Final Paper 2017

Final Paper 2022

Prompts for the Paper

To bring together all of the skills that you have developed over the last two weeks, I would like you to write a paper in response to one of these prompts:

Prompt 1

The second half of the 19th century was a period of very rapid change in almost all aspects of Parisian life. Compose an essay in which you compare the experience of change in three different areas of culture and society in Paris in this period. In your essay you should consider doing all or most or the following:

-- Define the three areas that you will be considering

-- Describe the nature of change in each area and analyze the nature of these changes using the tools you have developed in our course

-- Consider the responses to these changes by different groups. How were the responses similar and how were they different?

-- Compare the nature of the changes in different spheres of life and consider the ways in which change in one area may have influenced that in another. Were there common themes or were the changes in the different areas distinct?

or

Prompt 2

Pick three artifacts (paintings, texts, photograps, advertisements, etc.)from the course that you think capture many of the most crucial developments that occurred in Paris in the years between 1850 and 1900. Connect these images or texts with material from at least five different days of the course and use them as a vehicle for explaining what you think are some the most important things to learn about this era.

-- Be sure to present a clear thesis about developments in this period

Instructions for the Essay

-- Feel free to use material from your research reports and Prezis

In most cases your work will be based on material from the course. In that case you can indicate the source of any material that you have used by simply referring to the title of the source and the day that it occurred on the website. If, however, you choose to use material from outside the course, be sure to provide a full citation. You may use any form that you choose, so long as it provides all the information required to find the source.

Form of the paper

Length -- the paper should be between 7 and 9 pages

Pagination -- it should be double spaced with a page number at the bottom of each page

Font -- You may use any standard 12-point font

Anonymity -- Your name should not appear anywhere on the paper

Individual Work

This course has been highly collaborative, but this part of the work is intended to be done individually. You should not discuss the details of your paper with other members of the class, although you can get reactions from people outside the class.

Steps in the process

The writing process will be divided into a series of steps to provide you maximum feedback. Each will provide a section of the final grade, and the entire process will provide 45 % of your final grade.

-- Presentation of basic ideas in individual meetings to discuss the paper (no grade) -- Saturday, August 12

At the meeting you should be prepared to present

1) the basic thesis that you will be presenting

2) the questions that you will be asking to develop this thesis

3) a bullet-pointed list of the propositions that you must prove to support your thesis

4) the points that you will need to address to make your thesis convincing

5) the kinds of evidence that you will be using to support your thesis

-- First draft of the paper: Submit the draft through Canvas no later than 5:00 Sunday, August 13 (10 % of course grade)

-- Critique of two papers of your classmates: Submit the critiques through Canvas no later than 5:00 Monday August 14 (2.5% of course grade of the person writing the critique for each paper read)

Your critiques should be respectful and supportive, and they should mention elements of the paper that you think are particularly good. But they should provide suggestions about the thesis, evidence, argument, and style of the paper that can be used to improve the final draft.

-- Final Paper: Submit the final draft through Canvas no later than 5:00, Saturday, August 21 (25% of course grade)