History 3100, The Historian's Craft, is designed for students who want to study history in deeper and more engaged ways. As a foundational upper-level class, History 3100 is a requirement for history majors, and it is a prerequisite for the senior-level capstone class, History 4990, Seminar in Historical Research. Through an array of readings, activities, and assignments, students will learn about and analyze primary and secondary sources, develop online and other research skills, read and interpret historiography, and enhance their skills in historical interpretation, research, and writing. A minimum grade of C is required to satisfy requirements for History Endorsement from the Utah State Board of Education.

• Jules R. Benjamin, A Student's Guide to History, 14th ed. New York: MacMillan, 2019. Ebook ISBN 9781319109714. (The ebook version is preferred over the paperback version ISBN 9781319109707.)

OTHER OPTIONAL TEXT(S) (*used or in use in History 3090 and/or History 4990).

Practical and "How To" Guides

• *William Keller Storey, Writing History: A Guide for Students, 6th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2020. ISBN 978-0190078416 and also available as eBook.
• *Kate L. Turabian, Student's Guide to Writing College Papers, 5th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2019. ISBN 978-0226430263 and available in a Kindle edition.
• *The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2017. ISBN 9780226287058 or see online access at https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html.
• Mary Lynn Rampola, A Pocket Guide to Writing in History, 10th ed. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2020. ISBN 978-1319244415 and available as an eBook.
• Anthony Brundage, Going to the Sources: A Guide to Historical Research and Writing, 6th ed. London: Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Blackwell, 2017. ISBN 9781119262749 and also in a Kindle edition.
• Michael J. Galgano, J. Chris Arndt, Raymond M. Hyser, Doing History: Research and Writing in the Digital Age, 2nd ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage, 2012.
• Melvin E. Page and Brian J. Maxson, A Short Guide to Writing about History, Tenth ed. Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press, 2023.
• Zachary M. Schrag, The Princeton Guide to Historical Research. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2021.
• Carol Berkin and Betty S. Anderson, The History Handbook, Second ed., Boston: Wadsworth, 2012.

History and Historiography

• Daniel Woolf, A Concise History of Global Historiography from Antiquity to the Present Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2019.
• Sara Maza, Thinking About History. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2017. ISBN 978-0226109336 and also available as a Kindle edition.
• Eric Foner, Who Owns History?: Rethinking the Past in a Changing World. New York: Hill and Wang, 2003.
• Sam Wineburg, Why Learn History (When It's Already on Your Phone). Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2018.
• James Loewen, Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong. New York: New Press, 2018; 1995.

As a foundational course for students majoring in history and history education, this class will enhance students' skills for all upper-level courses and serve as a pre-requisite for History 4990, History Capstone Seminar, typically taken in the student's senior year.

1. Learners will acquire greater appreciation, understanding, and respect for the study of history.
2. Learners will identify, analyze, and differentiate between primary and secondary sources.
3. Learners will learn to evaluate historical evidence and interpretations while improving their ability to craft historical arguments.
4. Learners will enhance their historical research and interpretive skills through the use of print, digital, and other media.
5. Learners will gain skills in using methods and formats used in the discipline of history (e.g., Chicago Notes and Bibliography Style).
6. Learners will select and explore the historiography of a specific topic and evaluate competing historians' claims and interpretations.

Weekly Written Journal Entry & Reflection Essays ( graded on P/F basis, completion percentage will determine letter grade, entire semester, 40% of final grade)

Starting in Week 1, you are expected to submit a weekly journal entry (or reflection essay) to Canvas that will typically focus on a prompt or question related to required class readings. Your response should be organized, factual, insightful, and well written, preferably submitted in an essay format of at least 400 words. These journal exercises are designed to 1) encourage your active and regular reading of our required readings, 2) help you think more critically about issues and topics in studying and "doing" history, and 3) improve your writing and analytical skills. You will receive some helpful but not extensive feedback for your weekly journal entries, and these will be graded on a P/F (or Complete/Incomplete) basis. A simple rubric will be used to evaluate your work and to encourage high-quality responses. All writing assignments are to be submitted to Canvas where they will be reviewed by Copyleaks and graded using a rubric.

The percentage of completed and acceptable journal entries will determine your final grade for this assignment:

• 100 % (A) = 100% completed and acceptable journal entries
• 95% (A) = 95% completed and acceptable journal entries
• 90% (A-) = 90% completed and acceptable journal entries
• 85% (B) = 85% completed and acceptable journal entries
• 80% (B-) = 80% completed and acceptable journal entries
• 75% (C) = 75% completed and acceptable journal entries
• 70% (C-) = 70% completed and acceptable journal entries
• 65% (D) = 65% completed and acceptable journal entries
• 60% (D-) = 60% completed and acceptable journal entries
• 0% = Less than 60% completed and acceptable journal entries (yes, this will be a grade of 0 that will count toward 40% of your final grade)

Your response should be organized, factual, insightful, and well written, preferably submitted in an essay format. All Canvas submissions should be uploaded in an acceptable file format, preferably as a Word document (.docx). You should compose with a word processor and upload or copy your comments after adequate proofreading and spell-checks. These weekly assignments will be due to Canvas no later than the deadlines at 12 midnight, and you are encouraged to submit earlier.

Your work will be evaluated by the quality of your written response, not its length, although you are strongly encouraged to write more than the minimum number of words in aiming for a high-quality essay. Because this is a history class, you should strive always to use relevant, specific, and detailed historical evidence drawn from all course materials in your written journal entries, discussion posts, and other assignments in History 3100. Aim to think, write, and analyze evidence as historians do.

For your weekly journal entries, you do NOT need any kind of formal citations, footnotes, or bibliography. If you refer to a source in your submissions, it is okay to provide a reference in parentheses by the source's author and/or title and/or date. (Other assignments in the class will be more rigorous in expecting proper formatting with Chicago Style Notes and Bibliography formatting.)

As with all of your college-level work, your journal submissions should be coherent and feature well-crafted writing that is appropriate for academic purposes. (Your written responses are not texts, tweets, or informal emails.) If you wish to quote from course materials or other sources, please place all quoted material in quotation marks and add author and page reference in parentheses at the end of that sentence. Be aware that you are expected to submit original and independent work by all deadlines, and plagiarism will not be tolerated. As with all assignments in this course, plagiarism and the use of AI resources will not be tolerated.

Note that all assignments will be processed by Copyleaks, an excellent and thorough plagiarism- and AI-detection program within Canvas. Please read and heed "Avoiding Plagiarism" in the Course Resources module, along with "Course Policy Statement: Discouraging the Use of ChatGPT and AI Resources for Academic Purposes."

Finally, feel free to be imaginative in exploring the questions asked in this course, and ask questions if you are unclear about assignments or expectations.

Weekly Discussions Posts and Responses (graded on P/F basis, completion percentage will determine letter grade, entire semester, 15% of final grade)

During the semester, we will have a variety of discussions designed to create and foster a learning community. You will be expected to post thoughtful and engaging posts and responses. Some of the prompts will be specific to our required readings, while others may ask for more personal responses that are tied to your own research and writing efforts. Each response should be submitted in Canvas by the weekly deadlines. Similar to the weekly journal entries, these will be graded on a P/F (or Complete/Incomplete) basis. Each week, students are expected to participate fully in discussions that allow them to interact with other learners, to learn in groups, and to demonstrate their knowledge of course materials. To be marked complete, students must also post meaningful responses of adequate length to at least two other students in the class.

You are encouraged to submit Discussion posts and responses as a text box entry, and you are expected to compose with a word processor and upload or copy your comments after adequate proofreading and spell-checks. Similar to the grading scale for your Weekly Journal Entries, you will receive some helpful but not extensive feedback for your alternative weekly Discussion posts and responses, and these will be graded on a P/F (or Complete/Incomplete) basis. A simple rubric will be used to evaluate your work and to encourage high-quality responses. As with all assignments in this course, plagiarism and the use of AI resources will not be tolerated.

The percentage of completed and acceptable Discussion posts and responses will determine your final grade for this assignment:

• 100 % (A) = 100% completed and acceptable discussion posts
• 95% (A) = 95% completed and acceptable discussion posts
• 90% (A-) = 90% completed and acceptable discussion posts
• 85% (B) = 85% completed and acceptable discussion posts
• 80% (B-) = 80% completed and acceptable discussion posts
• 75% (C) = 75% completed and acceptable discussion posts
• 70% (C-) = 70% completed and acceptable discussion posts
• 65% (D) = 65% completed and acceptable discussion posts
• 60% (D-) = 60% completed and acceptable discussion posts
• 0% = Less than 60% completed and acceptable discussion posts (yes, this will be a grade of 0 that will count toward 15% of your final grade)

Primary Source Research and Essay (due in Week 5; 10% of final grade)

Primary sources are firsthand accounts of the past recorded by active participants or witnesses. Sources include letters, diaries, baptismal, marriage, or burial records, censuses, speeches, memoirs, contracts, bills of sale, deeds, and other official documents. Primary sources are the building blocks of historical research and writing, but they are almost useless for historical scholarship without interpretation.

History 3100 students will locate at least three original (or digitized copies) of three different primary sources relevant to an upper-level history course or a potential senior capstone project. These sources should not be the same kind or type, but all should be relevant to the selected topic. Students will write a 2-3 page paper that analyzes and compares the primary sources in line with criteria discussed in class materials.

As for the focus of this assignment, along with your bibliography and final historiography essay, you are encouraged to find a topic in U.S. history or other areas that you would like to read, research, and write about, possibly for a final capstone thesis in History 4990 down the road. Feel free to consult with your instructor at any time about potential topics, themes, readings, and focus. (Please note that you will not be required to pursue this same topic in History 4990.) Also, throughout this semester, the instructor will aim to enhance course materials to help you search for potential topics and resources.

Annotated Bibliography of Secondary Sources (due in Week 10; 10% of final grade)

This exercise will help you assess the breadth and significance of your secondary sources. As for the focus of this assignment, in line with other course assignments, you are encouraged to find a topic in U.S. history or other areas that you would like to read, research, and write about, possibly for a final capstone thesis in History 4990 down the road. Feel free to consult with your instructor at any time about potential topics, themes, readings, and focus.

Arrange your sources in an appropriate way, and after each entry in your bibliography, summarize the source and state why you will be using it in your paper. You should keep your notes on sources concise. You may wish to say more about some sources than others, but about 150 words will do for each entry. For fine examples of annotated bibliographies, see the Oxford Bibliographies Online.

The summaries should address four questions:

1. What type of source is it: a book, a journal article, a historical document?
2. What is the main argument of the source?
3. What evidence is presented by the source?
4. How is the source relevant to your potential research project?

All students will prepare a working annotated bibliography in the approved Chicago Notes and Bibliography style that includes at least five (5) secondary sources (scholarly books and articles written by historians), of which at least two must be high-quality scholarly books. All of these sources should have some relevance to the Historiography Essay due at the end of the semester.

Historiography Essay (due in Week 14; 25% of final grade)

The final assignment for History 3100 is an 8-10 page historiographical essay that will discuss trends and recent developments in the student's chosen field or topic. As for the focus of this assignment, in line with other course assignments, you are encouraged to find a topic in U.S. history or other areas that you would like to read, research, and write about, possibly for a final capstone thesis in History 4990 down the road. Feel free to consult with your instructor at any time about potential topics, themes, readings, and focus.

As with all history-related essays, this paper should include an introduction with a clear thesis statement, major arguments developed logically and supported by specific evidence, and a conclusion that summarizes the findings.

The paper should explain how the selected secondary sources (scholarly books and articles written by historians) relating to relevant historical themes and interpretations; citations and bibliography must conform to the Chicago Notes and Bibliography Style. More resources will be provided in the class to assist with students' selections of sources and topics. This essay may serve, in addition, as a foundation for further research and writing in History 4990.

Assignments with Weight/Percentage of Final Grade

• Weekly Written Journal Entries and Reflection Essays, 40%
• Weekly Discussion Posts and Responses, 15%
• Primary Source Research and Essay, 10%
• Bibliography, 10%
• Historiography Essay with Bibliography, 25%

Grading Scale

Grade/Percentile

• A, 93-100
• A-, 90-92
• B+, 87-89
• B, 83-86
• B-, 80-82
• C+, 77-79
• C, 73-76
• C-, 70-72
• D+, 67-69
• D, 63-66
• D-, 60-62
• F, 0-59

Week/Module 1 What is History?

• Read: Benjamin, A Student's Guide to History, Preface, A Note to Students, and Chapter 1; other readings as assigned in Canvas.
• Write: Written journal entry reflection about experience studying history.
• Discuss: See discussion post assignment.

Week/Module 2 How to Succeed in Studying History?

• Read: Benjamin, A Student's Guide to History, Chapter 2; other readings as assigned in Canvas.
• Write: Written journal entry reflection about "best practices" as a history student.
• Discuss: See discussion post assignment.

Week/Module 3 What are Primary and Secondary Sources?

• Read: Benjamin, A Student's Guide to History, Chapter 3; activities about finding primary and secondary sources; information about NARA primary sources; other readings as assigned in Canvas.
• Write: Weekly journal entry reflection.
• Discuss: See discussion post assignment.

Week/Module 4 How to Find and Evaluate Historical Evidence?

• Read: Benjamin, A Student's Guide to History, Chapter 4; other readings as assigned in Canvas.
• Write: Written journal entry reflection about avoiding plagiarism.
• Discuss: See discussion post assignment.

Week/Module 5 What is Historiography?

• Read: Benjamin, A Student's Guide to History, Chapter 5; other readings as assigned in Canvas.
• Write: Written journal reflection about potential field and topic.
• Write: Primary Sources Evaluation assignment due.
• Discuss: See discussion post assignment.

Week/Module 6 What is Effective Writing?

• Read: Benjamin, A Student's Guide to History, Chapter 6; other readings as assigned in Canvas.
• Write: Written journal entry reflection about "best practices" in writing history.
• Discuss: See discussion post assignment.

Week/Module 7 How to Formulate a Research Question and Topic?

• Read: Benjamin, A Student's Guide to History, Chapter 7 and Appendix A, Resources for History Research; other readings as assigned in Canvas.
• Write: Written journal entry reflection about key research questions and challenges.
• Discuss: See discussion post assignment.

Week/Module 8 How to Integrate Reading, Research, and Writing?

• Read: Benjamin, A Student's Guide to History, Chapter 8; other readings as assigned in Canvas.
• Write: Written journal entry reflection about writing issues and challenges.
• Discuss: See discussion post assignment.

Week/Module 9 What are Potential Fields and Topics, Part 1?

• Review previous chapters and Appendix A, Resources for History Research, in Benjamin, A Student's Guide to History; other readings as assigned in Canvas.
• Write: Written journal entry reflection about potential field or topic for historiography essay.
• Discuss: See discussion post assignment.
• Note: Students are required to meet with the instructor by Zoom to discuss potential fields, topics, and scholarly sources.

Week/Module 10 What are Potential Fields and Topics, Part 2?

• Review previous chapters in Benjamin, A Student's Guide to History; other readings as assigned in Canvas.
• Write: Written journal entry reflection about key issues in selected historiography.
• Write: Annotated Bibliography of Secondary Sources assignment that adheres to Chicago Notes and Bibliography Style due.
• Discuss: See discussion post assignment.

Week/Module 11 How to Write a History Paper?

• Read Benjamin, A Student's Guide to History, Chapter 9; other readings as assigned in Canvas.
• Write: Written journal entry reflection about primary and secondary sources for historiography essay.
• Discuss: See discussion post assignment.

Week/Module 12 How to Document with Chicago Style?

• Read Benjamin, A Student's Guide to History, Chapter 10; other readings as assigned in Canvas.
• Write: Weekly journal entry reflection.
• Discuss: See discussion post assignment.

Week/Module 13 How to Write, Revise, and Proofread?

• Review previous chapters in Benjamin, A Student's Guide to History; other readings as assigned in Canvas.
• Write: Written journal reflection about "best practices" for editing, revising, and proofreading written work.
• Discuss: See discussion post assignment.

Week/Module 14 What is a Final Deadline? Historiography Essay Due

• Review previous readings.
• Write: Weekly journal entry reflection.
• Write: Historiography Essay of 8-10 pages using Chicago Notes and Bibliography Style, including formal Bibliography.
• Discuss: See discussion post assignment.

Late Policy: All deadlines are explained within this course. Any submission after the deadline will result in a permanent grade of zero or "incomplete."

Make-Up Work/Extra-Credit: This course does not have any options for make-up work or extra credit.

AI IS RESTRICTED IN THIS CLASS

Within this course, all submitted assignments should be written, developed, created, or inspired by you. If any work is created by artificial intelligence (AI) it will be considered plagiarized work and a violation of SUU Policy 6.33: Academic Integrity. This could result in a failing grade to disciplinary action through the Dean of Students’ Office. AI is an evolving technology and will impact our academic, professional, and personal lives. It is important that as part of your education, you learn to critically think, create, and evaluate products/assignments.

Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, such as ChatGPT and BingAI, are not allowed to be used for your written and submitted assignments in this class. Although the use of these types of tools may be allowed in other classes or are used professionally, this class will focus on learning foundations without the aid of generative AI. Any perceived use of generative AI will be investigated for possible submission to the university as cheating.

Attendance : This is an online course with regular weekly deadlines.

As with any college course, it is hoped that you will get out of this course what you put into it. In fact, there is a strong and positive correlation between the time that students devote to their classes and their final grades. Please feel free to contact your instructor through Canvas messaging or email.

Good luck!