Sometimes it is clearest start with what a comparison
is not. A comparison in this class
is:
·
Not a paraphrase
of each sentence of a page of the required readings and not even a summary of
that page
·
Not a formal English
paper with specific requirements for number of quotations and your personal
interpretation of those quotations
·
Not a comparison
of the sets of pages of the required readings
This is a history class and the goal to help you learn
history. One of the hardest things for students to understand about history is
that it what was true at the beginning of a time period can be amazingly
different at the end of it—sometimes for the better and sometimes for the
worse. History changes! If it didn’t, humans could never have a consequence on
the present and future. What makes history change is something worth noticing
if you want to survive your present
and, perhaps what is more important, if you want to try to maintain what is
good in your present.
What is a comparison in this class? It is:
1.
Focusing on one
of the listed possible Comparison Topics so you can observe how history changed
over the time period on a specific issue or a specific group of people
2.
Using the exact
pages of the required readings from our textbook and—with some comparisons—from
primaries provided in the course
3.
Reading those
exact pages FOR evidence (As the Good Habits for Evidence link shows, that means such things as no assumptions, no
misreading, no embellishing, and no cherry-picking of atypical facts.)
4.
Examining the
evidence so you figure out how history changed
5.
Deciding from
that evidence what two or three things you would teach others if you were trying to help them understand how
history changed on this issue or for this group in this time
6. Writing WITH evidence one (1) page and using endnotes to cite following a very simple version of the Chicago Manual of Style, the standard used for the discipline of history. Disciplines vary, but history requires citations for both:
·
A quotation
·
A fact - You may
not make statements of fact without a citation to a specific page from the
required pages. (Don’t assume your
version of common knowledge matches the textbook.)
In this course, when using a quotation or a fact, your endnote state a specific page from the required
textbook (or primaries). For example, if you cite page 42 from our textbook for
a fact, your endnote is simple: Ayers, p. 42.
In the Good Habits for Evidence link, you can find out
how to reduce the number of those endnotes (Habit 3) while still clearly
showing your evidence. The required citation method is the Chicago Manual of Style, the standard used for disciplines such as
history. For how to cite using a simple version of the Chicago Manual of Style, use the example from the A paper provided here and from several locations within the Good Habits for
Evidence, including its checklist. The
checklist also provides a brief description of how to do an endnote.
Tip: If you are concerned about writing a
comparison, consider this approach with this 20-point assignment: ·
Write two summaries
that are factually accurate. The “C” column of the Good Habits for Evidence
rubric shows this qualifies for a C (70%). ·
Be sure you
follow all of the 5 Good Habits for Evidence (no marks in the “D” and “F”
columns of the rubric). This qualifies for 10 points on this Comparison. ·
If you have no
marks in the “D” and “F” columns of the rubric with this 1st Comparison, you
qualify for 20 points extra credit. 14 For writing 2 factually accurate summaries – 20
points X .7 (C) = 14 if the lowest C and 15.9 if the highest 10 For following the 5 Good Habits for Evidence 20 Extra
credit points for following the 5 Good Habits for Evidence on the 1st
comparison 44 |
The files differ for the Comparisons. For this
Comparison, you must use the file
provided in this folder as a template for what must be in your file from
the heading area to the font and including any additional requirements
(such as the 5Ws chart for this
Comparison).
For the Introductory Comparison, you prepare in one
file 2 pages:
1.
1st
page of Your 5 Ws
(Who, What, When, Where, Why, and sometimes How) chart comparing in short phrases (with the
page numbers) the two things in the topic that you have chosen.
Where can you see an example? In Good
Habits for Evidence or in this direct link
to the method provided there and to its 5Ws chart. From these
charts you can determine what would be several possible comparisons. You choose
the issues you want to examine. If you need help, ask.
Where can
you find the 5Ws charts for the
Introductory Comparison to copy into your file? Scroll to the
bottom on this webpage.
2.
2nd
page of your 1 page Comparison for the topic that you have chosen.
If your endnotes (and nothing else) extend to a 3rd page, that is
OK.
The required citation method is the Chicago Manual of Style, the standard
used for disciplines such as history. For more about these requirements, see
above.
You can find the rubric and how it is used for grading
in the Good Habits for Evidence or in this direct link to the
explanation of the rubric.
You must use the exact
pages for each item. Those pages
are provided in the Content link.
You do 1 of the 3 choices exactly as written.
In each these 3 choices for
Comparison topics, make sure you meet the listed requirements above:
Tip: Any
comparison involving 1865 to 1867 is the hardest because the content is spread
over so many page numbers and because many students have assumptions about this
period.
In this folder, the last item is the file you download
so you know such things as the margins, font, and heading for your paper, and
the sections required for this paper. You must use this file. The files differ
with the Comparisons so always download the current one.
As shown in the Course Schedule, you use a separate
folder for:
·
Planning a
Comparison, such as Comparison: Planning Your Introductory Comparison
·
Submitting a
Comparison, such as Comparison: Beginning to Submit Your Introductory
Comparison
Tips about submitting:
- The Course Schedule tells you the day that Turnitin opens (at 12:00 am) and
the day it closes (at 11:59 pm).
- You can—and should—submit your initial drafts to Turnitin assignment when it
opens so you get feedback.
- Submit your final submission a minimum of one hour before Turnitin closes.
The Submitting folder includes Turnitin’s
instructions for uploading your file. You can:
1.
Submit your
Comparison early to Turnitin so you can have Turnitin’s
feedback:
·
on language use
·
on originality
(plagiarism or “half-copy” plagiarism if you have not used quotation marks
correctly with another’s words)
2. Correct your work before the final submission date
In general, the Turnitin assignment for one Comparison
closes and on the next day the folders for the next Comparison open. Although
the Submitting folder opens, its Turnitin assignment does not open until the
date in the Course Schedule.
To save yourself busy work, you can copy the exact
Comparison Topic and the 5Ws chart into your downloaded file for your paper.
In the 5Ws
chart, you write short labels for what you have observed and the page number
where you can find it.
Where can you see an example? In
Good Habits for Evidence or in this direct link to the
method provided there and to its 5Ws chart. From these
charts you can determine what would be several possible comparisons. You choose
the issues you want to examine. If you need help, ask.
You do 1 of the 3 choices exactly as written.
In each these 3 choices for
Comparison topics, make sure you meet the listed requirements above:
1. African Americans in the South from 1865 to 1867 compared with their condition from 1867 to 1872.
Trait |
African
Americans in the South from 1865 to 1867 |
African
Americans in the South from 1867 to 1872 |
Who? |
Your reminder phrases on who (page #) |
Your reminder phrases on who (page #) |
What? |
Your reminder phrases on what (page #) |
Your reminder phrases on what (page #) |
When? |
Your reminder phrases on when (page #) |
Your reminder phrases on when (page #) |
Where? |
Your reminder phrases on where (page #) |
Your reminder phrases on where (page #) |
Why? |
Your reminder phrases on why (page #) |
Your reminder phrases on why (page #) |
and sometimes How? |
Your reminder phrases on how (page #) |
Your reminder phrases on how (page #) |
2. African Americans in the South from 1865 to 1867 compared with their condition from 1872 to 1877.
Trait |
African
Americans in the South from 1865 to 1867 |
African
Americans in the South from 1872 to 1877 |
Who? |
Your reminder phrases on who (page #) |
Your reminder phrases on who (page #) |
What? |
Your reminder phrases on what (page #) |
Your reminder phrases on what (page #) |
When? |
Your reminder phrases on when (page #) |
Your reminder phrases on when (page #) |
Where? |
Your reminder phrases on where (page #) |
Your reminder phrases on where (page #) |
Why? |
Your reminder phrases on why (page #) |
Your reminder phrases on why (page #) |
and sometimes How? |
Your reminder phrases on how (page #) |
Your reminder phrases on how (page #) |
3. African Americans in the South from 1867 to 1872 compared with their condition from 1872 to 1877
Trait |
African
Americans in the South from 1867 to 1872 |
African Americans
in the South from 1872 to 1877 |
Who? |
Your reminder phrases on who (page #) |
Your reminder phrases on who (page #) |
What? |
Your reminder phrases on what (page #) |
Your reminder phrases on what (page #) |
When? |
Your reminder phrases on when (page #) |
Your reminder phrases on when (page #) |
Where? |
Your reminder phrases on where (page #) |
Your reminder phrases on where (page #) |
Why? |
Your reminder phrases on why (page #) |
Your reminder phrases on why (page #) |
and sometimes How? |
Your reminder phrases on how (page #) |
Your reminder phrases on how (page #) |
WCJC Department: |
|