Discussion Board #4 you will have the opportunity to write your assessment of the War of 1812 and discuss your favorite literary works and films and TV shows from Early American History. Write two (2) posts where you address any of the following three questions or reply to another student. Your two posts may be answering two of the three questions OR one post that answers one of the three questions and then a reply to another student.
Therefore, after your initial post answering one of the three questions, you choose what you want for your second required post – answer to another question or reply to a student. The question from the War of 1812 requires viewing and understanding the online lecture “Madison, Monroe, JQ Adams Presidencies
– Part One,” but you may use your own knowledge or research to describe your favorite literary works and films. Here are the questions you can address:
There have been two main views of the legacy of the War of 1812: one a completely unnecessary war that could have been avoided with better diplomacy and communication or a war that actually benefited American nationalism and gave a patriotic boost to the still young nation even though nothing of significance was gained. Take one of the views or make your own to construct a well-reasoned argument to support your view. You may also address if you believe this war deserves to be better known and understood or it should be continually remembered as obscure, uneventful war.
Provide a summary and reasons for your favorite American literary work pertaining to early American history (colonial times-1865). Is it a novel by James Fenimore Cooper, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, etc.? Poetry by Phyllis Wheatley, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman? Or essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson or Henry David Thoreau? Short stories by Washington Irving and Edgar Allan Poe? Any major American literary work may be discussed. You may also respond to other students’ recommendations, either to support or disagree (always politely of course).
Provide recommendations on various historical feature films, television series or documentaries to your classmates pertaining to early American history (pre-Columbian-1865).
What is worth viewing for deepening one’s knowledge of a historical person, place of event in early American history? For features films and television series, provide a very brief plot synopsis and then describe the essence of what makes the show great. Same approach to a documentary – what is covered and the qualities of the documentary making the experience worth viewing. You may also respond to other students’ recommendations, either to support or disagree (always politely of course).
Here are your instructions and criteria for this Discussion Board:
You must have two (2) separate posts. Each post is worth five (5) points each for a total of 10 points for Discussion Board #4.
Even with film or literary recommendations, provide insightful and well-reasoned support in your posts. Show serious reflection of thought.
Each written post should be between 75-150 words. You may write more, but don’t be excessive; don’t write less than this word minimum; this word range should be enough to develop your ideas concisely.
Remember don’t copy and paste material from the internet. Your posts must be your own original writing. Also, even though this would be great for your post, no links or addition of movie clips or trailers in your film recommendation posts.
Remember you must post first before seeing other classmates’ posts. To begin your post, point and click on Reply and a text box will appear. Then after you have reviewed what you written, then you can click Post Reply. Then you’ll be able to read your classmates’ posts.
Remember to follow the rules of civility and proper academic conduct in your posts, especially since these questions have a political nature. Avoid vulgarity, rudeness, and insensitive language. You may disagree with someone in a reply, but be respectful. And above all else, DO NOT PERSONALLY ATTACK anyone for their views.
You may write as many posts as you like, but the maximum points for Discussion Board #4 is 10 points.
Requirements: 75-150 words
