Second Book Review due Thursday, November 12
November 11, 2009 at 8:35 AM | In Announcements, Assignments | Leave a CommentTags: Assignments, book reviews
Remember that if you are writing a book review over Pamela Riney-Kehrberg’s Rooted in Dust, the assignment is due by the beginning of class on Thursday in hard copy AND in the SafeAssign dropbox. It must be submitted both ways in order to ensure that you get full credit; it is in your best interest to upload it anyway, since that way there is incontrovertible proof that you did turn it in on time, in case I lose the hard copy or you forget to give it me.
Late papers (i.e. any papers turned in after class) will be docked one letter grade for each day they are late. So, a paper turned in between 4:01pm on Thursday and 4:00pm on Friday will lose one full letter grade.
If you have any questions, please email me. See one of the previous posts for some suggestions about how to write a history book review.
Announcements for 11/10
November 10, 2009 at 12:50 PM | In Announcements, Assignments | Leave a CommentTags: Announcements, book reviews, Assignments
1. Be sure to start reading Pamela Riney-Kehrberg’s Rooted in Dust. We will be discussing it in class on Thursday, when the book review is due. Pay particular attention to her argument, including the evidences he uses to support this argument and whether or not that evidence supports her interpretation.
2. If you haven’t yet written a book review, you will need to write one on Rooted in Dust. If you wrote a review over The End of Indian Kansas, you can skip this review as long as you’ll be writing a review on Sex in the Heartland. Remember, each student needs to write two book reviews total over the course of the semester.
Writing a Critical Book Review
November 9, 2009 at 5:17 PM | In Announcements, Assignments | Leave a CommentTags: Assignments, book reviews, Helpful Tips
The assignment description for the critical book review assignment is posted under the tab “Assignments.” Be sure to read it carefully and email me if you have any questions.
If you have never written a history book review before, there are a few things to remember. First, a history book review is not the same as a book report; meaning, you must do more than just summarize the book. Second, it is very important that you know what the author is arguing and whether or not they use adequate evidence to support that argument. For other suggestions and guidelines, here are a couple of useful websites:
How to Write a Critical Book Review (by a professor at Carleton College)
On Writing Book Reviews (by a history professor at CUNY)
The second one also has a link at the bottom of the page to a guide for using footnotes. For history papers, you will not be using parenthetical citations (the MLA style) or the APA style. Footnotes look very similar to bibliographic citations–since they include most of the same information–but there are some subtle differences that you should be aware of. They are really easy to use once you get the hang of it. There is a guide to footnotes under the “Class Handouts” tab, but here is an example of a footnote for a plain old, regular book:
1
Donald Worster, Dust Bowl: The Southern Plains in the 1930s, 25th anniv. ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2004), 23.
The “23″ signifies which page I am quoting or paraphrasing (remember that paraphrases must include a citation as well). The rest is self explanatory.
To add a footnote using Microsoft Word, put your cursor at the end of the sentence and outside the quotation marks (if you are quoting). Go up to “Insert” –> “Reference” –> “Footnote.” A box will pop up, and all those fields should be automatically correct, so hit “OK.” Your cursor will then be bumped down to the bottom of the page, where you insert the citation as shown above. When you are ready to resume writing, just put your cursor back up in the text and go!
It sounds complicated, but it is much, MUCH easier to use this feature than to try and add footnotes manually. It is very important that you use the correct citations for your sources, and that you remember that I take plagiarism very seriously. Each quotation must have a footnote immediately following it (right after those quotation marks), and paraphrases must also be acknowledged with a citation (of course, those won’t have quotation marks). For a quick review of how to avoid plagiarism, see the “Straight Talk about Plagiarism” brochure under the “Class Handouts” tab.
Announcements for 11/3
November 3, 2009 at 8:06 AM | In Announcements | Leave a CommentTags: Announcements, blogging, digital narrative
1. There is no blogging (or commenting) due this week. Use the extra time to work on your digital narrative project.
2. Class on Thursday (11/5) is canceled; this is stated in the syllabus. I will begin my office hours on Thursday at 2pm instead of 3pm.
Announcements for 10/27
October 27, 2009 at 1:27 PM | In Announcements, Helpful Tips | Leave a CommentTags: Assignments, Audacity, digital narrative, footnotes, microphone, plagiarism
1. For the digital narrative assignment, you should check out an easy-to-use audio recording program called Audacity that you can download for free. It is available for both Macs and PCs. You’ll save your file as an Audacity file (.aup file), and then when you are ready to add it to Movie Maker or iMovie you can export it as an .mp3 file, then import that file into your movie program. Students in my other Kansas history course had a lot of success using this program.
2. As you consider how you will record your voice over, there are a few options for locating a microphone. The 4th floor Wescoe computer lab in the EGARC includes microphones and Audacity on those public computers. Or, I have two microphones and you can make an appointment to come to my office and record your narrative there (students will not be able to take my mics home). Another option is to purchase an inexpensive mic from Amazon. With tax and shipping this one will cost just under $7. The sound quality on this microphone is more than adequate for our assignment, but as with any mic, try not to touch it while you are recording because that will lead to shuffling and scratching sounds.
3. To keep the recording process simple, practice reading your narrative aloud before you record. You could also consider reading it to a friend. The more you rehearse, the fewer times you will have to re-record your voice over.
4. As you revise your script, pay attention to details. The requirements for the assignment are not arbitrary rules; each one has a rationale behind it, and you’ll want to demonstrate that you can follow directions. This is a skill that employers will look favorably upon when you begin your professional career. Be particularly careful about including citations that are properly formatted and that refer to a specific page number; to not include accurate footnote citations (even for summary sections) is a form of plagiarism.
Announcements for 10/8
October 12, 2009 at 10:55 PM | In Announcements | Leave a CommentTags: blogging
1. Class on Tuesday, October 13, is cancelled. I will be out of state.
2. Because of fall break, no blogging will be due this Friday.
Announcements for 9/24
September 24, 2009 at 11:41 PM | In Announcements | Leave a CommentTags: Announcements, attendance policy
1. Because of students dropping the course and some reshuffling, there are no blogging groups named J or K. That means that there will be no posting and commenting next week, so we will all have a break! To reflect the ensuing redistribution of points for comments, I have made adjustments to the blogging rubric. I will post the revised rubric under the tab “Assignments.”
2. There is a need for me to clarify the attendance policy in the course. Attendance is defined as more than just your physical presence in the classroom; you need to be mentally and intellectually present as well. Daydreaming is bound to occur on occasion–it happens to the best of us–but please note that I will cross your name off the attendance sheet if you text message/email, read the UDK, complete assignments for other classes, sleep, or only stay for half of the class period. These actions are disrespectful not only to the instructor, but also to your fellow classmates, who are equally busy yet they have committed to making this class a priority.
Announcements for 9/22
September 23, 2009 at 10:49 AM | In Announcements | Leave a CommentTags: Assignments, Blackboard, book reviews
1. The book review (if you are choosing to write one this week), is due by 4:00pm tomorrow (Thursday) both in hard copy AND in the Safe Assign dropbox on Blackboard. To upload your file, go to “Assignments” and click on “View/Complete” Under Book Review #1. Please upload only .rtf or .doc (Word 2003) files. Some students have trouble uploading .docx files (Word 2007). If you have tried multiple times to upload your assignment and haven’t had any luck, email it to me BEFORE the deadline.
2. All late papers will be docked one full letter grade for each day they are late. That means that a paper uploaded between 4:01pm Thursday and 4:00pm Friday loses one letter grade, a paper uploaded between 4:01pm Friday and 4:00pm Saturday loses two grades, and so on and so forth. Leave yourself plenty of time to upload it to Blackboard so you can come to class on time.
3. Book reviews must include footnote (Chicago style/Turabian style) citations. A guide to documentation can be found on this webpage under “Class Handouts.” Click on the PDF file from Texas A&M. You only need footnotes for this assignment, no bibliography.
Announcements for 9/17
September 17, 2009 at 11:50 AM | In Announcements | Leave a CommentTags: blogging, digital narrative
- If you have not yet turned in a project description, you will need to do that before the rough draft is due, even though by this late date you will not receive any points. I will not accept rough drafts from students who have not cleared their projects with me first.
- Don’t forget that each of you has to post at least one substantive comment on a blog post each week. Missing one week may not be a big deal, but missing multiple weeks can bring your grade down. Comments are due by 4:00pm on Fridays; you can continue to have online conversations about the material through the weekend as long as you have one comment posted by that day.
- If for some reason you have not yet been added to a blog, please come see me immediately.
Announcements for 9/1
September 1, 2009 at 12:34 PM | In Announcements | Leave a CommentTags: blogging, digital narrative, how to use Wordpress
1. One member of each group needs to adjust the settings on their blog so that comments on posts will appear immediately and will not sit in a queue waiting for approval. To do this, sign in to your Dashboard, go to “Settings” (bottom of the left sidebar), then “Discussion,” and uncheck both boxes under the heading “Before a comment appears.” Also make sure that the last box under “Default article settings” is checked. This needs to be done as soon as possible.
2. The one-paragraph description of your digital narrative topic is due on Thursday. This paragraph should give the basics–the who, what, where, when, and why–of your project. It must be uploaded on Blackboard by 4pm sharp, and you should bring a hard copy to class. To upload it go to Blackboard, and under the heading for HIST348 go to “Assignments” and upload the file under the title “Digital Narrative Project Description.” If you only turn in one format (only the hard copy, or vice versa), you will not receive full credit.
3. If you have not been added to a blogging group or have questions about the technical specs of the blogging assignment, come see me during my office hours, T/TH 3:00-3:45.
Announcements for 8/27
August 27, 2009 at 9:15 PM | In Announcements | Leave a CommentTags: blogging, swine flu
1. If you have not been receiving my emails (including one about the swine flu), please correct your email in Enroll & Pay and then let me know.
2. We still need a volunteer to serve as a note taker for a classmate. Students who volunteer must have neat handwriting and must be willing to attend every class period (barring sickness, of course). Volunteers will receive a certificate from the disabilities office that recognizes this comittment as a form of community service (which can be included on your resume).
3. If you are having trouble with your blog or have technical questions, feel free to email me or to stop by my office hours.
4. The links to all student blogs are now posted on this course webpage, near the bottom of the right sidebar.
Swine Flu Update
August 26, 2009 at 5:08 PM | In Announcements | 1 CommentSeveral all-campus emails have been sent regarding the swine flu epidemic that promises to affect our university this semester. If you have not read these emails, you should do so now.
Here is some information about the swine flu more generally, as well as guidelines to follow for this course. According to this very recent article , “swine flu, also known as H1N1, may infect as much as half of the [U.S.] population and kill 30,000 to 90,000 people, double the deaths caused by the typical seasonal flu.” Unlike the fatalities from regular influenza–which mostly kills the very young, the elderly, and those who have weakened immune systems–the swine flu is most dangerous for college-age students and teenagers, even those who do not have any other health problems. Swine flu symptoms resemble those for the regular flu, only worse. They include:
- High fever (sometimes with chills)
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Body aches/fatigue
- Runny nose
- Headache
There is no need to panic, but it is in your best interest to take this threat seriously and do whatever you can to stay healthy. For instance: wash your hands regularly (or use hand sanitizer with at least a 60% alcohol content), keep your hands away from your face and mouth, drink plenty of water, and take vitamins. I use a fizzy drink called Airborne to boost my immune system; you can find this at Dillons or other grocery stores (the orange zest flavor is kind of disgusting, but the pink grapefruit and lemon/lime taste fine). These preventative measures are especially necessary for those of you who live in dorms, Greek housing, or scholarship halls. A vaccine specifically made for the swine flu will likely be available in October, in addition to the regular flu vaccine. For more information, see WebMD’s section on H1N1.
If you come down with swine flu, here is what you should do:
- Email or call your professors and make arrangements for completing class assignments and/or making up lectures. Watkins Health Center is NOT giving out notes.
- Stay home. Or, go back home to a family member’s house where there is less of a chance that you’ll infect others.
- Isolate yourself in your room or suite until your temperature, without aid from medication, is normal for at least 24 hours.
- Don’t go to Student Health Services or other physicians’ offices unless your symptoms become severe.
Due to this unusual situation, I have modified the HIST348 attendance policy so instead of having only one unexcused (“freebie”) absence, you now have two. Use these wisely. If you get sick please email me so I know why you are not attending class. If you will be sick for more than one week (and thus use up your two unexcused absences), we will talk individually about how you can make up class assignments and compensate for missed lectures. Note that you will not be allowed to make up an infinite number of class assignments/lectures, so if you are hospitalized for a lengthy period of time you will need to take an incomplete in the course. Don’t abuse this policy; if you are uninterested in attending class for other reasons (not related to the swine flu), you should drop the course. This adjusted policy is to benefit students who are truly sick; it not meant to aid those of you who are seeking an opportunity to slack off.
Announcements for 8/25
August 25, 2009 at 5:14 PM | In Announcements | Leave a Comment1. If you are an education major who will be teaching Kansas history, there will be a slide at the end of each PowerPoint with the history standards applicable to that lecture. If I forget to switch to that slide, remind me. Since I forgot that today I went ahead and just provided it down below in a separate post.
2. Bring your laptop to class on Thursday so we can set up the blogs.
3. I will post a more detailed announcement on this later, but note that the attendance policy for this course now states that you can have 2 unexcused absences from this class (not just 1).
4. Order your course reader from University Readers as soon as possible.
Applicable Standards for 8/25 Lecture
August 25, 2009 at 5:06 PM | In Announcements | Leave a CommentTags: history standards (7th grade)
After class I realized that I never flipped to the slide with the history standards! Here you go:
7th Grade, Benchmark 1, Standard 1
- Compare and contrast nomadic and sedentary tribes (e.g. food, housing, customs)
7th Grade, Benchmark 1, Standard 2
- Describe the social and economic impact of European explorers on Indian tribes in Kansas
7th Grade, Benchmark 1, Standard 3
- Explain influence of Stephen Long’s classification of Kansas as a “desert”
Examples of Student Blogs
August 21, 2009 at 4:42 PM | In Announcements, Assignments | Leave a CommentHere are a couple examples of student blogs from my Kansas History course in the summer 2008 session. That class only had 25 students, so unlike our course each student had their own individual blog. These should give you some insight into what your own posts should look like; of course, your posts will have to be 100% original so these are just guides to consider.
Alli’s: http://ajones4.wordpress.com/
Jake’s: http://bonzai96.wordpress.com/
Crystal’s: http://cleming.wordpress.com/
Jillian’s: http://jilldes.wordpress.com/
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