Important Due Dates: 10/15: Bibliography 10/29 revised bibliography 11/17: final Paper due 11/19, 24 Presentations
All work that is posted for a specific date below is due on that day. For example, the reading you should do for Thursday before you come to class is listed on Thursday.
Tues., Aug. 18: Introduction. Three Little Pigs Assignment.
Thurs., Aug. 20: Read: Morrison, Beloved, Foreword, and 3-23 and Choose a quote from Morrison and use it in a sentence as a paraphrase. You should bring to class both the original quote and your use of it; Meet in entry to VSU Library building. We’re going to make friends with the research tools here, as well as with the expert staff. Informal Writing due: Please write 2-3 pages introducing yourself to me. Tell me something about your background, your interests, and the types of things you are involved in at Virginia State. Please also let me know if you have any learning differences or are aware of anything else that might affect your class performance. Finally, tell me why you are taking this class (I know it’s required) and give me an idea of what you know about the way history has been written and how you know it.
Tues., Aug. 25: Read: Morrison, 24-51. Research #1 due: Locate and turn in two substantial articles form each of the following: the Crisis, The New York Times, and popular magazines about African Americans and issues of racism or the struggle for full equality between 1865-1954 (possible topics include education, voting rights, legal challenges, police brutality, and job discrimination). Identify and turn in two related primary sources from available document collections (online is fine). All research assignments must include: a) a copy of the document/source or, for those that are lengthy, the first and key pages; b) a 1-2 sentence summary; c) footnote citations; d) comments, problems, or observations about the assignment. Follow the above directions for all research assignments. For this assignment only, bring two copies of your footnote and bibliographic citations. We’ll use one in class.
Thurs., Aug. 27: Class meets in Library (in entryway, NOT in classroom): Read: Morrison, 52-67. Library Instruction: Identifying primary and secondary sources; Digging through books. Writing Assignment #1: For your first paper, you will need to develop an argument/historical interpretation about why Margaret Garner (Sethe in Beloved) feels death is better for her children than slavery. Your interpretation should be based on your reading in the related primary sources. For this assignment, turn in your historical interpretation (thesis) and provide three pieces of evidence that support your argument. Your thesis should be 1-2 sentences long and should demonstrate your grasp of the historical context and issues. Your evidence must include a) at least two quotes that would be effective for illustrating your argument and b) at least one paraphrase that would be effective for illustrating your argument. For the paraphrase, include both the direct quote you are basing it on and the paraphrase. Provide footnotes for all of your evidence.
Tues., Sept. 1: Read Morrison, 68-100. And, Submit 1-3 questions you're most curious about exploring intellectually (this will help you develop a topic for your research).
Thurs., Sept. 3: Read Morrison, 101-124 MEET IN LIBRARY in back training room Writing Assignment #2: Using your Writing Assignment #1 with any of the necessary adjustments based on peers’ and my feedback, write a 1-2 page paper that offers an historical interpretation about the reasons people have not understood Margaret Garner. Be sure to provide appropriate introduction, transitions, context, and conclusion.
Tues., Sept. 8: Read: Morrison, 125-158 Research Assignment #2: Locate and turn in three documents or excerpts from memoirs or documents collections and three scholarly articles on women in American slavery, resistance to slavery, and sexual exploitation within slavery. You might try to see if (And if so, how?) coverage evolves concerning these issues over the past forty years. You should also think about what differences you can identify between the scholarly articles and the other sources you locate.
Thurs., Sept. 10: Read Morrison, 159-180 MEET IN LIBRARY in back training room Research Assignment #3: Locate and turn in six documents or excerpts from memoirs or document collections related to law and justice under slavery. In addition to the usual requirements for research assignments, write an approximately one page informal discussion of some of the key issues related to the difficulties African and African American women had in finding justice before the law in the 19th century, both before and after the Civil War. You should base this on your research assignment and the assigned reading.
Tues. Sept. 15: Read Morrison, 181-195 .
No Class today, 9/15 - Dr. Hogan lost her voice & running fever. Please make sure you bring in a 1-2 page informal (can be handwritten) write-up of Beloved, pp. 181-195 on Thursday which includes (1) major events of reading in your own words (2) questions you have about reading (3) list 2-3 techniques Morrison uses to explain why Sethe kills Beloved. Bring Writing Assignment #3 with you on Thursday
Writing Assignment #3: Write a 3-4 page paper on any aspect of black mothers’ experiences immediately before, during, and after the Civil War except sexual exploitation. Be sure you have an interpretive thesis that reflects your familiarity with all the assigned primary sources and your grasp of the historical context and issues.
Tues., Sept. 22: Read Morrison, 257-270. Research Assignment #4: Locate and turn in eight documents or excerpts from memoirs or document collections related to the freedom movements among African Americans during Reconstruction. In addition to the usual requirements for research assignments, write an approximately one page informal discussion of some of the key issues related to these movements. You should base this on your research assignment and the assigned reading.
Thurs., Sept. 24: Historiography Writing Assignment #4: Write a 3-4 page paper that analyzes and makes an argument about the different historical interpretations of Reconstruction and why some see it as a success and some as a failure. I want you to make an argument about why and how people have such differing interpretations. (I do not want you to make an argument that it was a success or a failure). You might consider things like organizational goals, attitudes toward leadership, timeframe, and formal versus informal changes and accomplishments. You should base this paper on assigned reading and two or three additional sources that you locate on your own. For this paper you must complete a bibliography that includes all of the works you used in writing this paper.
Tues., Sept. 29: Finish Beloved. Research Assignment #5: Locate and turn in commentary by six different Senators or Representatives, including some from both North and South, that address one of the following topics: Margaret Garner, enslaved mothers, the creation of HBCUs, black political power in Reconstruction, black self-help activities, or white resistance to black empowerment during Reconstruction.
Thurs., Oct. 1: Read the Preface and Prologue of Kelley, Hammer and Hoe.
Library Instruction: Using websites for archival research, Worldcat, ILL, newspapers, and primary sources in .
You will have an opportunity to work on locating sources for your Final Research Project. You must consult with me about your project before this class, either during office hours or by appointment.
Tues., Oct. 6: Read Kelley, 13-56Meet in Gateway 343 Writing Assignment #5: Write a 3-4 page paper on some aspect of black resistance under slavery or black political and economic self-help under Reconstruction using assigned reading and sources from research assignments. (This is intended to be a flexible assignment. You should pick something that is based on or grounded in these events, but you should not write a narrative about one of these events. You must have an interpretive thesis.)
Thurs., Oct. 8: No class. But Research Assignment #6 needs to be emailed to me by 9:30am Research Assignment #6: Locate and turn in the first 1-2 pages of: a) three primary sources for your original research project b) three books or scholarly articles related to your original research project. These should include a range of perspectives (both in primary sources and secondary sources). All research assignments must include: a) a copy of the document/source or, for those that are lengthy, the first and key pages; b) a 1-2 sentence summary; c) footnote citations; d) comments, problems, or observations about the assignment. Follow the above directions for all research assignments. Tues., Oct. 13: FALL BREAK ☺
Thurs. Oct. 15: Research Working Day Bibliography Due. Prepare a bibliography for your final project. This bibliography must be broad and exhaustive, including a wide range of primary sources and everything you might use for your paper, even if you do not have access to it yet.
Tues., Oct. 20: Read Kelley, 57-91 Research Assignment #7: Locate and turn in the first page of six sources of at least four different types that you intend to use in your final project. Progress Report Due. Submit a brief summary of the status of your project. This should include the following: sources you are using, sources you are searching for, ideas you have, questions or problems you are examining, information about changing directions or evolving thesis, work you have completed since you submitted the bibliography. This is an important assignment, but is designed to be an informal combination of brainstorming and troubleshooting.
Come to class with material ready to do research in class: need research materials, laptop, flash drive, notes, etc.
Thurs., Oct. 22: Read Kelley, 92-117 Writing Assignment #6: Write a 4-5 page paper based on some aspect of your research for your final paper. Present your argument and some of your key evidence to the class (5 min. max). Come to class with material ready to do research in class: need research materials, laptop, flash drive, notes, etc. Tues., Oct. 27: Read Kelley, 119-137
Research Working Day. Come to class with material ready to do research in class: need research materials, laptop, flash drive, notes, etc.
Thurs., Oct. 29: Read Kelley, 138-151 Research Assignment #8: Identify, locate, and turn in the first page of three different archival sources outside of the Library for your final paper. (these might be sources you've already found in the bibliography, just have to be different from R#7) Revised Bibliography Due. This bibliography should include any additional sources you have located; exclude sources you will not be using; address previous weaknesses; and be an accurate reflection of the material that will be the basis for your final paper. Identify with an asterisk (*) any sources that you hope to use but have not yet been able to access.
Prospectus due. Submit a prospectus in which you 1) state your tentative title; 2) briefly provide the context for your topic; 3) state a thesis 4) indicate how your sources will allow you to argue your thesis; 5) discuss any concerns or potential problems.
Come to class with material ready to do research in class: need research materials, laptop, flash drive, notes, etc.
Tues., Nov.3: Read Kelley, 152-175
Writing and problem solving. Progress Report due. Come to class with material ready to do research in class: need research materials, laptop, flash drive, notes, etc. Thurs., Nov. 5: Read Kelley, 176-194. BRING An Updated ROUGH DRAFT TO CLASS TODAY
Writing and problem solving. Come to class with material ready to do research in class: need research materials, laptop, flash drive, notes, etc. Focus: Historiography Tues., Nov. 10: Read Kelley, 195-219. BRING An Updated ROUGH DRAFT TO CLASS TODAY Progress Report due. Come to class with material ready to do research in class: need research materials, laptop, flash drive, notes, etc.
Focus: Your Voice (writing conclusion, writing introduction) Thurs., Nov. 12: Finish Kelley, Hammer and Hoe. BRING An Updated ROUGH DRAFT TO CLASS TODAY. Writing and problem solving. Come to class with material ready to do research in class: need research materials, laptop, flash drive, notes, etc.
Focus: Final touches (format, stylistic concerns, no such thing as over-footnoting, images, tables, and title page) Tues., Nov. 17: Final Research Paper Due. Your final paper should be a roughly 15 page original research paper with a clear, interpretive thesis based on your analysis of a wide-range of primary sources. Your babes should include a title page and bibliography and should demonstrate the research and writing skills you have developed throughout the semester. (Please turn in two copies. The second one should not have your name or student ID number on it)
