HISTORY 500: INTRODUCTION TO HISTORICAL THINKING
Instructor: Professor Jan Golinski Email: jan.golinski@unh.edu
Office: Horton 404 Phone: 862-3789
Classes: Wednesday 9.10-11.00 Horton 301
Office hours: Wednesday 11.00 - 12.00, Thursday 2.00-3.00, and by appointment.
Instructor’s web page: http://www.unh.edu/history/golinski/index.html
Required Books: (available from UNH Bookstore and Durham Book Exchange)
Mary Lynn Rampolla, A Pocket Guide to Writing in History.
Jill Lepore, New York Burning: Liberty, Slavery, and Conspiracy in Eighteenth-Century Manhattan.
Natalie Zemon Davis, The Return of Martin Guerre.
Jan Gross, Neighbors: The Destruction of the Jewish Community in Jedwabne, Poland.
Susan Mann, Precious Records: Women in China’s Long Eighteenth Century.
Rebecca M. Herzig, Suffering for Science: Reason and Sacrifice in Modern America.
Student Responsibilities: All students should come to class fully prepared to discuss the assigned reading for the week. Active participation in class discussion is expected of all students. Absences (unless approved by the professor) will reduce your final grade. Papers must be submitted on time every week, by 12.00 noon on the Tuesday before class, in the professor’s mail box in Horton 401. Late submission of papers will be penalized. All assignments must be completed to pass the course.
Grading: Grades will be calculated as follows.
Blackboard: This class will make use of the electronic Blackboard system to communicate with students and circulate additional materials. This is a required, not optional, part of the class. You must make sure you can access the class pages on the Blackboard system and check them regularly. If you have not used Blackboard before, start with the page “10 Steps to Getting Started with Blackboard” (http://www.unh.edu/ blackboard/gettingstarted.html). Other questions can be answered by the FAQ page: http://www.unh.edu/blackboard/faqs.html, or you can get help from the CIS Helpdesk in the MUB, or from a reference librarian.
Academic Honesty: In this class, a zero-tolerance approach will apply to infringements of academic honesty, including any cases of plagiarism. Such cases will be handled in a way that is consistent with UNH policy. A penalty of failure in the course as a whole will be applied. If you have any questions about the policy, please ask me or refer to the handbook, Student Rights, Rules, and Responsibilities, pp. 41-43.
Accommodations: If you are a student with a documented disability who will require accommodations in this course, please register with the Access Office in the Memorial Union Building, room 118 (862-2607) for assistance in developing a plan to address your academic needs. Students who are already registered with the Access Office and wish to receive accommodations in this course are strongly encouraged to share their Accommodation Letter with the professor at the start of the semester.
NOTE: All sections of History 500 will meet with Professor Rebecca Herzig on Tuesday 10 April from 12.40 to 2.00, at a place to be announced. This session will serve as our class meeting that week. Attendance is required.
REMEMBER: All written assignments are due by 12.00 on the Tuesday before class in Professor Golinski’s mailbox in Horton 401.
SCHEDULE OF CLASSES AND ASSIGNMENTS:
17 January (week 1): Introduction to the course. In-class reading and discussion of brief text, sources, and the concept of a thesis.
Assignment for week 2: Read Rampolla, A Pocket Guide to Writing in History.
24 January (week 2): Discussion of chapters from Rampolla, A Pocket Guide to Writing in History.
Assignment for week 3: Read Lepore, New York Burning.
** Write a one-paragraph thesis statement of this book.
31 January (week 3): Discussion of Lepore, New York Burning, and thesis statements.
Assignment for week 4: Read Davis, Return of Martin Guerre.
** Write a one-paragraph thesis statement of this book.
7 February (week 4): Discussion of Davis, Return of Martin Guerre, and thesis statements.
Assignment for week 5: Read Gross, Neighbors.
** Write a one-paragraph thesis statement of this book.
14 February (week 5): Discussion of Gross, Neighbors, and thesis statements.
Assignment for week 6: Write a five-page critical essay on Gross, Neighbors.
(** Remember, this is due the day before class. A five-page essay should be about 1,250 words on double-spaced lines. Give a full bibliographical citation of the book as the heading of the essay and give page numbers in parentheses for any words you quote from the book.)
21 February (week 6): Discussion of critical essays on Neighbors; discussion of choice of monographs for final essays.
Assignment for week 7: Read Mann, Precious Records.
** Write a one-paragraph thesis statement of this book.
28 February (week 7): Discussion of Mann, Precious Records, and thesis statements.
Assignment for week 8: Write a five-page critical essay on Mann, Precious Records.
7 March (week 8): Discussion of critical essays on Mann, Precious Records.
Assignment for week 9: Rewrite one of your critical essays.
** Select a monograph for your final paper and prepare to give an oral summary of its argument in office consultation with the professor.
SPRING BREAK
(Week 9): NO CLASS MEETING. Office consultations will be scheduled. Attendance is required. Bring your rewritten essay and your chosen monograph and discuss them with the professor.
Assignment for week 10: Read Herzig, Suffering for Science.
** Write a five-page critical essay on this book. (No separate thesis statement is required, but you should incorporate such a statement in the beginning of your essay.)
28 March (week 10): Discussion of critical essays on Herzig, Suffering for Science.
Assignment for week 11: Rewrite your critical essay on Herzig, Suffering for Science, and the critical essay you did not rewrite previously.
** Begin to read the monograph chosen for your final paper.
(Week 11): NO CLASS MEETING. Office consultations will be scheduled. Attendance is required. Bring your rewritten critical essays and discuss your final paper project.
Assignment for week 12: Prepare questions for Professor Herzig and work on your final paper project.
TUESDAY 10 April (week 12): INSTEAD OF NORMAL CLASS SESSION, meeting with Professor Herzig, 12.40-2.00. Attendance is required.
Assignment for week 13: Work on final paper project. Half of the class to prepare oral critiques of their books.
18 April (week 13): Presentation of oral critiques by half the class.
Assignment for week 14: Continue work on final paper project. The other half of the class to prepare oral critiques of their books.
25 April (week 14): Presentation of oral critiques by remaining half of the class.
Assignment for week 15: Complete final paper projects. Prepare for wrap-up discussion.
2 May (week 15): Hand in final papers. Wrap-up discussion and evaluations.