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Conn State Uses Bellesiles' Debunked Book as Prime
Josey1
Member Posts: 9,598 ✭✭
History 501: Historiography
Dr. Warshauer Class time: Monday 4-6:40
Office #208021
Phone #832-2803
Office hours: T&R 2-3 p.m. and by appointment.
E-mail: warshauerm@ccsu.edu
Course overview:
History 501 focuses on historiography, historical method, and history as a professional discipline. Central to our inquiries will be historiography, the differing schools of history that develop around a given subject. Historians often investigate the same information but arrive at markedly different conclusions, or find additional information that adds new understanding to the study of a subject. The class will discuss some of the influences that cause historians to make what are often contrasting arguments. Additionally, students will learn how scholars go about evaluating another scholar's work. Moreover, students themselves will engage in this evaluation process by writing a review of Michael Bellesiles' work, Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture. This book is available at the Campus Bookstore and the Other Bookstore. There is also a required Course Packet that is available at the Other Bookstore only.
The other main component of this course deals with the use of primary and secondary sources. We will hold at least one class in the library, both to learn about where sources are located and to work with reference, government document, and inter-library loan librarians to discover what types of collections are held by both our library and other libraries in the area. -- The course will culminate in a major research project that incorporates the research and historiographic skills learned and discussed in class. The student and instructor should agree upon a project within the first week or two of class. All topics must be on Connecticut or New England history unless the student has special permission to engage in an alternative subject.
Class Assignments:
(These assignments are explained in more detail in the Course Packet.)
1) A 3-5 page book review of Michael Bellesiles, Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture. Worth 15% of the final grade.
2) A 5-7 page review essay on Michael Bellesiles, Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture. Worth 25% of the final grade.
3) Formal Prospectus for Final Paper. Worth 15% of the final grade.
4) Student Commentaries. Worth 5% of the final grade. Failure to provide your peer commentators with a copy of your paper on the assigned day will result in a full grade reduction on your final paper.
5) A 20 page primary research/historiographic final paper. Worth 40% of the final grade.
Late Assignments:
Don't hand in assignments late! For every day that the assignment is not in the professor's possession, one full grade will be deducted.
Attendance policy:
This class meets only once a week. Don't miss it. You may have a total of two unexcused classes. Anything more than two will result in failure of the course.
Excused absences are those accompanied by a physician's note or some other formal documentation.
Incompletes:
Incompletes will not be given unless there are serious mitigating circumstances such as illness or family problems. All such circumstances must be documented.
Plagiarism:
Graduate students will be held to a higher standard of accountability when it comes to plagiarism and academic misconduct. Violations will result in failure of the course and formal charges filed with both the University Judicial Officer and the Dean of the Graduate School. It is each student's responsibility to be familiar with the University's Academic Misconduct Policy, which can be found on the directory of the University web page. Learn this policy!! Violations may affect your academic future at CCSU.
Requirements for Handing in all Written Work:
ALL written work for this course must be given to the instructor in both printed and electronic form. Both are due on the assigned due date. Failure to hand in one or the other will result in grade reductions as outlined in the "Late Assignments" policy. Students should hand in their electronic papers as attachments via email. Emailed papers must be Word or Word Perfect compatible. -- Remember that previous students have written on some of the topics that you are going to. A database is kept on all such papers. The University Academic Misconduct Policy clearly states that, "Submission of another's material as one's own for academic evaluation" is an act of misconduct. As previously stated ANY such violations will be dealt in the most strict manner.
Explanation of Course Assignments:
1) A 3-5 page book review of Michael Bellesiles, Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture. Worth 15% of the final grade.
? This review should be written without investigating any other reviews of Bellesiles' work. The purpose of the assignment is to determine what you, as a reader, take away from Bellesiles' argument. Indeed, this is one of the keys of any book review. Students need to first identify Bellesiles' argument, then evaluate it. Is it logical? Does he support it with good evidence? Is the book easily understood? These are just some of the points that a reviewer should consider. Please see the section on "Understanding and Writing Book Reviews," that follows the explanation of class assignments. (Make sure that you follow proper citation format when reviewing Bellesiles' book.)
2) A 5-7 page review essay on Michael Bellesiles, Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture. Worth 25% of the final grade.
? After a thorough class discussion in which students have researched five reviews and or articles on Bellesile's work, students will write a 5-7 page review essay incorporating new ideas gleaned from the class discussions and the writings of scholars. Thus your essay should take into account new arguments that may alter your original conclusions regarding Bellesiles. (Make sure that you follow proper citation format when writing your essay. You will be incorporating new sources into your paper and must cite everything correctly.)
3) Formal Prospectus for Final Paper. Worth 15% of the final grade.
? See Prospectus Guidelines in the course packet.
4) Student Commentaries. Worth 5% of the final grade.
? Each student will present his or her paper findings in a panel format. He or she must provide, one week prior to the presentation, a working copy of the paper to two fellow students, who will evaluate the argument, sources, etc., and make criticisms of and suggestions for the paper. The students being graded for this assignment are the commentators. Thus take seriously your role as the evaluator of a paper. Note: Should the presenter fail to provide a copy of the paper to the commentators a week prior to the presentation, points will be deducted from the presenter's final paper grade.
? Students providing commentators with papers do not necessarily need a polished, complete version of their paper at this point. The main arguments and ideas, however, should be formulated and notes, as well as a bibliography should be included.
? The schedule outlining who will be presenting and commentating, and when, will be determined at the beginning of the semester and a timeline given to students.
5) A 20 page primary research/historiographic final paper. Worth 40% of the final grade.
? Students should have read thoroughly the research and writing guidelines for the paper. Make absolutely sure that you use the Editorial Checklist. If you make simple stylistic and grammatical mistakes that should have been caught by looking over the checklist, your grade will be affected.
? All papers should utilize endnotes and follow the citation format in Jules Benjamin.
? All papers should include a formal bibliography that follows the citation format in Jules Benjamin.
? The paper should be 20 pages, not including endnotes and bibliography.
Timeline for History 501-- Historiography
September 9
? Introduction
? History as a profession.
? Overview of course and syllabus.
? Identifying Historiography.
o Read sections in Course Packet: The American Revolution; The Jacksonian Era; the Civil War.
September 16
? Research Methods - Database presentation
? List of possible final paper topics.
? Discussion of available resources in CT area.
? Read from Course Packet, "Researching the Paper," and the "Editorial Checklist."
September 23
? Meet in Library Reference Department. Hands on database search with help from Librarian and course instructor.
? Topics Papers are due. All papers should be typed.
? Understanding Book Reviews. Read the Course Packet section on Book Reviews.
September 30
? Discussion of Michael Bellesiles, Arming America. Students should have finished the book.
? 3-5 page Book Review of Arming America due.
October 7
? Continued discussion of Bellesiles, Arming America.
October 14
? Discussion of research progress and prospectus preparation. Each student should bring to class several copies of a preliminary prospectus that includes a problem statement, some historiographical context, and a bibliography.
? Note: Students should have read Prospectus Guidelines from the Course Packet prior to working on their preliminary prospectus.
October 21
? Each student should read, and bring to class 5 scholarly reviews or commentaries on Arming America. These can be gotten via published journals and/or the internet. Two must be from a printed source. These reviews should be as diverse as possible, representing a plethora of scholarly opinions. (Do not use Warshauer's, "Shooting from the Hip.")
October 28
? Prospectus due. Bring copies for each member of the class and the professor.
November 4
? Read from Course Packet and discuss, Matthew Warshauer, "Shooting from the Hip: A Review of Michael Bellesiles' Arming America.
? 5-7 page review essay on Arming America due.
November 11
? No class. Research and Writing Time
November 18
? Papers due for peer commentators.
November 25
? Student panel presentations with student commentary.
December 2
? Student panel presentations with student commentary.
December 9
? Student panel presentations with student commentary.
December 16
? Final Papers Due http://www.history.ccsu.edu/syllabi/Warshauer_syllabus501.htm
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
Dr. Warshauer Class time: Monday 4-6:40
Office #208021
Phone #832-2803
Office hours: T&R 2-3 p.m. and by appointment.
E-mail: warshauerm@ccsu.edu
Course overview:
History 501 focuses on historiography, historical method, and history as a professional discipline. Central to our inquiries will be historiography, the differing schools of history that develop around a given subject. Historians often investigate the same information but arrive at markedly different conclusions, or find additional information that adds new understanding to the study of a subject. The class will discuss some of the influences that cause historians to make what are often contrasting arguments. Additionally, students will learn how scholars go about evaluating another scholar's work. Moreover, students themselves will engage in this evaluation process by writing a review of Michael Bellesiles' work, Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture. This book is available at the Campus Bookstore and the Other Bookstore. There is also a required Course Packet that is available at the Other Bookstore only.
The other main component of this course deals with the use of primary and secondary sources. We will hold at least one class in the library, both to learn about where sources are located and to work with reference, government document, and inter-library loan librarians to discover what types of collections are held by both our library and other libraries in the area. -- The course will culminate in a major research project that incorporates the research and historiographic skills learned and discussed in class. The student and instructor should agree upon a project within the first week or two of class. All topics must be on Connecticut or New England history unless the student has special permission to engage in an alternative subject.
Class Assignments:
(These assignments are explained in more detail in the Course Packet.)
1) A 3-5 page book review of Michael Bellesiles, Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture. Worth 15% of the final grade.
2) A 5-7 page review essay on Michael Bellesiles, Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture. Worth 25% of the final grade.
3) Formal Prospectus for Final Paper. Worth 15% of the final grade.
4) Student Commentaries. Worth 5% of the final grade. Failure to provide your peer commentators with a copy of your paper on the assigned day will result in a full grade reduction on your final paper.
5) A 20 page primary research/historiographic final paper. Worth 40% of the final grade.
Late Assignments:
Don't hand in assignments late! For every day that the assignment is not in the professor's possession, one full grade will be deducted.
Attendance policy:
This class meets only once a week. Don't miss it. You may have a total of two unexcused classes. Anything more than two will result in failure of the course.
Excused absences are those accompanied by a physician's note or some other formal documentation.
Incompletes:
Incompletes will not be given unless there are serious mitigating circumstances such as illness or family problems. All such circumstances must be documented.
Plagiarism:
Graduate students will be held to a higher standard of accountability when it comes to plagiarism and academic misconduct. Violations will result in failure of the course and formal charges filed with both the University Judicial Officer and the Dean of the Graduate School. It is each student's responsibility to be familiar with the University's Academic Misconduct Policy, which can be found on the directory of the University web page. Learn this policy!! Violations may affect your academic future at CCSU.
Requirements for Handing in all Written Work:
ALL written work for this course must be given to the instructor in both printed and electronic form. Both are due on the assigned due date. Failure to hand in one or the other will result in grade reductions as outlined in the "Late Assignments" policy. Students should hand in their electronic papers as attachments via email. Emailed papers must be Word or Word Perfect compatible. -- Remember that previous students have written on some of the topics that you are going to. A database is kept on all such papers. The University Academic Misconduct Policy clearly states that, "Submission of another's material as one's own for academic evaluation" is an act of misconduct. As previously stated ANY such violations will be dealt in the most strict manner.
Explanation of Course Assignments:
1) A 3-5 page book review of Michael Bellesiles, Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture. Worth 15% of the final grade.
? This review should be written without investigating any other reviews of Bellesiles' work. The purpose of the assignment is to determine what you, as a reader, take away from Bellesiles' argument. Indeed, this is one of the keys of any book review. Students need to first identify Bellesiles' argument, then evaluate it. Is it logical? Does he support it with good evidence? Is the book easily understood? These are just some of the points that a reviewer should consider. Please see the section on "Understanding and Writing Book Reviews," that follows the explanation of class assignments. (Make sure that you follow proper citation format when reviewing Bellesiles' book.)
2) A 5-7 page review essay on Michael Bellesiles, Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture. Worth 25% of the final grade.
? After a thorough class discussion in which students have researched five reviews and or articles on Bellesile's work, students will write a 5-7 page review essay incorporating new ideas gleaned from the class discussions and the writings of scholars. Thus your essay should take into account new arguments that may alter your original conclusions regarding Bellesiles. (Make sure that you follow proper citation format when writing your essay. You will be incorporating new sources into your paper and must cite everything correctly.)
3) Formal Prospectus for Final Paper. Worth 15% of the final grade.
? See Prospectus Guidelines in the course packet.
4) Student Commentaries. Worth 5% of the final grade.
? Each student will present his or her paper findings in a panel format. He or she must provide, one week prior to the presentation, a working copy of the paper to two fellow students, who will evaluate the argument, sources, etc., and make criticisms of and suggestions for the paper. The students being graded for this assignment are the commentators. Thus take seriously your role as the evaluator of a paper. Note: Should the presenter fail to provide a copy of the paper to the commentators a week prior to the presentation, points will be deducted from the presenter's final paper grade.
? Students providing commentators with papers do not necessarily need a polished, complete version of their paper at this point. The main arguments and ideas, however, should be formulated and notes, as well as a bibliography should be included.
? The schedule outlining who will be presenting and commentating, and when, will be determined at the beginning of the semester and a timeline given to students.
5) A 20 page primary research/historiographic final paper. Worth 40% of the final grade.
? Students should have read thoroughly the research and writing guidelines for the paper. Make absolutely sure that you use the Editorial Checklist. If you make simple stylistic and grammatical mistakes that should have been caught by looking over the checklist, your grade will be affected.
? All papers should utilize endnotes and follow the citation format in Jules Benjamin.
? All papers should include a formal bibliography that follows the citation format in Jules Benjamin.
? The paper should be 20 pages, not including endnotes and bibliography.
Timeline for History 501-- Historiography
September 9
? Introduction
? History as a profession.
? Overview of course and syllabus.
? Identifying Historiography.
o Read sections in Course Packet: The American Revolution; The Jacksonian Era; the Civil War.
September 16
? Research Methods - Database presentation
? List of possible final paper topics.
? Discussion of available resources in CT area.
? Read from Course Packet, "Researching the Paper," and the "Editorial Checklist."
September 23
? Meet in Library Reference Department. Hands on database search with help from Librarian and course instructor.
? Topics Papers are due. All papers should be typed.
? Understanding Book Reviews. Read the Course Packet section on Book Reviews.
September 30
? Discussion of Michael Bellesiles, Arming America. Students should have finished the book.
? 3-5 page Book Review of Arming America due.
October 7
? Continued discussion of Bellesiles, Arming America.
October 14
? Discussion of research progress and prospectus preparation. Each student should bring to class several copies of a preliminary prospectus that includes a problem statement, some historiographical context, and a bibliography.
? Note: Students should have read Prospectus Guidelines from the Course Packet prior to working on their preliminary prospectus.
October 21
? Each student should read, and bring to class 5 scholarly reviews or commentaries on Arming America. These can be gotten via published journals and/or the internet. Two must be from a printed source. These reviews should be as diverse as possible, representing a plethora of scholarly opinions. (Do not use Warshauer's, "Shooting from the Hip.")
October 28
? Prospectus due. Bring copies for each member of the class and the professor.
November 4
? Read from Course Packet and discuss, Matthew Warshauer, "Shooting from the Hip: A Review of Michael Bellesiles' Arming America.
? 5-7 page review essay on Arming America due.
November 11
? No class. Research and Writing Time
November 18
? Papers due for peer commentators.
November 25
? Student panel presentations with student commentary.
December 2
? Student panel presentations with student commentary.
December 9
? Student panel presentations with student commentary.
December 16
? Final Papers Due http://www.history.ccsu.edu/syllabi/Warshauer_syllabus501.htm
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
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Wild Turkey"if your only tool is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail"