History Department El Centro College
HIST 1301 – US History 1: Research and Writing Assignment
Objectives:
· This assignment will engage you in Critical Thinking by requiring you to explain your thought process, reasoning, and research when selecting an historical issue and developing and explaining your thesis statement.
· You will demonstrate a mastery of Written Communication skills by authoring an academic paper comprised of reliable sources and evidence. Your final paper will be free of mechanical and technical e
ors and demonstrate careful revision. Your final paper will demonstrate mastery of MLA Formatting.
· You will demonstrate your mastery of Personal Responsibility as this assignment will require you to present a specific historical issue and thesis and explore the ethical issues relating to the events. You will support your analysis with facts.
· You will demonstrate Social Responsibility as this assignment will require that you consider cultural competency when establishing and presenting your historical thesis statement. You will discuss the effect on the community in relation to your historical thesis statement.
· You will demonstrate a mastery of Visual Communication by using an image, graph, photograph, political cartoon or collage to frame and describe the historical issues discussed in your paper in a visual way.
Details:
· MLA format: a sample paper in MLA format, MLA template and MLA tips are available on the History Li
ary Page.
· Three reliable, primary or secondary sources (note that Wikipedia and Google are not reliable sources).
· 12-point NY Times Font
· Double-spaced
· Three full pages of writing. In text citations must be used within the body of your paper.
· Visual Medium - you must use at least one chart, graph, photo, political cartoon, collage or other visual representation to interpret, explain or comment on your paper. This visual representation is required and is not part of the three full pages of writing.
· Works Cited Page
eCampus/Blackboard:
Papers must be turn in on BlackBoard. This assignment is part of the assessment criteria for the History Department and the department must have access to the papers on Blackboard.