Civ 1 – Primary Source Analysis 2: Political Structures
Before analyzing your sources, please review the following videos about Bias and how to find it in your sources:
“What is Historical Thinking?” – at Youtube
Bias in Primary Sources: How to identify it – University of Washington, with videos
How to Analyze Primary Sources – at World History Sources: note that the column on the right has links to different kinds of sources and how to analyze that type of source.
Making Sense of Sources – at History Matters: again, note that there are different ways to analyze different types of sources.
Using your textbook, the other required readings for the past three weeks, and three different primary sources (something produced at the time, by someone who was there), discuss the evolution of social stratification and political structures. What are the different types of governments that have emerged so far in this course? Which forms of government are more equitable and why? Where are they practiced and why? What is the relationship between citizenship and government? Which governmental type is the most “successful” and why? The least “successful” and why?
What biases are present in the primary sources, your textbook, and the supplemental readings for the past three weeks? What is your bias, and why? Why did you choose the three primary sources you chose – and why didn’t you choose others? What did you leave out and why?
Remember to review the grading rubric itself. Citation is mandatory, both internally and with a Works Cited page in proper APA form (no weblinks by themselves). For this course, you may use APA style for your internal citations and your Works Cited page.
Some suggested videos, if you need help with the idea of historiography:
“What is Historiography?”, Dr. Mark Bowles
“What is Historiography and How can History Change?”, Learning the Social Sciences
Here is my discussion of the journal assignment and what you need to do.
The Grading Rubric is below.
Notes for a thorough journal entry:
– you need a minimum of 3 primary sources – something written in the past by someone who was there. You MUST quote from them and/or utilize the content of them in such a way as to support your argument. You cannot just reference them – you must use EACH of them to prove your argument.
– With your primary sources, consider the bias of the person who wrote it. Why did they write it? What was important to them and why was it important? Who did they write that document for and how does that influence what they put in it – and what they left out?
– The purpose of the journals is to integrate the different elements of what we are studying, to get a broader perspective on these “big themes” of history. Comparing and contrasting is always a good way to organize and approach the ideas involved, so consider that when you begin to make your arguments. so
General knowledge
Distinguished – Excellent argument and ideas, good support; use of all required sources – 2
Good – good arguments and ideas; use of most of the required sources – 1.7
Basic – key ideas are demonstrated, but uses only 2/3 of required sources and sparely – .1.5
Below Expectations: few key ideas, half of required sources or less, not a lot of development of the ideas – 1.2
Non Performance – no top post, or top post with too few sources and ideas- 0
Critical thinking
Distinguished – Excellent use of historical examples and details to support; good primary source support and use of all required sources – 2
Good – some use of historical examples & details; use of most of the required sources & primary sources – 1.7
Basic – not a lot of historical support/example, not many primary sources used or used well- .1.5
Below Expectations: little historical support/example, few primary sources – 1.2
Non Performance – no valid historical support/examples, no primary sources – 0
Primary Sources
Distinguished – analyzes the sources and the bias of the authors, taking into account the time and situation– 2
Good – uses the content of three primary sources and does some work with the bias/situation– 1.7
Basic –basic use of primary sources, little analysis of the bias or situation that created them– 1.5
Below Expectations: fewer than three primary sources, spare discussion of them – 1.2
General knowledge
Distinguished – Excellent argument and ideas, good support; use of all required sources – 2.5
Good – good arguments and ideas; use of most of the required sources – 2.
Basic – key ideas are demonstrated, but uses only 2/3 of required sources and sparely – .1.7
Below Expectations: few key ideas, half of required sources or less, not a lot of development of the ideas – 1.4
Non Performance – no top post, or top post with too few sources and ideas- 0
Critical thinking
Distinguished – Excellent use of historical examples and details to support; good primary source support and use of all required sources – 2.5
Good – some use of historical examples & details; use of most of the required sources & primary sources – 2.
Basic – not a lot of historical support/example, not many primary sources used or used well- .1.7
Below Expectations: little historical support/example, few primary sources – 1.4
Non Performance – no valid historical support/examples, no primary sources – 0
Primary Sources
Distinguished – analyzes the sources and the bias of the authors, taking into account the time and situation– 2
Good – uses the content of three primary sources and does some work with the bias/situation– 1.7
Basic –basic use of primary sources, little analysis of the bias or situation that created them– 1.5
Below Expectations: fewer than three primary sources, spare discussion of them – 1.2
Non Performance – no primary sources used, or used incorrectly – 0
Citation/clarity
Distinguished – Excellent internal citation and Works Cited; clear argument and few grammatical mistakes – 1
Good – missing some internal citation; some grammatical mistakes or lack of clarity – .85
Basic – missing a lot of internal citation; difficult to understand because of mistakes or lack of clarity – .7
Below Expectations: no internal citation or no Works Cited, or hard to understand – .6
Non Performance – no citation internally, incorrect or incomplete Works Cited, no clarity in the writing – 0
Total
