Instructions
Writing your reflective essay will help you pull together what you’ve learned from the previous modules so that it isn’t just a jumble of unrelated techniques or facts. You know more than you think you do, and a little bit of critical thinking about it all will help you realize how much you do know.
Your reflections should primarily draw on the material we have already covered in this course up to this point, but they can also be centered on how you have seen yourself change (or stay the same) throughout the semester. While your post should discuss specific skills, concepts, and changes in thinking related to your own growth as a writer and historian, you need not limit yourself to one or the other.
Given the number of possible items you could address, it’s important to have a clear controlling purpose (thesis) in your discussion so that your writing does not sound like a long list of points in paragraph form. A proper paper could draw upon what you have learned, how you have grown historically, how your understanding of history has changed or remained the same, what you were confused about, etc.
Be honest and be critical and you will be fine.
Do not simply write a report of what you read in the book. I want to read your thoughts on what you read in the book from your own, first person, perspective.
• Papers should be 2 – 3 pages (you may go slightly over this, but if you are getting to 4 pages, stop and cut down)
◦ Papers shorter than 2 full pages of academic writing (excluding header and extra spaces) will be docked -20%.
• Times New Roman OR Garamond 12 point font, double spaced throughout, 1″ margins
• Multiple sources should be cited (lecture, textbook, module work, etc.)
◦ Single Source papers will be docked -10%
• MLA or Chicago Style in-text citations only – no works cited necessary as all of your sources should come from this class alone.
• Intro/Body/Conclusion structure
• Have a creative title that makes topic clear and hints at thesis
• Do not plagiarize or use AI. If you do, you will get a 0 without a chance to re-write your paper.
