read the instructions carefully 1
History 110A
SECOND WRITING ASSIGNMENT
Due to the changes in course teaching brought on by COVID-19 and campus closure, I have changed the style of the Second Writing Assignment. Originally, I had planned to allow you to select your own topic to research and write about, but that is too complex to do under the present conditions. I realise that most of you are confronted with family-related issues because of the pandemic, so may not have enough time to do a longer writing assignment. Also , because of the campus closure, you may not have access to the resources of the Pollak Library, except electronically. Because of all this, I have changed the Second Writing Assignment instructions as follows:
1. I have posed two topic questions. SELECT ONLY ONE to answer. It is your choice as to which one you select. Here they are:
- What do the remains of Pompeii tell us about the cultural, architectural, social and political beliefs of Romans in the First Century C.E./A.D.?
- What were some short-term and long-term impacts on the people of Europe because of the 1347-1351 “Black Death†(Bubonic Plague)?
2. Because we did not cover these topics in lecture, I have posted to the course website two Power point presentations you would have seen in class. One is “Pompeii Frozen in Time,†which give a large amount of information (and pictures) useful to answer the first question. The other is “The Black Death,†which details events of that tragic 14th century pandemic (how appropriate given current conditions!); it has pictures too.
3. To support your research, you must also select at least ONE primary source reading (more are OK) from the readings downloaded on the course website. For the Pompeii question, look at “Topic An.23-The Roman Empire and the Pax Romana,†which has several readings about Pompeii as well as other subjects found in the section “Lifestyles and Culture During the Pax Romana.†If you choose the other subject about which to write, read “Topic Me.09-The Black Death†which has numerous articles on the Black Death and its impacts.
4. The paper must have at least 3 FULL pages of text, with you name, student number and class day & time in the upper left corner of the first page (single spaced). No cover or bibliography page is needed. The paper must use 12-point sized Times New Roman type font, and lines must be spaced at 1.5 distance, with just ONE 1.5 space between paragraphs (the same spacing as between lines in each paragraph of text).
5. Your finished paper must be a Word-format document (not PDF) and sent to my personal e-mail (docwam47@gmail.com). I must receive the paper NO LATER than Wednesday, May 6 at 12 noon. Late papers will not be accepted.
