each team will have one
last chance to update their projects after this point. All team projects must
be in by May 8 by 4:45 P.M. No exceptions.
Other Rules:
1)
Per University guidelines, you need to understand that one-hour in class means
two hours out of class work. (See definition of a ìcreditî in the UW-Green Bay
Undergraduate Catalog.)
2) Keep 3 updated copies of your project on disk and one
recent hard copy. Keep two of your disk copies readily accessible at all times
and keep the third in a secret place.
3) During class, turn off all pagers, beepers, PDA alarms,
telephones, and other electronic or non-electronic communication devices that
ring, vibrate, hum, or otherwise annoy.
4) Never send your written work as an email or email
attachment unless specifically requested to do so.
5) All assignments listed in the syllabus are due on
the day indicated in class. Handing in work after class means that the
work is late and subject to this courseís late policy. Sending work by email does
not mean that you have turned in your assignment. Failure to turn in an
assignment will result in a zero in the gradebook.
6) This class welcomes all types of learners. Persons with
disabilities that might affect learning should contact me during the first week
of class.
7) Graded papers are returned once during class. If you
fail to pick up your paper, you may retrieve it at my office during office
hours.
8) All written work over two pages must be stapled.
Currently a quality stapler is available for about one dollar.
9) Check your UW-Green Bay email
regularly. You are expected to read the email that I send you. Only send me
email from your UW-Green Bay email. The campus spam mail filter quarantines
mail from yahoo, msn, AOL, and other providers.
10) If you are having trouble, see me as soon as possible.
Donít wait.
Disability Notice:
Consistent
with the federal law and the policies of the University of Wisconsin, it is the
policy of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay to provide appropriate and
necessary accommodations to students with documented physical and learning
disabilities. If you anticipate requiring any auxiliary aids or services, you
should contact the Coordinator of Services or me for Students with Disabilities
at 465-2671 as soon as possible to discuss your needs and arrange for the
provision of services.
Other Expectations:
I expect that all seminar students will attend the Center
for History and Social Changeís historical lectures: April 23 (Wednesday, 11
am, Christie Theater); and others. More details to follow.
Grading:
Grades are not curved. Except in emergency situations,
late work will loose one letter grade per day without prior approval of the
instructor. Attendance will be taken and students are expected to attend
class for the entire period and are expected to contribute to discussions.
Cheating constitutes a violation of University policy and students will be
subject to University disciplinary actions.
Scale:
Paper Turn In Checklist:
Have you
remembered the little things?
®
Have
you put your name on the first page of the paper?
®
Have
you remember not to attach a cover page?
®
Have
you numbered your pages?
®
Have
you stapled your paper?
®
Have
you used black ink?
®
Have
you double-spaced your paper?
Have you
remembered the big things?
®
Have
you clearly identified your thesis?
®
Have
you used proper paragraph form (with indents)?
®
Have
you used topic sentences?
Have you used quotations to support your ideas?
®
Have
you used proper footnote and bibliographic formats?
®
Have
you revised your paper with several drafts?
Required Texts:
Fussell, The
Great War and Modern Memory
Keegan,
The First World War
Pocket
Chicago Manual of Style (optional)
From E-Reserves
Alan Brinkley, ìHistorians and
Their Publics,î Journal of American
History 81
(December 1994): 1027-1030.
Steven Burg, ìWisconsin and the
Great Spanish Flu Epidemic of 1918,î Wisconsin Magazine of History (2000): 36-56.
Lorin Lee Cary, ìWisconsin Loyalty
Legion,î Wisconsin Magazine of History (1969): 33-52.
Karen Falk, ìPublic Opinion in
Wisconsin During World War I,î Wisconsin Magazine of History (1942): 390-407.
Ronald J. Grele, ìWhose Public?
Whose History? What is The
Goal of a Public Historian?î The Public Historian 5 (Winter 1981): 40-48.
Grading Rubric
|
As
(90-100) |
Bs
(80-89) |
Cs
(70-79) |
Ds
(60-69) |
F (59
and below) |
|
Your
essay is well constructed. It has paragraphs, topic sentences, and most
importantly a clear thesis. Your essay demonstrates a command of the
material. It uses quotes from the readings. You have an exceptional command
of the English language. You avoid making many grammatical or stylistic
errors. |
You essay
is very good. It has paragraphs. You probably need to develop your thesis
and/or topic sentences. You have a fair command of the reading materials but
could have used more quotes or direct references. You have some grammatical
and stylistic problems. |
Your
essay is good. And yet, your essay needs work to improve its structure. You
need to work on your thesis and/or topic sentences. You have a fair command
of the reading materials. You could have used more quotes. You have serious
grammatical and stylistic problems. |
Your
essay lacks coherence. You make errors in essay structure, style, and
grammar. You lack a command of the reading materials. You make many stylistic
and grammatical errors. This paper needs a lot of work. |
You
failed to complete the assignment. |
Jan. 22 (T) – Introduction, Trevor Jones and Deb
Anderson visit
Jan. 31 (R) – Individual Research - Scanning
Feb. 5 (T) – Individual Research - Scanning
Feb. 7
(R) – Individual Research - Scanning
Feb. 12 (T) – Individual Research - Scanning
Feb. 14 (R) – Individual Research - Scanning
Feb. 21 (R) – Individual Research - Scanning
Feb. 26 (T) – Keegan through 203, AND Falk
Feb. 28 (R) – Keegan through End, AND Cary
Mar. 4 (T) – Team Update #1
Mar. 6 (R) – Team Update #1
Mar. 11 (T) – Individual Research
Mar. 13 (R) – Individual Research
Mar. 18 (T) – Spring Break
Mar. 20 (R) – Spring Break
Mar. 27 (R) – Individual Research
Apr. 1 (T) – Fussell through End, AND Burg
Apr. 3 (R) – Team Update #2
Apr. 8 (T) – Team Update #2
Apr. 10 (R) – Individual Research
Apr. 15 (T) – Individual Research
Apr. 17 (R) – Individual Research
Apr. 24 (R) – Mid-project check in
Apr. 29 (T) – Individual Research
May 1 (R) –Individual Research
May 6 (T) – Team Update #3
May 8 (R) – Team Update #3
All Projects Are Due on Tuesday, May 8, at 4:45 P.M.
ß
UW-GREEN BAY WRITING POLICY
The
faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay has adopted the following
writing policy for out-of-class assignments.
Acceptable
Writing:
1. Clear writing is a reflection of
logical thinking; therefore, an acceptable paper must be organized. Every essay should be structured around
a thesis and supported by factual evidence and arguments that are organized in
a logical progression.
2. Writers must acknowledge their use of
data or ideas of others; therefore, an acceptable paper must have proper
documentation of all source material, following professional guidelines such as
those approved by the Modern Language Association (MLA), the American
Psychological Association (APA), or the American Association for the
Advancement of Science, or those published in a standard style manual such as
Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations.
3. An acceptable paper must reflect
control of correct grammar, usage, spelling, and punctuation.
4. An acceptable paper must be presented
in appropriate manuscript form, with errors neatly corrected and care taken
with margins, numbering of pages, spacing, and format.
Unacceptable
Writing:
1. A paper without clear organization is
unacceptable. Unclear organization
includes illogical progressions from one idea to another and the inclusion of
unnecessary ideas.
2. A paper without proper documentation is
unacceptable. Failure to
acknowledge the use of another writerís words or ideas constitutes plagiarism. Plagiarism is both unethical and
illegal. The use of professional
editing for student papers is also unacceptable, as is the use of purchased
papers, which is also a form of plagiarism.
3. A paper containing frequent errors in
grammar, usage, spelling, or punctuation is unacceptable.
4. A paper, which does not appear to be
carefully done, is unacceptable.
This includes papers with ragged edges, typographical errors and
strikeovers, illegible handwriting, stains, or smudges.
To achieve
acceptable writing standards, students should purchase and use a good
dictionary and a writing handbook.
Assistance in improving writing skills is available through regular
courses in composition and from the Writing Center, which conducts writings
workshops and provides advice and tutoring (but not editing). All students who wish to improve their
writing are encouraged to use these resources.
ß
CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING WRITING
Listed
below are some major factors that differentiate good writing from poor writing.
This list
may help you identify particular aspects of your writing that need
improvement. For further
assistance, consult with instructors who are familiar with your writing
skills. Writing assistance is also
available in the Writing Center (CL 109).
1. PURPOSE
Is the purpose of
your paper clear to the audience?
Is the purpose
appropriate to the assignment and to the audience?
Is the purpose
consistently maintained throughout the paper?
2. CONTENT
Are the ideas in the
paper interesting?
Do the ideas in the
paper reflect independent thought, a new approach, fresh insights?
Is the writer
actively engaged with the topic?
3. ORGANIZATION
Are the ideas
developed in a logical order?
Is the organizational
pattern clear to the readers?
Is the discussion coherent? Are transitional devices used
effectively to shift smoothly from one idea to another?
4. DEVELOPMENT
Are the major ideas adequately supported
with examples, specific details, and other kinds of evidence?
Are the ideas
presented in meaningful paragraphs?
Is there a general sense
of completeness and closure?
5. WORDS:
CHOICE AND ARRANGEMENT
Have clear, precise, and
appropriate words been selected?
Have clichÈs been
avoided?
Have the words been
arranged into correct and graceful sentences?
6. STYLE AND TONE
Is the style clear, lively, fluent?
Is the tone
appropriate for the purpose and audience?
Are the sentences
varied in length and structure?
Is there appropriate
use of metaphor, analogy, parallelism, and other rhetorical devices?
7. TECHNICAL QUALITIES: MECHANICS
Does the writing conform to the
conventions of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and usage?
Is the format of the
paper appropriate to the assignment?
Has all material from
other sources been properly documented?
Has the paper been
carefully proofread, with all typos neatly corrected?
ß
EXTRA TIPS
General
Suggestions
ï
Start early.
ï
Have a friend read your early drafts.
Format
ï
Staple your papers including your documents.
ï
No coversheets.
ï
No plastic covers or folders.
ï
Always use page numbers.
ï
Use footnotes, endnotes, or in paragraph citation.
Style
-- avoid these problems
AFW Avoid
Flavoring Words (ìveryî etc)
AWK Awkward
Sentence Structure
COLL Colloquial
Language
DA Donít
Abbreviate
DP Dangling
Preposition
DUC Donít
Use Contractions
DUF Donít
Use First Person
DWQ Donít
Write in Questions
KPP Keep
the Past in the Past (use past tense verbs)
MU Meaning
Unclear
MVT Mixed
Verb Tenses
NAS Not
A Sentence
NSB Donít
Use History as Your Personal Soap Box
PV Passive
Voice
RSS Repetitive
Sentence Structure
SC Use
Standard Rules of Capitalization
SP Misspelled
Word
TAS Throw-away
sentence (has no meaning)
TL Sentence,
Paragraph, or Quote is Too Long
W Wordy
WW
Wrong
Word
Documentation
For all
documentation questions, refer to Turabian. If you do not own a copy, it is worth the price.
Here are
some common formats.
FOOTNOTES
and ENDNOTES:
Published
1Andrew
E. Kersten, Race, Jobs, and the War: The FEPC in the Midwest, 1941-1946 (Urbana: University of Illinois Press,
2000), 1-5.
2Andrew
E. Kersten, ìJobs and Justice: The FEPC in the Motor City,î Michigan
Historical Review 56 (Spring 1999): 1-25.
3 Andrew
E. Kersten, ed., Reach or Breech: The State and Society, 1865-1945
(Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 2001): 25-50.
4
Andrew E. Kersten, ìWillie Webb,î in Ordinary Women, ed. Kriste
Lindenmeyer (New York: Scholarly Resources, 2000): 50-55.
GENERAL
RULE: NAME (FIRST, MIDDLE, LAST), TITLE, PLACE IF BOOK, VOLUME IF JOURNAL,
DATE, PAGES.
Unpublished
3Letter,
Andrew E. Kersten to Bethany R. Kersten, 27 May 1997, Andrew E. Kersten Papers,
Box 15, Folder 9, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Archives.
GENERAL
RULE: KIND OF DOCUMENT, TITLE, DATE, COLLECTION, LOCATION WITHIN
COLLECTION, PLACE OF COLLECTION.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Kersten, Andrew E. ìJobs and
Justice: The FEPC in the Motor City.î Michigan Historical Review (Spring
1999): 1-25.
Kersten, Andrew E. Race, Jobs,
and the War: The FEPC in the Midwest, 1941-1946. Urbana: University of
Illinois Press, 2000.
Same general rules above but put
last names first. Always separate
your primary and secondary material in your bibliography. Questions? See me or use Turabian.
Tips:
1) Be consistent and thorough.
2) In your bibliography, separate primary and secondary
sources.