Teaching Scholars II Program
Final Project Update
July 2006
Andrew E. Kersten
SCD/History
Research Problem: Fostering Active Learning for “Deep Understanding” in the U.S. History
Survey
I set out to revitalize the teaching of the US History Survey. I had three goals in mind for
my redesign. First, I wanted to increase student understanding of historical content. Second, I
wanted to enhance student interest in history by increasing opportunities for student research and
student participation. Third, I wanted to improve student learning of historical research methods.
During my tenure in the Teaching Scholars II Program, I worked to create new structures in the
survey course that will allow me to reach my teaching objectives. There will be five kinds of new
research and writing assignments. Each assignment is tied closely to one of the learning
outcomes. History’s Moments assignments focus on primary documents and developing deep
understandings of major events, time periods, and movements in United States History. History as
Mystery assignments foster problem-solving skills and an understanding of historical
methodology and thinking. Words That Changed History assignments center on understanding
the past, past social values, and how they have changed. What Would You Do? assignments
explore how the past was shaped and let students not only investigate the past but delve into
alternative historical paths. Finally, there are Historical Reflection essays that ask students to
ponder what other historians have said about the past.
I have developed several assessment instruments to gauge student learning. First, the
course’s examinations will provide data on student understanding of historical content. My own
grading rubrics for the essay assignments will provide information on the students’ historical
methods skills. Finally, I have developed an additional course assessment tool that I will use in
addition to the University’s standard course evaluation. I taught the redesigned US History
Survey this last summer. Although I have yet to receive the formal University evaluations, my
informal methods indicate that the new survey is a success. Students not only learn more but they
also seem to enjoy the course more. Thus, I have now fully adopted all the changes that I
developed during the Teaching Scholars II Program, and my work has become the basis for a new
First Year Experience Seminar. I have attached the syllabus of that course to this report.
Project Bibliography
Ankeney, Kirk, Richard Del Rio, Gary B. Nash, and David Vigilante. Bring History
Alive!: A Sourcebook for Teaching United States History. Los Angeles: NCHS,
1996.
Atkins, Annette. “A Teaching Strategy: Teaching Backwards.” Perspectives: American
Historical Association Newsletter 38 (2000): 19-21.
Calder, Lendol. “Looking for Learning in the History Survey.” Perspectives: American
Historical Association Newsletter 40 (2002): 43-45.
Crothers, A. Glenn. “Bringing History to Life: Oral History, Community Research, and
Multiple Levels of Learning.” Journal of American History 88 (2002): 14461451.
Di Giacomo, Richard. Short Role-Playing Simulations for US History Classrooms. San
Jose: Magnifico Publications, 2002.
Egan, Lorraine Hopping and Louise Spigarelli. Great American History Games. New
York: Scholastic, 2000.
Frost, Jennifer. “Integrating Women and Active Learning into the U.S. History Survey.”
History Teacher 33(3) 2000: 363-370.
Gardner, Howard. The Unschooled Mind: How Children Think and How Schools Should
Teach. New York: Basic Books, 1993.
Gerwin, David and Jack Zevin. Teaching US History as Mystery. Portsmouth, NH:
Heinemann, 2003.
Guareri, Carl J. “Internationalizing the United States History Survey Course: American
History for a Global Age.” History Teacher 36 (2002): 37-64.
Jeffrey, Julie Roy. “The Survey, Again.” Magazine of History 17 (2003): 52-54.
Kobrin, David. Beyond the Textbook: Teaching History Using Documents and Primary
Sources. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1996.
Kornblith, Gary and Carol Lasser, eds. “Teaching the American History Survey at the
Opening of the Twenty-First Century: A Roundtable Discussion.” Journal of
American History 87 (2000): 1409-1441.
Lyons, John F. “Teaching US History Online: Problems and Prospects.” History Teacher
37 (2004): 447-456.
Osborne, Thomas J. “Implementing the La Pietra Report: Internationalizing Three Topics
in the United States History Survey Course.” History Teacher 36 (2003): 163175.
Olwell, Russell. “Building Higher-Order Historical Thinking Skills in a College Survey
Class.” Teaching History: A Journal of Methods 27 (2002): 22-32.
Percoco, James A. Divided We Stand: Teaching About Conflict in U.S. History.
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2001.
Percoco, James A. A Passion for the Past: Creative Teaching of U.S. History.
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1998.
Pomerantz, Linda. “Bridging the Digital Divide: Reflections on Teaching and Learning in
the Digital Age.” History Teacher 34 (2001): 497-508.
Simons, William H. “Teaching Modern American History in an Honors Program.”
Teaching History: A Journal of Methods 29 (2004): 71-81.
Sterns, Peter N. “Treating Globalization in History Surveys.” History Teacher 36 (2003):
153-160.
Warren, Wilson J., David M. Memory; and Kevin Bolinger. “Improving Critical
Thinking Skills in the United States Survey Courses: An Activity for Teaching the
Vietnam War.” History Teacher 37 (2004): 193-209.
United States History Survey from 1865
History 206
Professor Andrew Kersten
Fall 2006
MAC 234
This is your Freshman Year Experience Seminar in United States
History.
This class is one of six that is teaching traditional general education material in a small size seminar
environment. As you will see in the syllabus, not only will you be learning about historical issues, but you
will also participate in activities with the other five classes to help you get a better understanding of
interdisciplinarity here at UWGB.
Description: This course is a general survey of United States history from the end of the Civil War to
present. In this class, we will cover both the content of this history and various themes that I wish to
emphasize. Among these interpretative emphases are: labor, race, ethnic, and gender relations;
immigration; wealth; and the role of the federal government in creating and influencing American history.
This course is interdisciplinary. Technically it is an H3 class, but it will meet many of the Social Sciences
and Ethnic Studies learning outcomes as well. It is also important to note that this course encourages
students to improve as critical readers, critical writers, and critical thinkers. This focus will move some
students from the normal comfort zone. However, everyone will benefit from your thoughts, engagement,
and own personal view of history.
Course Information:
Contact times: Monday, Wednesday, and sometimes Friday, 2:00-3:15 pm
Office Hours: 1-2 pm, Monday, Wednesday, and by appointment
Instructor email: kerstena@uwgb.edu
Course email: C10837@uwgb.edu
Required Books:
Digital History: A Free and Online US History Textbook
(http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/database/hyper_titles.cfm)
Stiles, Jesse James
Schlosser, Fast Food Nation (2001)
Main Internet Sites:
History Matters (http://historymatters.gmu.edu/)
Digital History (http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/database/hyper_titles.cfm)
Intended Student Learning Outcomes:
 Develop critical thinking skills and exercise problem solving skills especially as they relate to
historical analysis and interpretation.
 Develop a fundamental understanding of major events, chronology, and movements in United
States History.
History 206 | Fall 2006 | Page 1





Develop historical analysis skills including comprehension of primary documents.
Develop critical reading skills including the understanding of historical interpretation.
Identify and clarify individual and social values in the United States.
Develop an understanding and appreciation for cultural diversity.
Develop an understanding of the social sciences including: major concepts of social, political,
geographic and economic structures; and the impact that social institutions and values have on
individuals and groups in a culture.
Additional Rules:
 During class, turn off all pagers, beepers, PDA alarms, telephones, and other electronic or nonelectronic communication devices that ring, vibrate, hum, or otherwise annoy.
 Never send your written work as an email or email attachment unless specifically instructed to do
so.
 You are not allowed to bring in outside resources for any take-home exam or essay assignment
unless specifically directed to do so. Violating this policy may result in a significantly reduced grade
on that exam or assignment.
 You are not allowed to use the web site Wikipedia unless specifically directed to do so.
 Always keep several updated copies of your files on disk and at least one recent hard copy.
 Try to never miss a class immediately following a major exam. In fact, don't skip class at all.
 In this class, use your best professional skills while writing, speaking, and communicating with
others.
 This class welcomes all types of learners. Persons with disabilities that might affect learning should
contact me during the first week of class.
 Graded papers are returned once during class. If you fail to pick up your paper, you may retrieve it
at my office during office hours. After a while, I recycle old class papers.
 All written work over two pages must be stapled. Quality staplers are available for under $1.
Papers that are not stapled will not be accepted.
 Check your UW-Green Bay email twice daily. You are responsible for reading and understanding
the email that I send you. Only send me email from your UW-Green Bay email. The campus spam
mail filter quarantines mail from yahoo, msn, AOL, hotmail, and other providers.
 Finally use this syllabus as a class resource. Don't loose it. Refer to it frequently to ensure that you
are caught up on reading and studying, that your papers meet the guidelines below, and that you
understand when things will happen in this course.
Expectations:
 Attend class every day, and be respectful of others during class.
 Come to class on time and prepared for the day's work.
 Participate in class every day.
 Read and understand all materials.
 Work hard and honestly and professionally.
Writing:
History 206 | Fall 2006 | Page 2
All written work—aside from the annotated bibliographies for the films—must be at least 600 to 700 words
(depending on assignment), typed or printed in black ink. You must have your name on your paper, follow
good writing etiquette, staple your pages together, and use page numbers for papers longer than one page.
Double-space everything. No cover pages or report covers.
Assignments:
There are five kinds of writing assignments in this course. Each assignment is tied closely to one of the
learning outcomes. History's Moments assignments focus on primary documents and developing our deep
understandings of major events, time periods, and movements in United States History. History as Mystery
assignments foster problem solving skills and an understanding of historical methodology and thinking.
Words That Changed History assignments center on understanding the past, past social values, and how
they have changed. What Would You Do? assignments explore how the past was shaped and lets you not
only investigate the past but delve into alternative historical paths. Finally, there are Historical Reflection
essays which ask you to ponder what other historians have said about the past.
For each assignment, you'll work in a group, and you will need to use analysis worksheets located here:
http://www.uwgb.edu/kerstena/worksheets.html
Interdisciplinary Exercise:
On November 13 and 15, we will be joining the five other freshman seminar classes for a small group
exercise. You will be teamed up with five other participants (each from a different FYE Seminar class) to
complete the task. Your role in the exercise is to represent the Historical expert. We will provide you with
worksheets to help guide you through the exercise and we will discuss the exercise in more detail prior to
November 13. On Nov. 13 and 15, we will be meeting in Phoenix Room B. The purpose of the exercise is
to get you to work as a team to solve an issue by using a wide range of information and interdisciplinary
knowledge some of which will be provided in class.
Other Requirements:
The university offers a number of extra and co-curricular activities that can enhance your overall education.
You are required to attend at least one from each of the following category of events. In addition, the
freshman seminar faculty is sponsoring a FYE film series during the semester. We will show six films and
you must attend at least three of these (on September 18, November 10, and December 8). The films
will normally be shown on Friday afternoon beginning at 2:00 (location to be determined). For the required
film activities, you are responsible for creating an annotated bibliography of five refereed sources that
provide further reading on a subject in the film. For the extra films and co-curricular activates, you are
required to turn in a 300 word summary of the event or activity. Each summary is worth 2 extra credit points
on the upcoming exam. There is a maximum of six extra credit points for each exam.
This is the link for the annotated bibliography assignment:
http://www.uwgb.edu/library/annotatedbib/
Grading:
Grades are not curved. Except in emergency situations, late work will lose one letter grade per weekday
(Sunday through Saturday) without prior approval of the instructor. Attendance will be taken and students
History 206 | Fall 2006 | Page 3
are expected to attend class for the entire period and are expected to contribute to discussions. Cheating
constitutes a violation of University policy and students will be subject to University disciplinary actions.
Your grade will be based on your performance on the exams and papers. There will be three exams (all
multiple choice). Additionally, you will have to turn in four (4) of the eight (8) worksheet opportunities.
Everyone must answer one of the discussion questions for Fast Food Nation in essay format.
3 Multiple Choice Exams (15% each)
4 Worksheets (8% each)
1 Book Essay (8%)
FYE Work [films 2% each, interdisciplinary exercise 9%] (15% total)
Grading Scale:
100-93 A
92-90 A/B
89-85 B
84-80 B/C
79-70 C
69-60 D
Disability Notice:
Consistent with the federal law and the policies of the University of Wisconsin, it is the policy of the
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay to provide appropriate and necessary accommodations to students with
documented physical and learning disabilities. If you anticipate requiring any auxiliary aids or services, you
should contact me or the Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities at 465-2671 as soon as
possible to discuss your needs and arrange for the provision of services.
Grading Rubric
As (90-100)
Your essay is well
constructed. It has
paragraphs, topic
sentences, and most
importantly a clear
thesis. Your essay
demonstrates a
command of the
material. It uses
quotes from the
readings. You have
an exceptional
command of the
English language.
You avoid making
many grammatical or
stylistic errors.
Bs (80-89)
You essay is very
good. It has
paragraphs. You
probably need to
develop your thesis
and/or topic
sentences. You have
a fair command of
the reading materials
but could have used
more quotes or direct
references. You
have some
grammatical and
stylistic problems.
Cs (70-79)
Your essay is good.
And yet, your essay
needs work to
improve its structure.
You need to work on
your thesis and/or
topic sentences. You
have a fair command
of the reading
materials. You could
have used more
quotes. You have
serious grammatical
and stylistic
problems.
Ds (60-69)
Your essay lacks
coherence. You
make errors in essay
structure, style, and
grammar. You lack a
command of the
reading materials.
You make many
stylistic and
grammatical errors.
This paper needs a
lot of work.
F (59 and below)
You failed to
complete the
assignment.
Paper Turn In Checklist:
Have you remembered the little things?
 Have you put your name on the first
page of the paper?
History 206 | Fall 2006 | Page 4
 Have you remember not to attach a
cover page?
 Have you numbered your pages?
 Have you stapled your paper?
 Have you used black ink?
 Have you double-spaced your paper?
Have you remembered the big things?
 Have you clearly identified your thesis?
 Have you used proper paragraph form
(with indents)?
 Have you used topic sentences?
Have you used quotations to support
your ideas?
 Have you used proper footnote and
bibliographic formats?
 Have you revised your paper with
several drafts?
History 206 | Fall 2006 | Page 5
Course Outline
Week One: [Textbook: “Reconstruction” and “Along the Color Line”; Read Stiles
to page 206]
September 6 (W): Introduction and Reconstruction
History's Moments: Documenting Reconstruction
Week Two: [Textbook: From “Industrialization & the Working Class” to “Rise of
the City”; Read Stiles to page 306]
September 11 (M): Second Industrial Revolution
September 13 (W): Farmers and Workers in the Gilded Age
Week Three: [Textbook: From “Struggle for Women’s Suffrage” to “Political Crisis
of 1890s”; Read Stiles to page 396]
September 18 (M): Constitution Day Film Festival
September 20 (W): Populism and Imperialism
History as Mystery: Raising the Maine
Week Four: [Textbook: From “The Progressive Era” to “The Twentieth Century”]
September 25 (M): Discussion of Stiles
Stiles Paper Due
September 27 (W): Muckrakers and Progressives
Words that Changed History: Documenting the Muckrakers (Stephens and Wells)
Week Five: [Textbook: From “America at War: World War I” to “The Jazz Age”]
October 2 (M): First World War
October 4 (W): Tribal Twenties
Week Six:
October 9 (M): Review
October 11 (W): First Exam
Week Seven: [Textbook: “1930s”]
October 16 (M): Great Depression
October 18 (W): New Deal
Week Eight: [Textbook: “America at War: World War II”]
October 23 (M): Campus Speaker, Craig Coenen
October 25 (W): Second World War
What Would You Do? Dropping the Atomic Bombs
Week Nine: [Textbook: “America at War: World War II’]
October 30 (M): Campus Speaker, Michal Novak
November 1 (W): Home Front of Second World War
History 206 | Fall 2006 | Page 6
Week Ten: [Textbook: “Postwar America: 1945-1960”]
November 6 (M): The Origins of the Cold War
November 8 (W): Eisenhower and Fear in the Fifties
November 10 (F): Film: Contact
Week Eleven:
November 13 (M): Interdisciplinary Exercise
Annotated Bibliography for Contact Due
November 15 (W): Interdisciplinary Exercise
Week Twelve: [Textbook: “America in Ferment: The Tumultuous 1960s”; Read
Fast Food Nation to page 110]
November 20 (M): JFK
What Would You Do?: The Cuban Missile Crisis
November 22 (W): The Great Society
Week Thirteen: [Read Fast Food Nation to page 192]
November 27 (M): Review
November 29 (W): Second Exam
Week Fourteen: [Textbook: “Vietnam War”; Read Fast Food Nation to page 272]
December 4 (M): Vietnam
History as Mystery: The Gulf of Tonkin Episode
December 6 (W): Richard Nixon and “Malaise” in the 1970s
History as Mystery: Watergate Break-In and Cover-Up
December 8 (F): Film: Super Size Me
Week Fifteen: [Textbook: “The Past Three Decades”]
December 11 (M): From Reagan’s Revolution to Clinton
History's Moments: Carter and his Malaise Speech
Annotated Bibliography for Super Size Me due
December 13 (W): Schlosser Discussion and Review
Schlosser Paper Due
Final Examination: December 18 (Monday), 3:30-5:30 P.M.
History 206 | Fall 2006 | Page 7
Assignments and Sources
History's Moments: Documenting Reconstruction
Images of Reconstruction
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/aaohtml/exhibit/aopart5.html
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/aaohtml/exhibit/aopart5b.html
Affidavit of Mark Walker
http://www.freedmensbureau.com/texas/texaffidavit2.htm
List of Murders
http://www.freedmensbureau.com/tennessee/outrages/columbia.htm
Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/slavery/experience/freedom/docs7.html
History as Mystery: Raising the Maine
Destruction of the Maine
http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq71-1.htm
What Really Sank the Maine?
http://www.usni.org/navalhistory/articles98/nhallen.htm
Report on the Maine
http://www.uwgb.edu/kerstena/McKinley_web.PDF
http://www.uwgb.edu/kerstena/Final Report 1_web.PDF
http://www.uwgb.edu/kerstena/Final Report 2_web.PDF
http://www.uwgb.edu/kerstena/Final Report 3_web.PDF
To access the PDFs, you'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you don't have a copy, then click here.
Once you have Acrobat Reader installed, download the PDF by right clicking on the link to
download file.
Once in Acrobat Reader, you will have to rotate the image.
History 206 | Fall 2006 | Page 8
Words that Changed History: Documenting the Muckrakers
Introduction to Lincoln Steffens's Shame of the Cities
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5732
Lincoln Steffens Exposes Corruption in St. Louis
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5733
Plunkitt Responds to Steffens
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5731
The Shame of America
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6786
The Murder of Postmaster Baker
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5486
Ida B. Wells Protests the Murder of a Black Postmaster
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/56
Senator Benjamin R. Tillman Justifies Violence Against Blacks
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/55
What Would You Do? Dropping the Atomic Bombs
Petition to President Truman from Concerned Scientists, 17 July 1945
http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/bomb/large/index.php
Draft statement on the dropping of the atomic bomb, 30 July 1945
http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/bomb/large/index.php
Truman rationalizes dropping the bomb
Correspondence between Harry S. Truman and Samuel Cavert, 11 August 1945
http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/bomb/large/index.php
Why did we have to win it twice?: A physicist (Bernard Feld) remembers his work on the first
atomic bomb
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/141
Remembering Nagasaki (This site has material some might find objectionable.)
http://www.exploratorium.edu/nagasaki/
History 206 | Fall 2006 | Page 9
What Would You Do? The Cuban Missile Crisis
Photographs of missiles and silos in Cuba (pick five photographs)
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nsa/cuba_mis_cri/photos.htm
White House Briefings (listen to three conversations)
(Audio – requires free computer software RealPlayer from Real Audio)
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nsa/cuba_mis_cri/audio.htm
Letter, Khruschev to Kennedy, 24 October 1962
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/archives/x2jfk.html
Letter, Kennedy to Khruschev, 6 November 1962
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nsa/cuba_mis_cri/621106jfkletter.pdf
White House Post-Mortem on Cuba
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nsa/cuba_mis_cri/19621029mortem.pdf
Should you see "Thirteen Days"? (Do this if you have time)
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nsa/cuba_mis_cri/brenner.htm
History as Mystery: Gulf of Tonkin
Statement of Robert McNamara, 5 August 1964
http://www.history.navy.mil/docs/vietnam/tonkin-7.htm#statedod5aug
Statement of Robert McNamara, 20 February 1968
http://www.history.navy.mil/docs/vietnam/tonkin-7.htm#state28feb
White House Tapes about the Gulf of Tonkin Incident (listen to three)
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB132/tapes.htm
President Johnson's Address to Congress, August 5, 1964
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/tonkin-g.htm
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
http://vietnam.vassar.edu/doc9.html
Toward a New History of the Gulf of Tonkin Incident
http://www.uwgb.edu/kerstena/surveyvietnam.htm
History 206 | Fall 2006 | Page 10
History as Mystery: Watergate Break-in and Cover-Up
Nixon Tapes (read three transcripts)
http://nixon.archives.gov/find/tapes/excerpts/watergate.html
Who was “Deep Throat”?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/01/AR2005060102124.html
Nixon Resignation Speech
http://www.millercenter.virginia.edu/scripps/exhibits/nixon/resignation/index.html
Ford Pardon
http://www.millercenter.virginia.edu/scripps/exhibits/nixon/pardon/index.html
Last Three Days in Office (Photographs)
http://www.millercenter.virginia.edu/scripps/exhibits/nixon/photos/nara/index.html
History's Moments: Carter's Malaise Speech
Carter's "Malaise Speech"
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/carter/filmmore/ps_crisis.html
John F. Kennedy's 1961 Inaugural
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/johnfkennedyinaugural.htm
Ronald W. Reagan's 1981 Inaugural
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/rreagandfirstinaugural.html
Ronald W. Reagan's 1985 Inaugural
http://www.bartleby.com/124/pres62.html
History's Moment's: The Patriot Act
Text of the USA Patriot Act
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d107:h.r.03162:
ACLU's Resource Page for the USA Patriot Act (choose one document/web site)
http://www.aclu.org/SafeandFree/SafeandFree.cfm?ID=12126&c=207
ALA Resource Page for the USA Patriot Act (choose one document/web site)
http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/ifissues/usapatriotact.htm
Slate Magazine's Analysis of the USA Patriot Act (Read part 1, 2, 3, or 4 [see bottom of web page])
http://www.slate.com/id/2087984/
History 206 | Fall 2006 | Page 11
Writing Tips for Students
How to Write a History Essay
Most history essays are written in response to a historical question. The best way to answer that question is to use the
"five paragraph" essay.
Your first paragraph (that is, your introduction) should provide some general background on the question (and may
even restate the question) and then directly answer that question. This statement is your thesis. It is a good idea to add
one final sentence, which will allude to the rest of your paper.
Your next three (or so) paragraphs provide a detailed, structured, and concise summary of evidence and ideas that
support your thesis.
The conclusion is the place to summarize your thoughts, your essay, and your thesis. It is also the place to talk about
how the past might relate to the present.
It is always a good idea to use quotations from the sources that are utilized and discussed in class.
It is always a good idea to review the Guide to Good Writing before and after you write your essay.
Basic Suggestions, Guidelines, and Grading
General Suggestions
• Start early.
• Have a friend read your early drafts.
Format
• Staple your papers.
• No coversheets.
• No plastic covers or folders.
• Always use page numbers.
• Use footnotes, endnotes, or in paragraph citation.
Style -- avoid these problems
AFW
AWK
COLL
DA
DP
DUC
DUF
DWQ
KPP
MU
MVT
NAS
NSB
PV
RSS
SC
SP
TAS
Avoid Flavoring Words ("very" etc)
Awkward Sentence Structure
Colloquial Language
Don't Abbreviate
Dangling Preposition
Don't Use Contractions
Don't Use First Person
Don't Write in Questions
Keep the Past in the Past (use past tense verbs)
Meaning Unclear
Mixed Verb Tenses
Not A Sentence
Don't Use History as Your Personal Soap Box
Passive Voice
Repetitive Sentence Structure
Use Standard Rules of Capitalization
Misspelled Word
Throw-away sentence (has no meaning)
History 206 | Fall 2006 | Page 12
TL
W
WW
Sentence, Paragraph, or Quote is Too Long
Wordy
Wrong Word
Documentation
For all documentation questions, refer to Turabian. If you do not own a copy, it is worth the price.
Here are some common formats.
FOOTNOTES and ENDNOTES:
Published
1Andrew E. Kersten, Race, Jobs, and the War: The FEPC in the Midwest, 1941-1946 (Urbana: University of Illinois
Press, 2000), 1-5.
2Andrew
25.
E. Kersten, "Jobs and Justice: The FEPC in the Motor City," Michigan Historical Review 56 (Spring 1999): 1-
3 Andrew
E. Kersten, ed., Reach or Breech: The State and Society, 1865-1945 (Madison: University of Wisconsin
Press, 2001): 25-50.
Andrew E. Kersten, "Willie Webb," in Ordinary Women, ed. Kriste Lindenmeyer (New York: Scholarly Resources,
2000): 50-55.
4
GENERAL RULE: NAME (FIRST, MIDDLE, LAST), TITLE, PLACE IF BOOK, VOLUME IF JOURNAL, DATE, PAGES.
Unpublished
3Letter, Andrew E. Kersten to Bethany R. Kersten, 27 May 1997, Andrew E. Kersten Papers, Box 15, Folder 9,
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Archives.
GENERAL RULE: KIND OF DOCUMENT, TITLE, DATE, COLLECTION, LOCATION WITHIN COLLECTION, PLACE
OF COLLECTION.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Kersten, Andrew E. "Jobs and Justice: The FEPC in the Motor City." Michigan Historical Review (Spring 1999): 1-25.
Kersten, Andrew E. Race, Jobs, and the War: The FEPC in the Midwest, 1941-1946. Urbana: University of Illinois
Press, 2000.
Same general rules above but put last names first. Always separate your primary and secondary material in your
bibliography. Questions? See me or use Turabian.
Tips:
1) Be consistent and thorough.
2) In your bibliography, separate primary and secondary sources.
3) Remember the purpose of this part of the assignment. One should be able to retrace your research steps back
through your footnotes and bibliography
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UW-GREEN BAY WRITING POLICY
The faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay has adopted the following writing policy for out-of-class
assignments.
Acceptable Writing:
1. Clear writing is a reflection of logical thinking; therefore, an acceptable paper must be organized. Every essay
should be structured around a thesis and supported by factual evidence and arguments that are organized in a logical
progression.
2. Writers must acknowledge their use of data or ideas of others; therefore, an acceptable paper must have proper
documentation of all source material, following professional guidelines such as those approved by the Modern
Language Association (MLA), the American Psychological Association (APA), or the American Association for the
Advancement of Science, or those published in a standard style manual such as Turabian, A Manual for Writers of
Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations.
3. An acceptable paper must reflect control of correct grammar, usage, spelling, and punctuation.
4. An acceptable paper must be presented in appropriate manuscript form, with errors neatly corrected and care taken
with margins, numbering of pages, spacing, and format.
Unacceptable Writing:
1. A paper without clear organization is unacceptable. Unclear organization includes illogical progressions from one
idea to another and the inclusion of unnecessary ideas.
2. A paper without proper documentation is unacceptable. Failure to acknowledge the use of another writer's words or
ideas constitutes plagiarism. Plagiarism is both unethical and illegal. The use of professional editing for student
papers is also unacceptable, as is the use of purchased papers, which is also a form of plagiarism.
3. A paper containing frequent errors in grammar, usage, spelling, or punctuation is unacceptable.
4. A paper which does not appear to be carefully done is unacceptable. This includes papers with ragged edges,
typographical errors and strikeovers, illegible handwriting, stains, or smudges.
To achieve acceptable writing standards, students should purchase and use a good dictionary and a writing handbook.
Assistance in improving writing skills is available through regular courses in composition and from the Writing Center,
which conducts writings workshops and provides advice and tutoring (but not editing). All students who wish to
improve their writing are encouraged to use these resources.
CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING WRITING
Listed below are some major factors that differentiate good writing from poor writing.
This list may help you identify particular aspects of your writing that need improvement. For further assistance consult
with instructors who are familiar with your writing skills. Writing assistance is also available in the Writing Center (CL
109).
1. PURPOSE
Is the purpose of your paper clear to the audience?
Is the purpose appropriate to the assignment and to the audience?
Is the purpose consistently maintained throughout the paper?
History 206 | Fall 2006 | Page 14
2. CONTENT
Are the ideas in the paper interesting?
Do the ideas in the paper reflect independent thought, a new approach, fresh insights?
Is the writer actively engaged with the topic?
3. ORGANIZATION
Are the ideas developed in a logical order?
Is the organizational pattern clear to the readers?
Is the discussion coherent? Are transitional devices used effectively to shift smoothly from one idea to another?
4. DEVELOPMENT
Are the major ideas adequately supported with examples, specific details, and other kinds of evidence?
Are the ideas presented in meaningful paragraphs?
Is there a general sense of completeness and closure?
5. WORDS: CHOICE AND ARRANGEMENT
Have clear, precise, and appropriate words been selected?
Have cliches been avoided?
Have the words been arranged into correct and graceful sentences?
6. STYLE AND TONE
Is the style clear, lively, fluent?
Is the tone appropriate for the purpose and audience?
Are the sentences varied in length and structure?
Is there appropriate use of metaphor, analogy, parallelism, and other rhetorical devices?
7. TECHNICAL QUALITIES: MECHANICS
Does the writing conform to the conventions of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and usage?
Is the format of the paper appropriate to the assignment?
Has all material from other sources been properly documented?
Has the paper been carefully proofread, with all typos neatly corrected?
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