The Cheatsheet for the 1st Part Writing for US History I

Your paper is about a ˝ page handwritten with footnotes. This kind of writing is not as pretty composition, but is as a way to write to your boss (or yourself) about a problem to solve. This kind of writing must answer the question asked and be brief, accurate, and useful. If it is about time, cover the earliest event first. For this class, you may either write a summary of each part of the content or show interconnections on 2 or 3 issues covered in the content. ‘

The basics are:

1.       Cite/citation - After your statement, identify the source and one specific page where readers can find that fact. Cautions:

·         If you say something is on a page, it better be there. Do not assume the author agrees with you.

·         Do not embellish (                                                      ) or cherry pick (                                                      ).

·         There are sentences below that should not be in the summary and the interconnections sample.

2.       In history classes, use footnotes for citation. (Tip: We use the new, shorter version of Chicago Manual of Style, but I provide the footnote text for each source you use so you can be accurate, but focus on the history.)

3.       Footnotes consist of a superscript number (such as 2 ) in your writing and at the “foot” of the page with same superscript number and the name of the author, name of the document, and a specific page number.
Caution: The superscripts are in numerical order and so are the footnotes.

 

This box below represents 1 piece of notebook paper, but without the footnotes at the bottom of the page.

Cheatsheet for a Summary of Each Part of the Content (Footnotes not yet done)

 

Brief sentence saying what you will teach freshman students about this subject or about this 1st paragraph. Fact about Southern colonies. Your personal view of that fact. Another fact about Southern colonies. Still another fact about Southern colonies. One last fact about Southern colonies. Perhaps your reminding the reader about what you have shown about Southern colonies.

 

Brief sentence saying what this second paragraph covers. Fact about Middle Colonies. Another fact about Middle Colonies. Still another fact about Middle Colonies. Your personal view of that fact. One last fact about Middle Colonies. Perhaps your reminding the reader about what you have shown about Middle Colonies.

 

 

This box below represents 1 piece of notebook paper, but without the footnotes at the bottom of the page.

Cheatsheet for Paragraphs Showing Interconnections on 2 or 3 Issues in the Content

Brief sentence saying what you will teach freshman students about this subject on issue X, issue Y, and issue Z. If needed, transition sentence to introduce issue X.  Fact about Southern colonies on issue X. Your personal view of that fact. Fact about New England on issue X. Fact about Middle Colonies on issue X.

 

Transition sentence to introduce issue Y. Fact about Southern colonies on issue Y. Fact about New England on issue Y. Your personal view of that fact. Fact about Middle Colonies on issue Y.

 

Transition sentence to introduce issue Z. Fact about New England on issue Z. Your personal view of that fact. Fact about Southern colonies on issue Z. Fact about Middle Colonies on issue Z. Perhaps your reminding the reader about what you have shown about issue X, Y, and Z.

 

 


 

Your Prof’s answers – In years of research and writing, this is what I have found safest. If you are in a different class, do what the prof (or boss) asks. (Tip: Bosses will not want citation, but have verifiable proof for everything. You can also work in proof, such as referring to the date of an email that is representative of the problem that concerns you.)

Symbols used below:

·         . = a place where I would not cite.

·           = a place where I might cite

·         Strikethrough = words you should not write. Unsupported opinions do not belong in a memo to the boss or in your brain about your own problem-solving. If you do not strike it out, find the page of the source.

In the summary, why do you only cite one time each in the 2 paragraphs? Because all facts in each paragraph are from the same page.

This box below represents 1 piece of notebook paper, with the footnotes at the bottom of the page.

Cheatsheet for a Summary of Each Part of the Content

Brief sentence saying what you will teach freshman students about this subject or about this 1st paragraph. Fact about Southern colonies. Your personal view of that fact. Another fact about Southern colonies. Still another fact about Southern colonies. One last fact about Southern colonies.1 Perhaps your reminding the reader about what you have shown about Southern colonies. .

 

Brief sentence saying what this second paragraph covers. Fact about Middle Colonies. Another fact about Middle Colonies. Still another fact about Middle Colonies. Your personal view of that fact. One last fact about Middle Colonies.2 Perhaps your reminding the reader about what you have shown about Middle Colonies. .

 

1 Kennedy, Cohen, and Piehl, American Pageant, 32.
2 Kennedy, Cohen, and Piehl, American Pageant, 45.

 

In the paragraphs showing interconnections, why do you cite multiple times in each paragraphs? Because you cite when the source changes or when you insert a new paragraph or a closing, an introduction, or a transition.

This box below represents 1 piece of notebook paper, with the footnotes at the bottom of the page.

Cheatsheet for Paragraphs Showing Interconnections on 2 or 3 Issues in the Content

Brief sentence saying what you will teach freshman students about this subject on issue X, issue Y, and issue Z. If needed, transition sentence to introduce issue X.  Fact about Southern colonies on issue X.1 Your personal view of that fact. Fact about New England on issue X. Fact about Middle Colonies on issue X.2

 

Transition sentence to introduce issue Y.  Fact about Southern colonies on issue Y.3 Fact about New England on issue Y. Your personal view of that fact. Fact about Middle Colonies on issue Y.4

 

Transition sentence to introduce issue Z.  Fact about New England on issue Z.5 Your personal view of that fact. Fact about Southern colonies on issue Z.6 Fact about Middle Colonies on issue Z.7 Perhaps your reminding the reader about what you have shown about issue X, Y, and Z.

 

1 Kennedy, Cohen, and Piehl, American Pageant, 32.

2 Kennedy, Cohen, and Piehl, American Pageant, 45.

3 Kennedy, Cohen, and Piehl, American Pageant, 32.

4 Kennedy, Cohen, and Piehl, American Pageant, 45.

5 Kennedy, Cohen, and Piehl, American Pageant, 45.           < Notice what is different about the 3rd paragraph.

6 Kennedy, Cohen, and Piehl, American Pageant, 32.

7 Kennedy, Cohen, and Piehl, American Pageant, 45.