Assignments

• Exams: There will be two exams. Both of these will be take-home examinations with short-answer questions and possibly a longer essay. They will test your knowledge of the course material and your ability to relate specifics to broader themes.
  • Midterm - 10% of final grade
    • Handed out on Friday, October 20.
    • Due on Monday, October 23.
  • Final - 20% of final grade
    • Handed out on Monday, December 4
    • Due on Friday, December 8
• Final Project: Full project details here.
• At the end of the semester, you will form groups (with my help) and select a global commodity that has been important to the 19th, 20th, or 21st century. Working with your group, you will offer the class a well-researched and well-crafted presentation on the significance of your commodity. Consider political, cultural, economic, social, and religious importance, as well your product's history. How is it acquired? How sold? What unexpected consequences have emerged as a result of its exchange? I will give you more information in the middle of the semester. In addition to the presentation, you will need to write a 1500 word (approximately) essay individually. Develop a thesis about the importance of your commodity in its historical (or contemporary) context and support it with a well-researched and well-crafted piece of writing. You will be able to use your group's research, but all writing must be your own. I would particularly like to see comparisons between your topic and topics discussed previously during the semester. I will suggest a list of commodities, but be open to other ideas. Potential topics include: oil, weapons, diamonds, women, bananas, water, pharmaceuticals, narcotics, microchips, and beef.
  • Presentations: These will take place on the December 11, 13, and 15. Your grade will be split into two categories.
    • Peer Evaluation - 10% of final grade
      • Your group will evaluate your effort in both preparation and performance. These will be turned in with your final paper.
    • My Evaluation - 10% of final grade
      • I will assign the group a grade on the presentation.
• Final Paper - 20% of final grade
  • Due on our scheduled day for our final exam - Tuesday December 19, by 12:30
• Short Paper - 5% of final grade
  • Take a look at the James Ford Bell Library Trade Products page, and look at the spices. Pick a spice NOT on that list and research its history (feel free to rely on internet sources), then produce a 750-word paper discussing its origins, role in global trade at any period (your choice), and general significance. I can provide you with a list of spices at your request.
    • Exceptional papers may be published on the Bell Library website. More information to come.
  • Due Wednesday, October 18
• Writing Assignments 1-5 - 2% of your final grade each (10% total). These assignements are designed to give you practice working with the kinds of issues that will appear on your exams and longer essays. They are all short, 1-2 pages (250-500 words or so), but you will need to work hard to make them coherant and concise. The assignments are:
  • September 13 - Writing Assignment 1
    • Write a 1-2 page analysis on your piece of secondary literature on salt. You will need to restate the author's thesis in your own words, then assess how well and in what way the author has proven his or her thesis. You can, and should, develop these papers in the groups formed during the week, but you must write your own paper privately
  • September 18 - Writing Assignment 2
    • Write a 1-2 page analysis of the Han Histories. Discuss how useful the source is to historians, and what problems an historian must face in dealing with the source. Consider authorial intent, genre, audience, time period, and other related factors.
  • September 25 - Writing Assignment 3
    • Think about the encounters between people from two societies as portrayed by Ibn Fadlan. What do we learn about the Rus and what do we learn about Ibn Fadlan and his culture? What did the author bring to the encounter, how did his internal biases alter his perceptions, and what did he take away from it? What can we, as historians, learn from such a dynamic, yet distorted, historical record? Write a 1-2 page (400 words) paper addressing these issues.
  • October 4 - Writing Assignment 4
    • For the chapter you read: What is Standage's thesis? How well does it work? React to this type of popular historical writing. Do you find it effective? More or less effective than the Kurlansky piece? Are there any problems with Standage's approach? Write a 1-2 page paper on these themes.
  • November 15 - Writing Assignment 5
    • Write a 1-2 page response to the questions posed in the Wiesner reading, as discussed in class. Make sure to relate specific sources to specific questions.
• Online Assignments - 2.5% of your final grade each (5% total ). These assignments require working with materials on the website and writing short answers to various questions.

  • October 13- Online Assignment 1
    • Voyages of Zheng He: Complete the questions on the first page by using the resources provided to you online.
  • November 1 - Online Assignment 2
    • Casta Painting Analysis: You will be assigned a painting. Follow the instructions on the first page.
• Participation - 10% of your final grade

  • Participation is more than just showing up, but it starts with just showing up. You cannot participate if you are not here. I will take attendance every day. Unexcused absences will weigh heavily against your participation grade.
    • Excused absences - severe illness with doctor's note, death in the family, acts of God, or official Macalester activities will obviously not incur any direct penalty. However, if you aren't here, you cannot participate, so you will need to work hard to make up for any classes missed legitimately. You are responsible for catching up on material missed by consulting both me and your peers.
  • But participation is about more than just showing up. It's about doing the reading, being prepared to talk about it, volunteering your input, being involved in your group work, preparing for the debates and other discussions, and generally being an asset to the class as a whole. We will have a variety of ways in which you can participate, but none matter more than being an active member in our small-group and full-class discussions.
  • Your participation is a large percent of your grade. You will need to earn it. Take initiative. Do not expect to speak only when directly called upon and pass this section of the class.
  • Finally, being late consistently may be counted as being absent. It will certainly lower your participation grade. So will falling asleep, being disrespectful to your peers, and other anti-social behavior.