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Modern Western Civ Paper 2 Guidelines Origins of the Cold War
The goal of this writing assignment is to give you experience writing historical essays, using primary sources, and practicing good grammar and punctuation. This exercise is worth 200 points.
Assignment:
Read the primary documents in D2L under “Paper 2 Documents—Origins of the Cold War.”
Using only the documents provided, explore three reasons the United States became involved in the Cold War.
Your paper will be graded in the following four ways:
1.) Formatting
Your paper should be 2 to 2 ½ pages long; do not to write more (or less) than this.
Papers must be typed with one-inch margins, left justified, and double-spaced using 12-point font.
Your name, the date, and the name of the class go at the top of the first page. Skip a line and begin the first paragraph of the paper.
2.) Content
Your paper must be five paragraphs long. The first paragraph should present an introduction of the topic and include a clear thesis statement (remember to use the “funnel” technique we discussed.) Important: underline your thesis statement, which should be the last sentence in the paragraph. You may use the following thesis statement if you like: “Three reasons the United States became involved in the Cold War were _____________, _____________, and ____________.”
Your second paragraph should explain the first part of your thesis statement (the first reason). In clear and concise sentences, and using evidence from the document, explain why you came to the conclusion expressed in your thesis. There is no right or wrong answer to this question. You must, however, support your argument with clear analysis and with evidence from the documents.
Your third paragraph should likewise explain the second part of your thesis.
Your fourth paragraph should likewise explain the third part of your thesis.
Make your concluding comments in your fifth paragraph. Don’t repeat what you have already said. Instead, draw some conclusions from what you have learned from your investigation of the documents, such as any broader points you can make that will make your thesis relevant to the readers today. For instance, what can we learn from the past that can help us move forward into the future? What are some of the lingering effects of the Cold War? Could such a situation arise in today? What characteristics of human nature might still be causing these types of issues in today’s world? (Remember—only use third person!)
Important: You must begin each paragraph with a topic sentence. The rest of the paragraph should explain your topic sentence using evidence from the documents. This will help you organize your thoughts and keep you from rambling. Papers that do not utilize evidence from the documents will not receive a passing grade. A good topic sentence would be “The first reason the United States got involved in the Cold War was . . . “
These papers are not intended to be recapitulations of the readings. I have already read the material and do not need to be reminded what the author said. Rather, I am interested in your analysis of the material as well as evidence that you have tried to follow these guidelines. Papers that simply recap the material will not receive a passing grade.
Since we are all using the same documents, do not cite or include a Works Cited page. Instead, you must reference the document you are using. For instance, “Winston Churchill explained in his “Iron Curtain” speech that . . . “
The use of quotes from primary sources is a sign of a skillful writer. This will earn brownie points with me and all your future professors, especially if you use them correctly. However, you do not have to quote from the documents. If you do, be sure to keep them “short and sweet,” imbed them in your own sentences, and adjust them to make them grammatically correct. Your quotes should never be more than two lines long (OK, three, if it is really necessary.) Use quotes only to emphasize your own thoughts.
Here is an example or a wrong and right way to use a quote. For this example, my part of the sentence into which I’m embedding the quote is in italics.
Wrong use of a quote:
When asked to describe the reasons the New England Patriots have had such a successful season, Tom Brady said, “The main difference between the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams, or any other team for that matter, is that our coach, Bill Belichick, makes us work harder than any other team in the history of the National Football League, and that gives us the confidence going into every game that we will win. It is that confidence that the coach inspires in us that gives us a competitive edge and is why we end up going to the Super Bowl every year.”
Correct use of a quote:
When asked to describe the reasons the New England Patriots have had such a successful season, Tom Brady said, “The main difference . . . is that our coach, Bill Belichick, makes us work harder than any other team . . .”
The difference is obvious. I have distilled a six-line quote down into its essence, which can be clearly understood in less than two lines.
Note: I will not grade you harshly if you don’t get quotes exactly right. But I really want you to give it a try. This is a skill you should acquire. Remember—brownie points!
You must use at least three different documents. You cannot use any documents other than those assigned. You may use your textbook and lecture notes for context only (for instance, you can look up the date of the fall of the empire). Any other source is unacceptable and will be treated as plagiarism. Note: Plagiarism is taken seriously in this class and will result in an F for the course. Do not be tempted to take shortcuts. This assignment will be turned in in Turnitin, the Brightspace plagiarism check.
3.) Grammar: you must use proper grammar in this and all your papers. I have included a list of common mistakes in the “Grammar and Punctuation Rules” document found in Brightspace under “Papers.” Study it carefully before you write your paper. If you are still unsure about usage, look it up. There are numerous sites on the internet that will help you. Warning: I’m serious about this.
4.) Punctuation: you must use proper punctuation in this and all your papers. If you are unsure about usage, look it up or refer to the Grammar and Punctuation Rules document.
Previewing your papers
I will preview this paper
if you made an A or B on your first paper and you turn in a finished product by the preview deadline
if you made a C or below on your first paper and you submit your finished product to the writing center or to a tutor and have them sign off on it and you turn in a finished product by the preview deadline.
Remember—I will only preview a finished product. If you turn in a paper that does not read like a finished product (and more like a rough draft), I will not preview it, and this time I really mean it. If you’re not sure about the quality of your paper, get some tutoring or send it to the writing center.
Twenty Minute Rule—I can closely read and carefully grade a good paper in five minutes. A sloppy paper will take me thirty minutes or more. With this in mind, I will spend no more than twenty minutes grading any one paper. If you are unwilling to invest enough time to write a good paper, I’m unwilling to invest my time trying to closely grade it. After twenty minutes, I will give you the grade I think you deserve, and the maximum will be 50%. And you will be no closer to the goal for your trouble.
If you are unclear about any of this, email me, text, or call me. Also, the college has resources to help you with your papers. It is your responsibility to get the help you need in order to write a good paper.
Grading
Papers will be graded as follows:
Formatting: 25 points
Punctuation: 25 points
Grammar: 50 points
Content: 100 points
Total = 200 points
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