Final Project: The Biography of an Idea: Tracing the Evolution and Impact of a Big Idea in Modern World History (1500 to present)
Purpose and Course Applications: In this essay assignment, you will delve deep into the history of a formative idea that has evolved over several centuries, shaping the course of modern world history in the process. Through this biographical study, you will explore the key historic milestones, influencers, philosophical underpinnings, and global impact of this idea. Write about Spider Man.
Assignment Tasks: This project is designed to be completed in steps. Successful students will practice good time management by adding each step into a to-do calendar and reserving sufficient time to work on each task. This approach will ensure that you can carefully complete the assignment and reserve time to reach out to class resources (myself or your peers) and campus resources (the GSU Writing Studio, the Research Help Desk at the GSU Library, etc.) if needed to ask questions, brainstorm ideas, and/or receive help revising your work well before the due date.
1. Select an idea to write your “biography” about.
Choose an idea or concept that either emerged since 1500 or was integrally shaped by modern world history to focus on for this assignment.
Major ideas include:
• Natural rights/human rights
• Democracy
• Nationalism
• Modern science
• Free market capitalism
• Industriousness and industrialization
• Socialism, fascism, anarchism, or political radicalism more broadly
• Environmentalism
• Social activism
• Isolationism
• Globalism
Please note: many of the ideas or concepts listed above existed in some form prior to 1500 CE, but evolved in especially important ways since the early modern period.
Clearly state your chosen idea in the title of your assignment submission and introduce and define that idea in the introduction section of your essay.
2. Outline and draft your essay. Your essay must follow the structure outlined below:
• Introduction: Introduce and define your chosen historical idea in an opening section of 1 to 2 paragraphs. Somewhere in this opening section, you must write a clear, argumentative thesis statement that presents your stance on what the significance of this idea is to modern world history.
• Body of the essay: historical context and case studies: The body paragraphs of your essay must provide a comprehensive historical overview of the development of the chosen idea. Trace its origins, highlighting key moments, events, and philosophical influences that contributed to its evolution. Discuss how the idea emerged and gained prominence. Identify and analyze any influential thinkers, philosophers, or theorists who have significantly contributed to shaping the chosen idea. Select at least two case studies from different regions of the world and time periods (from the 16th to 20thcenturies) to illustrate how the chosen idea was applied, adapted, or challenged over time. These case studies could involve historical examples, people (individuals or groups) who promoted or influenced this idea, shifts in practice or governance, etc. Analyze the successes, failures, and implications of these instances on the broader evolution of the idea.
◦ To do this successfully, your essay must include supporting evidence from our course materials—examples and key points from our video lessons and short quotations and paraphrasing from supporting primary sources that we have studied this semester. You do not need to consult external sources.This final paper is intended for you to showcase your engagement with course content, so focus on including examples directly from lessons and readings. Be sure to properly cite all evidence and quotations in either Chicago or MLA style (https://research.library.gsu.edu/citationstyles).
• Conclusions: Global Impact and Contemporary Relevance. You should conclude your essay by examining the impact of this idea in modern world history. You could explore, for example, how the spread of this idea, or variations thereof, has shaped international relations, conflict resolution, economic systems, human rights, and social structures. Discuss any tensions or contradictions that arise when attempting to implement the chosen idea in different cultural, social, or political contexts. Discuss whether the idea has achieved its intended goals or if it has been distorted over time. Summarize the key findings of your biographical study, emphasizing the evolution, impact, and legacy of this idea. Reflect on the lessons that can be drawn from the history of this idea and its potential implications for the future.
3. Revise, edit, and submit your biography essay in the iCollege assignment portal by the due date. Be sure to reach out to me or the GSU Writing Studio for assistance with writing, revising ideas, and editing your work. You have numerous resources available to you at GSU to help you submit a well-planned and well-executed assignment that you can be proud to put your name on!
**Assignment Format**
Your assignment should be submitted in a well-structured essay format (minimum 650 words/max. 1250 words) that includes an introduction section with a clear, argumentative thesis statement, a body section (multiple paragraphs) that explains and analyzes the development of the idea you’ve selected and includes plenty of supporting evidence from course materials, and a conclusion section that summarizes the most important historical developments in the evolution of this idea over time and that makes an effort to explain its contemporary impact or relevance (in other words, how this idea continues to affect society today or has future implications or possibilities). The essay should include a heading and title, page numbers, clear transitions between main ideas in each section, proper citations of sources used, and a comprehensive bibliography/works cited page.
