1. Many assumptions about the ancient world made by historians are based upon architectural
remains. What are some of the key architectural developments of the ancient world? How is
architecture a representation of cultural values and political authority? What limitations are there
in using architecture for historical analysis?
2. Examine the development of Chinese and Roman art. Compare and contrast their themes, forms, limitations, and purposes. What impact did art have on Chinese and Roman societies?
3. Historians assert that the civilization that developed along the Indus River was a sophisticated
urban civilization with a strong governmental authority. Describe what we know about the
Harappan civilization. On what evidence does the assertion of a strong government rest? From
what we know, what impact did the Harappan government have on society?
4. Compare the Jewish religion with Zoroastrianism. What are the key features of each religion?
What distinguished them from earlier religions? What were the important contributions to their
respective societies?
5. Athens and Sparta are often presented as the models of Greek political development, one
militaristic and the other democratic. In terms of social and personal responsibility, describe the
social and political evolution of these city-states.
6. Examine the significance of long distant trade during the classical period. What were the
benefits and drawbacks from this trade? How did it impact the economies and the societies of
the peoples involved?
7. The Period of the Warring States in China led to one of the most profound periods of
philosophical development. Compare and contrast the major ideas of Confucianism, Legalism,
and Daoism. How were the Chinese able to fuse these philosophies during the subsequent
dynasties? In terms of social responsibility, how did the fusion of these ideals influence/change
the Chinese society?
8. Discuss the economic and political systems of feudalism and manorialism. How did these
systems create order? What were their limitations? How did these systems impact the lives of
the people of the European Middle Ages?
9. “Luther gave the Reformation its heart and soul. Calvin gave it its mentality and structure.”
Compare and contrast the roles of these two men as you explain what the quotes mean. How did
each influence society?
10. Compare and contrast the Mayan and Incan civilizations. Discuss their social, political and
economic systems. Be sure to include their long-term impact on the development of Central and
South America.
• Is well thought out and supports the solution to the challenge or question
• Reflects application of critical thinking
• Has clear goal that is related to the topic
• Is accurate • Information is clearly focused in an organized and thoughtful manner
• No spelling, grammatical, or punctuation errors
• Shows exceptional use of sources • Format follows instructions.
• Format enhances the content
• Captures audience attention
• Is well thought out and supports the solution
• Has application of critical thinking that is apparent
• Has clear goal that is related to the topic
• Is accurate • Information supports the solution to the challenge or question
• Few (1 to 3) spelling, grammatical, or punctuation errors
• Use of sources is skilled
• Bibliographic style is partially correct • Format is missing one element
• Thesis is appropriate for the content
• Supports the solution
• Has application of critical thinking that is apparent
• Has no clear goal
• Has some factual errors or inconsistencies • Minimal (3 to 5) spelling, grammatical, or punctuation errors
• Information is not consistently carried out in the project
• Proficient use of sources • Format is missing more than one element
• Thesis good but not well-developed
• Provides inconsistent information for solution
• Has no apparent application of critical thinking
• Has no clear goal
• Has significant factual errors, misconceptions, or misinterpretations • Content is unfocused and haphazard
MLA Citation Forms : A Short Guide
For Bibliography/Works Cited
MLA 8th Edition (2016) – Reference List Examples
North Central Texas College Libraries
Source: MLA Handbook. 8th ed., Modern Language Association, 2016.
Print Books
(Template)
Last Name, First Name. Title of Book: Subtitle of Book. Publisher Name, Date of Publication.
(One author)
Croswell, Ken. The Alchemy of the Heavens: Searching for Meaning in the Milky Way. Anchor
Books, 1995.
(Two authors)
Bloom, Joshua, and Waldo E. Martin, Jr. Black against Empire: The History and Politics of the
Black Panther Party. U of California P, 2013.
(Three or more authors)
Rosenheim, Margaret K., et al., editors. A Century of Juvenile Justice. U of Chicago P, 2002.
eBooks from Databases
(Template)
Last Name, First Name. Title of eBook: Subtitle of eBook. Publisher Name, Date of Publication.
Name of Database. URL.
(eBook – database)
Peltier-Davis, Cheryl Ann. Cybrarian’s Web 2: An A-Z Guide to Free Social Media Tools, Apps, and Other Resources. Information Today, 2015. ebrary, site.ebrary.com/lib/nctc/detail
.action?adv.x=1&docID=11056777.
Articles from Databases
(Template)
Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article: Subtitle of Article.” Name of Periodical, vol. #, no. #, Date of Publication, pp. #-#. Name of Database. DOI or URL.
(Scholarly journal article – database)
Fellmeth, Gracia, et al. “Maternal Suicide Risk among Refugees and Migrants.” International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics, vol. 134, no. 2, Aug. 2016, pp. 223-4. Academic Search Complete, doi:10.1016/j.ijgo.2016.02.011.
(Newspaper article – database)
Krause, Kevin. “Acton on Credit Card Abuse Blasted: DISD: LULAC Leader Calls for Staff Firings; District Moves Defended.” Dallas Morning News, 29 Jan. 2007. Newspaper Source, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nfh&AN=
2W62W62525314180&site=ehost-live.
Articles from Databases, cont.
(Magazine article – database)
Badgley, Susan. “Apple Blossom Baby Cocoon & Hat.” Crochet World, Apr. 2013, Hobbies and
Crafts Reference Center, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cfh&AN=
85489292&site=hcrc-live.
Internet Sources
(Template)
Last Name, First Name. “Title of Source: Subtitle of Source.” Name of Website, Name of
Publisher, Date of Publication, URL.
(Webpage)
Thibodaux, Ross. “Medieval Fortifications and Castles in England.” The Art & Architecture of the British Renaissance, Nicholls State U, 2008, www.nicholls.edu/art-dhc/2008essay1
.html.
(Government webpage)
“How to Become a Mathematician.” Occupational Outlook Handbook, Bureau of Labor Statistics, United States Department of Labor, 17 Dec. 2015, www.bls.gov/ooh/math/ mathematicians.htm#tab-4.
(Blog post)
Heiner, Heidi Anne. “Puss in Boots Tale Type and the Earliest Recorded Versions.” SurLaLune Fairy Tales Blog, 5 Dec. 2016, surlalunefairytales.blogspot.com/2016/12/puss-in-boots- tale-type-and-earliest.html.
(Tweet) *note that the Tweet itself replaces the title element & the time of the Tweet is included
@NCTCLibraries. “Your librarians are your secret weapon in the war on misinformation…
fb.me/3cMX5ivl8.” Twitter, 5 July 2016, 9:21 a.m., twitter.com/NCTCLibraries/status/
750363967554453505.
(Video)
“Evaluating Resources.” YouTube, uploaded by NCTCLibraries, 24 Oct. 2016, youtu.be/
wPlp_Oqy0fc.
If no author name is given, begin your citation with the title.
If an element does not exist for your source (example: Publication Date), omit that element. When available, DOIs (Digital Object Identifiers) are preferred to URLs.
Questions?
Consult the MLA Handbook (8th ed.), the MLA Style Center (style.mla.org), or ask an NCTC librarian!
MLA Basic in-text citation rules
In MLA style, referring to the works of others in your text is done by using what is known as parenthetical citation. This method involves placing relevant source information in parentheses after a quote or a paraphrase.
General Guidelines
• The source information required in a parenthetical citation depends (1.) upon the source medium (e.g. Print, Web, DVD) and (2.) upon the source’s entry on the Works Cited (bibliography) page.
• Any source information that you provide in-text must correspond to the source information on the Works Cited page. More specifically, whatever signal word or phrase you provide to your readers in the text, must be the first thing that appears on the left-hand margin of the corresponding entry in the Works Cited List.
In-text citations for print sources with known author: For Print sources like books, magazines, scholarly journal articles, and newspapers, provide a signal word or phrase (usually the author’s last name) and a page number. If you provide the signal word/phrase in the sentence, you do not need to include it in the parenthetical citation.
Human beings have been described by Kenneth Burke as “symbol-using animals” (3).
Human beings have been described as “symbol-using animals” (Burke 3).
These examples must correspond to an entry that begins with Burke, which will be the first thing that appears on the left-hand margin of an entry in the Works Cited:
Burke, Kenneth. Language as Symbolic Action: Essays on Life, Literature, and Method. Berkeley: U of California P, 1966.
In-text citations for print sources with no known author
When a source has no known author, use a shortened title of the work instead of an author name. Place the title in quotation marks if it’s a short work (such as an article) or italicize it if it’s a longer work (e.g. plays, books, television shows, entire Web sites) and provide a page number.
We see so many global warming hotspots in North America likely because this region has “more readily accessible climatic data and more comprehensive programs to monitor and study environmental change . . .” (“Impact of Global Warming” 6).
Citing non-print or sources from the Internet
. When creating in-text citations for electronic, film, or Internet sources, remember that your citation must reference the source in your Works Cited.
Sometimes writers are confused with how to craft parenthetical citations for electronic sources because of the absence of page numbers, but often, these sorts of entries do not require any sort of parenthetical citation at all. For electronic and Internet sources, follow the following guidelines:
• Include in the text the first item that appears in the Work Cited entry that corresponds to the citation (e.g. author name, article name, website name, film name).
• You do not need to give paragraph numbers or page numbers based on your Web browser’s print preview function.
• Unless you must list the Web site name in the signal phrase in order to get the reader to the appropriate entry, do not include URLs in-text. Only provide partial URLs such as when the name of the site includes, for example, a domain name, like CNN.com or Forbes.com as opposed to writing out http://www.cnn.com or http://www.forbes.com.
More detailed information and examples are available at https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/2/
FORMAT INSTRUCTIONS FOR STUDENTS
The length of the paper should be 1500 words, double spaced (about 6 typed pages) of text and must include a cover sheet with your name, title of course, the instructor’s name, date, and paper title.
Pages of text must be numbered. Center page numbers at the bottom of each page. The cover sheet and works cited pages are not numbered and are not part of the text of the paper.
The paper must be double spaced, using Times New Roman font size of 12 with margins of one inch on all sides. Do not use a font other than size 12.
At the end of the paper, include a Works Cited page (an alphabetical listing, by author) of all the printed materials and internet sources cited. MLA citation form is required. For more on how to create your Works Cited page, see MLA Citation Forms: A Short Guide.
Be especially careful to avoid plagiarism (copying directly from your sources). If you use more than five words in succession that follow another writer’s words, use quotation marks and identify your source in the text. Direct quotes and all specific information must be documented in the body of the paper using the MLA Basic In-Text Citation Rules.
Plagiarism is considered cheating and may result in your failing the assignment and/or the course.
The paper must be submitted as a Word document (.docx) through the assignment tab in Canvas. When using Google Docs or other word processing programs, convert and save your paper as a Word doc before uploading it.
Write carefully and proof-read. Your paper must be well organized and written in a clear and grammatically correct style.
Style-sheet for Humanities Papers
Introduction
Paper writing has its own conventions. Learning good writing habits are essential to success in college and in your profession. The style recommended is MLA. You can find a MLA guide on the NCTC Library page.
I. Typing and Presentation
Papers must be typed, double-spaces, using Microsoft Word. Use one inch margins all round. Use 12 point font. Do not use right-hand justification as it leads to oddly spaced words. If you are taking this class in face-to-face mode, staple the paper in the top left-hand corner. Do not use plastic covers or binders. Long quotations of more than four lines should be single-spaced and indented five spaces, but do not use more than one such quote. The paper should be written in paragraph form. The first line of each paragraph should be indented five spaces. There is no gap between paragraphs. Do not use sub-headings (as used in this handout). It is considered poor style. Keep a copy other than the one you submit (professors’ cars have been stolen, you know).
II. Title Page
The following information should be included on the title (front) page of all papers:
Your name
The course name and number
The due date of the paper
The title of the paper
Nothing else!
III. The Text
Good grammar usage is expected of all students. Those new to writing papers should pay special attention to the following.
1) Spelling-Spelling should follow the generally accepted conventions. If you do not have one, buy a good dictionary. Also, use spell-check on your computer.
2) Correct use of tenses-In general you should refer to actions people did in the past in the past tense (Thucydides wrote The Peloponnesian War.). Refer to quotations from authors in the present tense, even if the author is a historical person (Thucydides believes the Peloponnesian War was more important and interesting than any war that had gone before it.)
3) Uses of apostrophes-Apostrophes are not used in the plurals of words (telephones not telephone’s). Apostrophes are used to indicate possession of one thing by another thing (the man’s hat). If the word that possesses is plural, the apostrophe goes after the “s” (the Students’ Association).
4) Its and It’s-Its indicates possession, like his or her (the book’s cover=its cover). It’s is a contraction of the words it and is.
5) Capitalization-Capitalize the first word in a sentence, proper nouns, words like King (only when referring to a particular person, not the office in general), and words in titles (except conjunctions, propositions, or articles).
6) Use of first person pronouns-When writing formal papers do not use the words “I” or “me”. A term paper is not meant to sound like a letter to a friend.
7) Words to avoid-Try to avoid words like incredible, unbelievable, always, never, people, and they.
8) Passive construction-It is bad style to use passive construction. Instead of “The King was lynched” one should write, “The Parisian mob lynched the King.” Instead of “The White House had been burned down” one should write, “The British burned down the White House.”
9) Contractions- Do not use contractions in formal papers. Always spell out the words
The following advice appeared in the school newspaper at Fordham University in the fall of 1988. Needless to say it is meant to be humorous, but it makes some good points.
HOW TO WRITE GOOD
1. Avoid alliteration. Always.
2. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.
3. Avoid clichés like the plague. They’re old hat.
4. Employ the vernacular.
5. Avoid ampersands & abbreviations, etc.
6. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are unnecessary.
7. It is wrong to ever split an infinitive.
8. Don’t use contractions.
9. Foreign words or phrases are not apropos.
10. One should never generalize.
11. Eliminate quotations. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “I hate quotations. Tell me what you know.”
12. Do not be redundant; in other words, do not use more words than are necessary, it’s highly unnecessary.
13. Profanity sucks.
14. Be more or less specific.
15. Understatement is always best. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.
IV. Citations and Notes
You must indicate from where you are taking any quotations used in your paper. It is also important to cite the source of arguments and ideas when you take them from other sources. The way to do this is in parenthetical notes.
Avoid over use of quotations. Quotations should only be used when an author makes a particularly unique discovery or uses an unusual turn of phrase. It is YOUR words and thoughts that are required and on which you will be graded.
Single author- (last name page number)
Two authors- (last name of both authors page number)
Two sources by same author or with same last name-(last name abbreviation of title
page number)
No author-(short title page number)
________________________________________________________________________
V. Bibliography
For a college paper your bibliography should list all the books, articles, and websites you have consulted in writing your paper. In a bibliography, books and articles are listed alphabetically in order of the author’s last name. Books without authors and websites are listed alphabetically by the title of the book or the name of the site, excluding the articles (like “the” or “an”).
EXAMPLE:
Cobban, Alfred. A History of Modern France, Volume 1: 1715-1799. 3rd ed. Baltimore:
Pelican, 1963.
Harrison, John B., Richard E. Sullivan, and Dennis Sherman. A Short History of Western
Civilization, Volume II since 1600. 7th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1990.
Limb, Peter. “Alliance Strengthened or Diminished?: Relationships between Labour &
African Nationalist/Liberation Movements in Southern Africa,” May 2007
.
Monter, William. “The Historiography of European Witchcraft.” Journal of
Interdisciplinary History 9 (1978): 435-51.
How to Write an Analytical Paper
Choosing a Topic
The topic must have your instructor’s approval. Ordinarily it will concern a historical problem in the course for which the paper is written. Try not to choose too broad a topic, since a paper is expected to be more than a rehash of textbook materials. The most fruitful topics are usually those which can be phrased in question form or which suggest a problem to be solved.
Compiling a Bibliography
Before you begin writing or taking notes, prepare a list of books and articles that you intend to examine. The computer catalog and bibliographies in the reference section of the library is a good place to begin. You may also utilize the extensive UNT library, which holds a larger catalog of works on ancient history topics. Reference librarians are always on duty to assist you. Your instructor or the assigned textbook may also provide a bibliography.
Bibliographic aids include: Cambridge Ancient History, multiple volumes
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/asbook.html
http://eawc.evansville.edu/
Database: JSTOR
Textbooks, encyclopedia articles, or wikis ordinarily are not acceptable for your bibliography.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism occurs when an author attempts to pass off another person’s work as his or her own. It includes the borrowing of another person’s phrases, sentences, data, ideas and interpretations without proper citation. Please note that close paraphrasing without quotation marks—even with a citation—constitutes plagiarism. Although information considered “common knowledge” does not need to be noted, ideas or interpretations borrowed from another author should be cited. Remember that more documentation is better than less, so when in doubt, provide an endnote. Plagiarism is a serious offense and will result in a zero on the paper and may mean a failing grade for the semester.
Introduction
Writing papers may well be the best opportunity for you to learn about the subject you are studying than any other aspect of a course. It is worth doing well. You not only learn more, you also think more deeply about a topic when you have to put words on paper.
Collecting Information
Opinion is a fine thing, but in a college paper your opinions are only worthwhile if facts and arguments back them up. You must collect information, and, since many topics will be new to you, it is important to look at the work and opinions of other writers. You should certainly look at your textbook but also at other authors as well. You should learn to use the library and the internet as good sources of information. Your professor will always be willing to give suggestions.
Recording Information
It is no use just reading a book and then writing a paper. You must record what you read so that you can review it before and during the writing of the paper. There are a number of ways to do this:
1) You can mark the book-only if it is your copy or a photocopy-with pencils or pens. It is important that you do not mark too much information as it can overwhelm and confuse you when you begin writing your paper. According to memory experts, highlighting is the least effective method of note-taking. It is better to list key terms and ideas in the margin of the book or on the back of the previous photocopied page rather than underling the material in a text.
2) You can use 4 x 6 cards and make notes. If you use this method, try to limit the information on each card to a specific topic so that you can arrange them accordingly when you try to organize your paper. You will have to put the source of the information on the top of each of the cards and indicate the page numbers where you got the information. This technique is considered the most effective and can be used in all your classes.
3) You can summarize a chapter on paper. You can note both facts and arguments in more detail. Again, be sure you put the source information on the top of each page and indicate pages numbers where you got the information.
Thinking about the Topic
After you have read as much as you need, do not just start to write. Think about what you have read, mull over it on a walk, or discuss it with a friend. The professor already knows about the topic and is looking to see how well you have understood the topic. It is no use at all to just present your reading notes stuck between an introduction and a conclusion. Thinking about it is the most important stage of writing a paper.
The Plan
Sketch out on paper several ways of presenting your topic and your thoughts. Papers can be comparative, chronological, or argumentative. How can you best present the material?
Create an outline, and see if it flows from one paragraph to another.
Writing and Editing
You should not expect to write a great paper on the first try. College papers are supposed to be factual and based upon research, not gut reaction.
Writing and editing are different skills. It is good technique to write down your thoughts as they come into your head (keeping in mind your Plan). Do not stop to edit or correct spelling or grammatical mistakes at this stage. Even though you may think what you are writing is bad or plain stupid, once you have it down on paper you can go back and look at what you have written. At this point, you can begin the editing process, correcting spelling and grammar, and improving your style. Almost everybody thinks that what they are writing is bad at the time they write it. Your aim is to find a way around this mental block. Leave the paper for a couple of hours, then come back and reread it. You will often find mistakes you did not see the first time. Let someone else read your paper. Even if they know nothing about the subject, they can usually give you pointers on spelling, grammar, or just help you put everything in logical order.
Finishing Touches
Before you hand in a paper make sure it looks good. Eliminate spelling and grammatical errors. Make sure all your references are noted. Add a bibliography. Even though the grade on your paper is primarily based upon content, all professors take into account the paper’s appearance.
Good writing is a learned skill. It takes practice. These skills will not only help you at the college level, but also when applying for jobs, performing well for your employer, and moving up in your chosen field.
