Hist – 139 critical thinking assignment

Critical/Integrative Thinking Writing Assignment requirements:

Must include a Cover page.

Paper Requirements: 3 ½ – 4 pages in length.

 MLA style In your paper you must include at least 3 sources. Each of these sources must be either a Primary or Secondary source. A primary source refers to documentation or material presented by parties that were directly present or involved in the referred subject, while a secondary source refers to documentation derived from the opinion or views of primary sources.

Examples of Primary Sources – archives and manuscript material, photographs, audio recordings, video recordings, films, journals, letters and diaries, speeches, scrapbooks, published books, newspapers and magazine clippings published at the time, government publications, oral histories, records of organizations, autobiographies and memoirs, printed ephemera, artifacts, e.g. clothing, research data, e.g. public opinion polls.

Examples of Secondary Sources – research reports, government reports, censuses, weather reports, interviews, the Internet, reference books, organizational reports and accounting documents.

Must include Bibliography of sources. 

Sources must be cited in-text as you write as well as at the end of your document in a bibliography.

12 point font, New-Times Roman, Double Spaced 

Premise of assignment – Which time period in American history is most significant in defining the United States of America. Through the study of history, begin to answer this question by briefly describing the overall scope of the study of American History for the time periods: 

Before Europeans arrival to 1850,      From 1750-1800,      From 1800-1865

Using more detail, briefly discuss the major themes associated with the previous time periods. In your paper answer the following questions.

Which of those three time periods do you think is the most important to study for a person to gain an understanding of what defines America? Use even greater detail explaining the major themes of the time period selected to explain why you argue for that time period. 

Search for two images/ pictures/ paintings/drawings/sketches etc. that are emblematic of your chosen time period. They should be symbolic examples of the major theme(s) of the chosen timer period. Describe the images and explain why each image is a symbolic example of that time period.  Insert your images into your word document along with the explanation of why each is emblematic of the time period. Each image and explanation should be approximately one-quarter of a page.

Is your chosen time period reflected in American Society today? If so, how is your chosen time period reflected in current American society?  If not, what may explain the declining influence or disappearance of the themes of that time period?

Save as a word document, click on the assignment link on blackboard to submit.