SYLLABUS

History 250A: Historical Methods

Spring 2011

Clio: Muse of History

Course Information:

Location: Pawling Hall102 Hours: Tuesday 6:00-8:30PM
Required Text:After the Fact: The Art of Historical Detection, 6th ed. by Davidson and Lytle
Instructor: Dr. Ellen Emerick – Please see Paging Dr. Emerick on MOODLEfor office, phone, email

Course Objective:

This course seeks to introduce students to a historian’s methods, the history of the discipline, and issues in the modern practice of historical writing. The work in which class participants will be engaged this semester will be a first step in preparing them to research and write professional level history essays. As such, it concentrates on the development of a critical apparatus to:

  • Understand the development of history as a discipline and the requirements of the craft.
  • Identify and assess an author’sthesis and the arguments put forward in defense of that thesis.
  • Understand the problems inherent in using different kinds of evidence.
  • Recognize and evaluate a priori assumptions that impact historical conclusions.

Grade Components:

Historian for a Day ...... ……...... ……...... 10%
In order to explore the development of the practice of history, each student will become an assigned historian twice during the semester and explain his or her philosophy of history to the class. For more detail on these short presentations, please see the rubric section on our class MOODLEsite.
Essay Critiques .……...... …...... 20%
Students will write a two to three-page critique forseveral assigned historical essays. A handout will be provided in class that details the content of these critiques.
Position Papers ...... ……...... 30%
Four to five-page papers will analyze conflicting points of view on several historical subjects. More detail will be provided on MOODLEwell before due dates.
Discussion ……………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………. 10%
Participation in the conversation about our readings is not only an indication of how well you are doing the reading, but also plays a crucial role in both formulating and testing your arguments.
Mid-Term and Final Exams………………………………..…………………………………………………………………..… 20%
The mid-term and final exams will be based on your texts andthe historian-for-a-day presentations, plus the analysis of an article or essay we have not read in class.
Oral History Project……………………………………………………………………………...……………………………….… 10%
Your foray into the process of gathering primary historical material will be discussed in class and an explanatory document will be available on Moodle.
Grading Scale: 92-100 =A 87-91.9 =AB82-86.9 =B77-81.9 =BC72-76.9 =C62-71.9 =D< 62 = F

A Word about Honor

As you know, Georgetown has an honor code that considers plagiarism or cheating of any kind a violation of that code. I fully support both the code and the practice of personal responsibility for conduct and choices. I will appreciate integrity, honesty, and the owning of any mistake you might have made, without excuses.

Absence Policy

As this class meets only once per week, attendance is especially important. Missing class not only lowers the discussion grade (one cannot discuss if one isn’t present), it also tends to levy penalties in terms of writing assignments and preparation for exams. I also use attendance records, among other measures, at the end of the semester when a student is teetering on the line between one grade and another. If you come to class faithfully, this will be a plus for you when I am considering your case.

Absence and Class Assignments

Students are responsible for obtaining from MOODLE or reliable classmates any information they missed when absent, including any handouts, homework assignments, or notes for that day.

  • If an assignment is due on the day you are absent, it is still your due date. Late papers lose 3 points from their final grade for each day past the original due date. Papers that are more than two weeks late will no longer be accepted.You may email assignments to me prior to class on the due date to show me that they are complete, but then you must bring me a hard copy when you return to class. (Emailing the assignment late, however, incurs the same penalty shown above.)
  • If an assignment is due on the next class day based on information from the day or days you are absent, you are still expected to have that assignment on the due date.In short, absence does not give you an excuse for missing an assignment.
  • If you miss the mid-term exam for good reason and you have advised me as soon as possible, I will prepare a make-up, but these are inevitably more difficult as they must be different from the original which has co-opted all the easier questions. The make-up must be taken within three days from the original date unless you are hospitalized or the like. So keep any eye out for run-away semis!

The following reading schedule is subject to change:

CLASS AND READING SCHEDULE
TUES / Jan 18 / What are we up to?
TUES / Jan 25 / Working with Primary Documents:
Caveats for the Careful Historian / Handouts
After the Fact: Intro and Prologue
TUES / Feb 1 / Filling in Silences / Handouts
After the Fact: Chapter One
TUES / Feb 8 / More Cross-disciplinary Help / Handouts
After the Fact: Chapter Three
TUES / Feb 15 / Reality Versus Its Representation / Handouts
After the Fact: Chapter Four
TUES / Feb 22 / Oral Histories / Handouts
After the Fact: Chapter Eight
TUES / Mar 1 / Is a Picture Worth a Thousand Words? / Handouts
After the Fact: Chapter Nine
TUES / Mar 8 / MID-TERM EXAM
TUES / Mar 15 /
Spring Break!! Play Safe!
TUES / Mar 22 / Facing Our Biases / Handouts
After the Fact: Chapter Eleven
TUES / Mar 29 / History and Morality: Good Bed Fellows? / Handouts
After the Fact: Chapter Thirteen
TUES / Apr 5 / Evaluating Social Movements / Handouts
After the Fact: Chapter Fifteen
TUES / Apr 12 / POV and Other Acronyms / Handouts
After the Fact: Chapter Seventeen
TUES / Apr 19 / Assessing the Journey / Handouts
TUES / Apr 26 / Share Oral Histories
TUES / May 3 / Share Oral Histories
FRI / May 6th / FINAL EXAM – 6:00PM
Enjoy Your Summer!