Requirements and Grading

Readings

There are no required textbooks for this class: all the readings will be posted on the course’s Canvas site in PDF format. Students are expected to do the required background readings for each class. I am always happy to guide you to further bibliography and other resources, whether in connection with your Research Project or simply out of personal interest.

Attendance and Class Participation (20% of grade)

Attendance to lecture and sections is mandatory. Unexcused absence will automatically reduce your participation grade. If you must miss class (due to illness, work, family responsibilities, etc.), please notify me or your TF. If you miss class, you are responsible for getting notes from other students and for tracking changes in the course syllabus.

Weekly Assignments (15% of grade)

Throughout the term, we will maintain a collective timeline. Every week students will be responsible for adding short entries based on that week’s readings, according to a schedule we will develop during the second week of classes.

Mid-term Essay (25% of grade)

There will be a multimedia essay (roughly 2,500 words) due in week 7. The essay will focus on the analysis of a primary source, such as an artefact or text (we will work with sources from the Harvard Museums, Library and Archives).

Final Project (40% of grade)

Students will choose a research topic in collaboration with the instructor and turn it into a project. The project should involve an analytical and critical discussion of a relevant historical problem or topic within the scope of the course (drawing comparisons with other regions and time periods is perfectly acceptable). The project should bring together multiple lines of evidence and make appropriate use of graphics, visualizations, and other aids in presenting its subject. The essay that will constitute the core of the project should be roughly 5,000 words.

You can find examples of previous work done for the class in the course's 2016 website.