ASSIGNED SOURCES This essay assignment relates to the following articles linked through MVCC Librar ...
ASSIGNED SOURCES This essay assignment relates to the following articles linked through MVCC Library. Duby, Georges. "Rural Economy and Country Life in the Medieval West." The Social Dimension of Western Civilization. Edited by Richard M. Golden, 5th ed., Bedford/St. Martin's, 2003. Download Duby, Georges. "Rural Economy and Country Life in the Medieval West." The Social Dimension of Western Civilization. Edited by Richard M. Golden, 5th ed., Bedford/St. Martin's, 2003. Elias, Norbert. "The Development of Manners." The Social Dimension of Western Civilization. Edited by Richard M. Golden, 5th ed., Bedford/St. Martin's, 2003.Download Elias, Norbert. "The Development of Manners." The Social Dimension of Western Civilization. Edited by Richard M. Golden, 5th ed., Bedford/St. Martin's, 2003. Veyne, Paul. "Pleasures and Excesses in the Roman Empire." The Social Dimension of Western Civilization. Edited by Richard M. Golden, 5th ed., Bedford/St. Martin's, 2003.Download Veyne, Paul. "Pleasures and Excesses in the Roman Empire." The Social Dimension of Western Civilization. Edited by Richard M. Golden, 5th ed., Bedford/St. Martin's, 2003. For the Module 3 Essay you have a choice between two topics. One topic relates to Duby's and Veyne's articles. The second option relates to Elias' article. You will only submit one essay. Select the essay topic which you find the most interesting. MODULE 3 ESSAY TOPIC Topic Option 1: Roman Empire vs. Medieval West: Would you prefer to have lived in a Roman city (as Paul Veyne describes) or in an early medieval village (as Georges Duby describes)? [To fully respond to this topic you must provide specific examples to support your choice from both articles. For example, if you would prefer to live in an early medieval village also give specific examples why you have chosen not to live in a Roman city.] Topic Option 2: Development of Manners: In present-day society, do matters of etiquette ever have political implications? What value does the study of manners have for historians? [This is the one topic offered this semester that you may want to supplement the evidence from the assigned article by Norbert Elias with current examples in order to answer the first question in this topic. You must receive prior approval from Prof. VanBaren to use additional sources in your essay.] ESSAY REQUIREMENTS Write an essay responding to the entirety of the assigned topic. The essay is a mini-research paper that should demonstrate your understanding of the topic, analysis or critical evaluation of the concepts you learned by reading the assigned sources. You may use your textbook, Backman's Cultures of the West, as an additional source, but its use does not replace the expectations for evidence from the assigned sources. If you do have an additional source you would like to use in your essay, send an email providing information about the source--including a direct link if it is online--and how you would like to use it, at least 48 hours prior to the essay deadline. Essays should be minimum 250 words (with a 5% under allowance). In-text citations using the MLA 9 format are required. A works cited section is not required unless you have received permission to use additional sources. Should you include a works cited section, citations must be formatted correctly and it does not count toward the minimum word count. The assigned sources linked above are already formatted for a works cited section. ESSAY SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS The use of AI technology to create portions or the entirety of the essay assignment is not permitted. Essays must be submitted through SimCheck to be graded. Your first submission is your final draft of the essay. You may resubmit your same essay only to make citation additions or corrections. Changes to the content of a resubmitted essay, other than citations, will not be included in grading. If you would like Prof. Van Baren to review your essay for missing or incorrectly formatted citations, it must be submitted by the citation review deadline. Feedback on essays submitted by the citation review deadline, when needed, will be posted in the comments on the assignment. Revisions must be submitted by the final essay deadline. DEADLINES The Module 3 Essay citation review deadline is Tuesday, October 15th. This is the deadline listed as the assignment due date. Essays may still be submitted for full credit until the final essay deadline on Tuesday, October 22nd. View Rubric Medieval West Essay Grading Rubric (1) Medieval West Essay Grading Rubric (1) Criteria Ratings Pts Conceptual 36 pts Has cogent analysis, shows command of interpretive and conceptual tasks required by assignment and course materials: ideas original, often insightful, going beyond ideas discussed in lecture and class. 30.6 pts Shows a good understanding of the texts, ideas and methods of the assignment; goes beyond the obvious; may have one minor factual or conceptual inconsistency. 27 pts Shows an understanding of the basic ideas and information involved in the assignment; may have some factual, interpretive, or conceptual errors. 23.4 pts Shows inadequate command of course materials or has significant factual and conceptual errors; does not respond directly to the demands of the assignment; confuses some significant ideas. 19.8 pts Writer has not understood readings, discussion, or assignment. / 36 pts Thesis 16 pts Essay controlled by clear, precise, well-defined thesis: is sophisticated in both statement and insight. 13.6 pts Clear, specific, argumentative thesis central to the essay; may have left minor terms undefined. 12 pts General thesis or controlling idea; may not define several central terms. 10.4 pts Thesis vague or not central to argument; central terms not defined. 8.8 pts No discernible thesis. / 16 pts Development & Support 16 pts Well-chosen examples; persuasive reasoning used to develop and support thesis consistently: uses quotations and citations effectively; causal connections between ideas are evident. All sources of collegiate level. 13.6 pts Pursues thesis consistently; develops a main argument with clear major points and appropriate textual evidence and supporting detail; makes an effort to organize paragraphs topically. 12 pts Only partially develops the argument; shallow analysis; some ideas and generalizations undeveloped or unsupported; makes limited use of textual evidence; fails to integrate quotations appropriately. 10.4 pts Frequently only narrates; digresses from one topic to another without developing ideas or terms; makes insufficient or awkward use of textual evidence. 8.8 pts Little or no development; may list facts or misinformation; uses no quotations or paraphrased evidence from assigned reading. Unduly brief; does not meet word count requirement. Incorrect citation format: credits editor instead of author or vice versa. Uses additional sources without instructor permission. / 16 pts Structuring 16 pts Appropriate, clear and smooth transitions; arrangement of paragraphs seems particularly apt. 13.6 pts Distinct units of thought in paragraphs controlled by specific and detailed topic sentences; clear transitions between developed cohering, and logically arranged paragraphs that are internally cohesive. 12 pts Some awkward transitions; some brief, weakly unified or undeveloped paragraphs; arrangement may not appear entirely natural; contains extraneous information. 10.4 pts Simplistic, tends to narrate or merely summarize; wanders from one topic to another; illogical arrangement of ideas. 8.8 pts No transitions; incoherent paragraphs; suggests poor planning. / 16 pts Language 16 pts Uses sophisticated sentences effectively; usually chooses words aptly; observes conventions of written English; makes few minor or technical errors. 13.6 pts Some mechanical difficulties or stylistic problems; may make occasional problematic word choices or awkward syntax error; a few spelling or punctuation errors or cliché; usually presents quotations effectively. 12 pts More frequent wordiness; several unclear or awkward sentences; imprecise use of words or over-reliance on passive voice; one or two major grammatical errors (subject-verb agreement, comma splice, etc.); effort to present quotations accurately. 10.4 pts Some major grammatical errors (subject-verb agreement; sentence fragments); language marred by clichés, colloquialisms, repeated inexact word choices; inappropriate quotations. 8.8 pts Numerous grammatical errors and stylistic problems seriously distract from the argument. / 16 pts Total Points: 0
