Reference no: EM132276017
Topic A
In Unit 4, we claimed that empire-builders in the ancient world needed to "craft a type of multi-ethnic cohesion" - ways for people from different backgrounds to coexist under the umbrella of the empire - in order for their state to function (Video 4.1). On the other hand, we consider evidence discussed in Units 3 and 4 that the foundation of empire was the willingness of leaders to use violence to overwhelm their enemies.
In an essay of 600 to 1200 words, explore such evidence to make an argument about some of the ways people balanced political solutions to problems with war. In the end, you should persuade your reader, through your thoughtful analysis of the historical evidence, that empire-building in the ancient world transformed the ways that humans understood the role of violence in politics.
When organizing your ideas and drafting your essay, follow these guidelines:
1. Build your analysis using the course materials. The basis of your essay should be the primary source material found at the end of Unit 4 under "Unit 4 Resources." By all means, take the ideas and evidence offered in the videos (and please note that we have provided transcripts of the videos as well.) This information will provide context for the primary resources.
*DO NOT base your observations on other evidence that you locate on the web or elsewhere. Remember, a big part of this essay is showing your mastery of the course material as assigned.*
2. After reviewing the material from Week 4, choose the two -- four examples from the primary sources that best allow you to make a persuasive case about the role of empire in the ancient world. While you want to show that you understand the larger trends in the material, take the time to explore in depth these specific examples.
3. When you refer to specific historical evidence (which should be something you do frequently throughout the essay), indicate, in parentheses, the location in the course materials of the evidence. An example of this is in the first sentence above.
4. Do not simply copy what we (or anyone else) have said. If you do, use quotation marks to indicate that the words were written by someone else and be sure to indicate your source for the quotation in parentheses. Plagiarism is a serious violation of GSU policy that leads to severe penalties!
5. To qualify for a grade in the C range, your essay must be at least 600 words (which is approximately 2 double-spaced pages, depending on the formatting of your document). B-range essays must be at least 900 words, and A-range essays must be at least 1200 words. However, meeting the word requirement does not mean that you will necessary receive a certain grade.
Topic B
In Unit 6, we suggested that Africa and the Americas presented us with a set of historical experiences that in some ways differed from those of Eurasia (Video 6.1). This suggests that we need to imagine what it would be like to tell the story of world history from the perspective of these civilizations rather than those along the Silk Road. In this essay we ask you to present world history from the standpoint either of Africa or the Americas.
In an essay of 600 to 1200 words, explore the evidence from the videos and the assigned readings/images to describe some aspect of world history from roughly the start of the Common Era to 900 CE - trade, cities, empire, or religious practice, as a few examples - from the standpoint of either Africa or the Americas. In the end, you should persuade your reader, through your thoughtful analysis of the historical evidence, that the African or American trajectory was the norm, and the Eurasian model diverged from it.
When organizing your ideas and drafting your essay, follow these guidelines:
1. Build your analysis using the course materials. The basis of your essay should be the primary source material found at the end of Unit 6 under "Unit 6 Resources." By all means, take the ideas and evidence offered in the videos (and please note that we have provided transcripts of the videos as well.) This information will provide context for the primary resources.
*DO NOT base your observations on other evidence that you locate on the web or elsewhere. Remember, a big part of this essay is showing your mastery of the course material as assigned.*
2. After reviewing the material from Week 6, choose the two -- four examples from the primary sources that best allow you to make a persuasive case that African or American history followed a typical historical trajectory. While you want to show that you understand the larger trends in the material, take the time to explore in depth these specific examples.
3. When you refer to specific historical evidence (which should be something you do frequently throughout the essay), indicate, in parentheses, the location in the course materials of the evidence. An example of this is in the first sentence above.
4. Do not simply copy what we (or anyone else) have said. If you do, use quotation marks to indicate that the words were written by someone else and be sure to indicate your source in parentheses. Plagiarism is a serious violation of GSU policy that leads to severe penalties!
5. To qualify for a grade in the C range, your essay must be at least 600 words (which is approximately 2 double-spaced pages, depending on the formatting of your document). B-range essays must be at least 900 words, and A-range essays must be at least 1200 words. However, meeting the word requirement does not mean that you will necessary receive a certain grade.