Pre-writing assignments: Ancient History, Spring 2012
I.
Primary source homework (see handout) [Tu Jan 24]
II.
Quotation and Citation homework (see handout) [Tu Jan 24]
III.
Database Assignment (see handout) [Th Jan 26]
IV.
Article Review (see handout) [Th Feb 9]
V.
Annotated Preliminary bibliography (at least 10 sources) [Th Mar 15]
A.
List your primary sources for your topic (that is, sources written close to the time of
what you are studying) for this topic. Ideally about a quarter or a third of your sources
(two to four) will be primary sources.
B.
List your secondary sources (late 20th-century or early 21st-century books or
articles). At least half of your secondary sources should be journal articles (such as you
found in the Database assignment). All of your secondary sources should be welldocumented works of scholarship.
C.
Try to avoid using tertiary (third-hand sources) such as textbooks and reference
works. If you feel the need to do so, note that these should be IN ADDITION to your 10
primary and secondary sources.
D.
For each source in your Annotated Bibliography briefly indicate
1.
what the source will add to your understanding of the topic
2.
what biases or weaknesses might make it difficult to evaluate.
3.
For example, "Martin Bernal has brought together mainly linguistic
evidence for Afro-Asiatic influence on Classical Greece; his work is controversial,
however, and very broad in scope"
VI.
Thesis statement [Th Mar 29]
A.
State the topic for your final paper. Be sure to be specific as to (a) time, (b) place,
(c) general topic. (For example, "The effects of the Black Death on population in western
Europe in the fourteenth century.")
B.
What scholarly problem surrounds the topic? That is, what do modern scholars
studying this topic disagree about among themselves? (For example, "Scholars disagree
about whether Herodotus is a reliable source for earlier history.")
C.
Give at least two views reached by modern scholars (secondary sources) on this
issue. (For example, "At one time scholars wrote as if Classical Greek culture was
entirely Indo-European in character. More recently scholars have begun to consider
other influences, though there is much debate over the degree of influence and in what
areas other influences were strongest.”)
D.
Based on the debate in B-C, what question do you hope to answer about the
topic? (For example, "What was the role of African and Asian influences in Classical
Greek religion?")
E.
Sum up your answer to this question in one complete sentence. (For example,
"Some elements of Greek religion are clearly of Indo-European origin, such as worship of
a male sky-god, but others, including the earliest depictions of Athena, show Asian and
African influences.")
VII.
Outline [optional, no extra credit; Th Apr 5]
A.
Write a formal outline of your paper (this sheet is an example of what it would look like)
B.
Your first Roman number heading will be your introduction (with some indication of what
you will cover)
C.
Subtopics. (Provide an outline number for each subtopic; for most papers you will need at
least 3 or 4 subtopics, in some cases several more. Plan on writing at least one paragraph of
about a half page on every major heading and at least one sentence for every subheading).
1.
Identification of subtopic
2.
Indication of how it relates to your thesis statement and proof of your
paper
3.
Examples to support your argument for each subtopic (a capital letter for
each major group of examples, with specific examples indicated by Arabic
numbers)
4.
Debates about or qualifications of your conclusion (another capital letter
heading)
5.
Conclusion about the subtopic (the final capital letter division)
D.
Your last Roman number heading will be your conclusion
VIII.
Sample paragraphs [optional, no extra credit; Th Apr 5]
A.
First paragraph (should include thesis statement)
B.
Evidentiary paragraph (should give evidence, including citations, for one argument
necessary to support the thesis)