Please pay careful attention. These requirements have been reduced due to the difficulty obtaining oral histories from Bond Hill followed by the complications with COVID-19. I would prefer you to do better quality work in a shorter essay than filling space in a longer one.
Once we have conducted our oral history interviews, we will use them as a springboard for short research essays. Each student will choose a singular topic or theme from the interviews on which to conduct additional primary and secondary source research. Integrating both the oral history material and additional research, students will write a research essay meant to introduce the novice reader to their topic and place it in its larger context. Each essay should be fully footnoted (Chicago Style), including any relevant illustrations. The minimum length of these essays is 4 pages for undergraduates and 6 pages for graduate students.
Grades are assigned based on the quality of work and adherence to the provided description. All writing should be focused, organized, and clean.
Submit a proposal for your final essay based on a theme or topic you see woven across the interviews. The proposal should be 1-2 pages including potential evidence and list of secondary sources.
Your 1st draft is due on Thursday, April 16th. Drafts should be as complete as possible. The more you do for your draft, the better the feedback for your final essays. Email a copy to both me and your class partner.
Exchange essays with your class partner (see above). You must return each others' essays by Tuesday, April 21st.
Your 2nd draft is due on Thursday, April 23rd. You should incorporate all my feedback and the feedback of your classroom partner. During the class period, you will also present your findings and reflect upon the experience with your classmates.
Incorporate all feedback from your 2nd draft and submit your final essays via email by the end of the exam period (4:15pm) on Thursday, April 30th.
Given all the shifts and changes we've experienced over the course of the semester, I would like you to carve out some time to reflect on the end result (2 page max). How did you feel about shift gears away from Bond Hill? What do you think about the alternate COVID-19 project? What skills did you gain that transcend the complications of the semester? Do you feel like you can conduct oral histories? Do you feel like you can engage with different communities? Is there anything else you'd like to tell me? These are due with your final essay on Thursday, April 30th.