Reflection Essay Guidelines
Students are expected to produce two full, double-spaced pages of thoughtful writing based on the weekly readings and class discussions.
This is not just a summary. The goal of this assignment is to have students practice argument building and using evidence to support a claim. Your short essay should have a clearly identifiable point of view, be well organized, and coherently synthesize the most important points. You must reflect on how the readings and discussions help to frame your understanding of history and contemporary society. For example: What is particularly important, startling, or interesting?
- You may also ask questions in these assignments. For example: What issues do the readings or discussions bring up that you wish to further explore? Feel free to use personal pronouns in this assignment.[unique_solution]
- History majors are strongly encouraged to incorporate at least one of the five Major Field Test concepts in their essays. These concepts are required material for Final Exam submissions by History majors.
Watch your length. Assignments that are not two full pages will not receive full credit. If you write only half a page, at best, you can get only half of the 100 possible points. Do not use a font larger than Times New Roman (or Garamond), 12 pt.
Do not include a formal heading (name, date, class, etc.). Papers with a formal heading will receive a 5-point deduction for failure to follow instructions. The only exception for this is a paper that exceeds the two-page minimum requirement. You may include a title, if you wish. However, the title should not be in a font larger than Times New Roman (or Garamond), 12 pt.
- Again, if your essay is not two full pages long, it will receive deductions based on its overall length.
Proofread your work. Essays that contain proper nouns without capitalization, sentence fragments, run-on sentences, and other such errors will not be eligible for a score over 89. If you are not familiar with these common writing errors, please research them and/or consult with me prior to submitting your first essay.
Reflections are due in the Dropbox by 5:00 p.m. on Fridays as outlined in the syllabus