World Studies, Unit 3 Essay Instructions

Unit 3 Assessment: Medieval Europe Essay

Rationale: One of your assessments for this chapter is to write a formal essay regarding a topic from medieval Europe. In doing you will employ and sharpen the following skills: analyzing and understanding content of medieval Europe and making logical connections of causes and effects of major events; researching and analyzing primary and secondary sources; learning and expanding citation and documentation skills; and exercising your writing and logic skills in formal writing format.

Task: Research and write a response to the following prompt, using MLA formatting guidelines.

Prompt: How did the Black Death of the 14th and early 15th centuries alter Europe? Use ONLY TWO of the following aspects of social science analysis to categorize your response: social changes, political changes, or economic changes.

Requirement and Guidelines

Your essay must be written using FORMAL writing.

Your essay must not exceed 2 pages.

Your essay must be MLA Formatted (scroll down on the link), which includes:

  • Typed, double-spaced, 12 pt font, 1 in margins, proper heading
  • Use in-text citations for research cited in your essay
  • Include a separate Works Cited Page

You must visit the NCPHS Writing Center at least once before the due date for either of the following

  • Help with and/or revising of Citations
  • Help with and/or revising of support of details or explanations

Timeline

Nov. 26/27: Introduce essay and prompt; MLA Citation activity

Nov. 29/30: Learn thesis and pre-writing skills

Dec. 3/4: Thesis statement and short outline due to turnitin.com by beginning of class; Learn how to use sources to support your thesis and write conclusions

Dec. 6/7: Final Essay Due! Hard copy and digital copy turned into turnitin.com by the beginning of class. No late assignments!

Evaluation: 100 points

See attached Rubric

Sources

You are required to use your book PLUS at least FOUR (4) of the following sources to write your paper.

Your sources must include at least 2 journal, magazine, or primary source articles

You may use the following title from Student Resource Center Gold (password available in library or from your teacher)

  • Reference
  • Europe in the Middle Ages, 500-1485, DISCovering World History
  • Black Death Pandemic. World of Health.
  • Plague. World of Health.
  • Plague Decimates European Population, 1347-1352. DISCovering World History.
  • Scholarly Journals
  • Contesting the Cause and Severity of the Black Death: a review essay *.Andrew Noymer. Population and Development Review33.3(Sept 2007): p616(12).
  • The black death: the greatest catastrophe ever: Ole J. Benedictow describes how he calculated that the Black Death killed 50 million people in the 14th century, or 60 per cent of Europe's entire population.” History Today.
  • BRITAIN 1400. Nigel Saul. History Today50.7(July 2000): p38.
  • Magazine Articles
  • `LIKE BLACK SMOKE' THE BLACK DEATH'S JOURNEY.(health)
  • IN THE WORDS OF SURVIVORS.(Black death epidemic in Europe).
  • WHAT WAS THE BLACK DEATH.(epidemics)(Brief Article). Elly Truitt.
  • THE MEDICAL RESPONSE TO THE BLACK DEATH.(epidemics, Europe)(Brief Article).
  • A WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN.(Europe after Black Death of fourteenth century). Mary Morton Cowan.
  • THE CHURCH'S ANSWER.(plague in the Middle Ages). Evelyn Dana Feld.
  • A CHANGE BORN OF DEATH.(influence of Black Death on European civilization)(Brief Article).
  • Primary Sources
  • Any of the sources used in class on BLACK DEATH DAY!