Category: American Studies

Analysis Guidelines:
Close Reading: First, do a close reading of the document and take copious notes. Examine the original author’s intent and biases, avoiding a focus on the editor’s perspective. Consider factors like the author’s first-hand knowledge, information gathering methods, target audience, and portrayed perspectives. Also consider the hidden potential of the source. What assumptions does the author make about attitudes and society? What aspects of daily life, government, or religion does the author mention in passing?
Language Analysis: Scrutinize the author’s use of language, rhetorical strategies, and how it reflects the historical context. How does the author express their views or experiences?
Comparison with Secondary Sources: Compare a relevant paragraph from your textbook or a secondary source with your primary source analysis. How does this secondary source interpret or present the issue? Compare this interpretation with your own understanding from the primary source.
Paper Structure and Detailed Instructions:
Introduction (Approx. 200 words):Set the historical context of the source. What was happening at the time that the source was written?
Identify the source(s) of your information, and give priority to information that is likely to have a direct bearing on how you interpret the source.
Make a historically defensible CLAIM about the source and delineate your rationale for that claim (aka a thesis statement) that responds to the question in section 4.
Context Paragraph (Approx. 200 words):Address the author’s background, the document’s creation time, and the purpose of the document.
Compare with a related paragraph from your textbook or secondary source.
Summary (Approx. 200 words):Restate the main points in your own words. NO quotations in this section.
Discuss the intended audience and, if anonymous, infer about the author from the source.
Source Analysis (500+ words): What is the usefulness of the source? What can be learned from the source about freedom, liberty, or rights?
Consider the original author’s purpose and biases. Give specific examples of statements that are particularly biased or particularly even-handed.
Give examples of things which can (or cannot) be learned from the source. How are the author’s circumstances reflected in the source?
Evaluate the author’s firsthand knowledge and information collection methods. Is the work theoretical? Or does the author include a wealth of details that tell about what was happening around him or her?
Identify the audience and which side is portrayed favorably.
Explore hidden potentials: Does the author reveal anything about general societal attitudes (ex: towards religion, government, or family life)? Does the author offer insights into specific historical events or people?
Analyze the document’s language and rhetorical strategies.
Discuss the source’s usefulness, biases, balance, and broader historical insights. Does the author give information about things that are not the main topic of the source? Try to go beyond a consideration of the basic facts presented in the source to analysis of larger insights into history which might be gained from the source.
Conclusion (Up to 250 words):Offer an overall assessment of the source, its strengths, weaknesses, and research value.
Note that none of these are simple yes/no questions and that not all are going to be relevant to every source. Address only those that are relevant and re-organize to create a coherent paper from beginning to end.
Following this structure will result in a 1200-1500 word analysis essay.
Formatting Requirements:
Text Format: Double-spaced with one-inch margins.
Structure: Introduction with thesis, body paragraphs, and conclusion.
Perspective: Write in formal third-person.
Cover Page: Include your name, instructor’s name, class title, paper title, and the primary source’s full citation.
Citations: Use Chicago Style footnotes for quotes and paraphrased content. See the tutorials in the resources section below if you are not sure how to use footnotes. All direct quotes must be inside quotation marks and must have a corresponding footnote. Paraphrased text should not be inside quotation marks but should have a footnote.
I have attached the PDF of the primary source AND the secondary source you can use with it.

In this final week of class, we are looking at the current status and the future of the American Dream, as well as what it means to be a global citizen.
In a post of at least 100 words, address the items below:
Explain how has your understanding of the American Dream changed as a result of this course.
Reflect on John Lennon’s “Imagine,” which for many signifies hope. Do you believe there is hope for the American Dream? Choose at least one image from the song lyrics or video that signifies your new understanding of the American Dream.
Imagine – John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band (with the Flux Fiddlers)
User: n/a – Added: 12/18/16
YouTube URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkgkThdzX-8
Click here for song lyrics (a new window will open)

Option 1 – Watch either The Great Gatsby or The Color Purple and relate it to “The Way to Wealth”
The American Dream lecture in Week 1 points out that Poor Richard’s Almanac was an annual publication that included calendar lists, home recipes, weather forecasts, etc. What made Franklin’s almanac unlike other almanacs was the inclusion of Franklin’s witty parables and humorous writings. The maxims below relate to Franklin’s ideas of working hard, avoiding debt, and working toward attaining a virtuous character. Choose three maxims and align them with a character or characters in either The Color Purple or The Great Gatsby. For example, you might choose Celie from The Color Purple and discuss maxims 1, 4, and 6; or, you might choose The Great Gatsby and align Daisy with maxim 4, Tom with maxim 5, and Nick with maxim 6. You will be providing quotes from the film you select to support your observations about each character/maxim in your essay.
use this resource https://www.gutenberg.org/files/43855/43855-h/4385…
Choose Three of These Maxims from “The Way to Wealth”
1. “There are no gains without pains”
2. “Do not squander time, for that’s the stuff life made of”
3. “Fools make feasts, and wise men eat them”
4. “He that lives upon hope will die fasting”
5. “The second vice is lying, the first is running in debt”
6. “If you will not hear reason, she’ll surely rap your knuckles”

Pick two North American Indigenous nations that are in the same cultural-geographic area. You cannot choose Indigenous nations that have been covered by the Sutton text or a lecture as a case study. 5-7 pages plus works cited page. (5 points will be deducted if the works cited/bibliography is missing).
Your paper will include the following topics for the two Indigenous nations you choose:
Origin – select an origin or other mythology story from the tribe or area you choose that illustrates the world view or belief system of that tribe or area.
Subsistence – this area should include a description of the geography of the land the tribe inhabits, their seasonal patterns, foods, housing, clothing, etc.
Social/Political – describe the tribal government, their kinship patterns, societies, child-rearing practices, warfare issues.
Religion and Language – describe the tribe’s ceremonial medicine and healing practices, art, and language use.
Current status of the tribe today – Describe how they are doing and what they are doing. Where do the people live in relation to their traditional homeland? What is their population? What is their political status and/or their economic status?
Compare and Contrast: What are some common features the two tribes share? What are the major differences?
AMIND 110 Contrast and Comparison Grading Rubric-1.docx
Compare and Contrast Culture Area List of Case Studies-1.docx

AMIND 110 Contrast and Comparison Grading Rubric
Pick two North American Indigenous nations that are in the same cultural-geographic
area. You cannot choose Indigenous nations that have been covered by the Sutton text
or a lecture as a case study. 5-7 pages plus works cited page.
Your paper will include the following topics for the two Indigenous nations you choose:
1. Origin – select an origin or other mythology story from the tribe or area you choose
that illustrates the world view or belief system of that tribe or area.
(5 points per tribe, total 10 points)
2. Subsistence – this area should include a description of the geography of the land
the tribe inhabits, their seasonal patterns, foods, housing, clothing, etc.
(5 points per tribe, total 10 points)
3. Social/Political – describe the tribal government, their kinship patterns, societies,
child-rearing practices, warfare issues.
(5 points for Social and 5 points for the Political information per tribe, total 20 points)
4. Religion and Language – describe the tribe’s ceremonials medicine and healing
practices, art, and language use.
(5 points for Religion and 5 points for Language per tribe, total 20 points)
5. Current status of the tribe today – Describe how they are doing and what they are
doing. Where do the people live in relation to their traditional homeland? What is
their population? What is their political status and/or their economic status?
(10 points per tribe)
6. Compare and Contrast: What are some common features the two tribes share?
What are the major differences? (10 points per tribes)

Creative writing in response to literature is a way for students to respond to literature in a personal way. Creative writing provides a way for students to practice critical thinking and develop a stronger understanding of literary criticism while showing creativity and a bit of their own personalities. For this creative writing assignment, you will do a character analysis to allow you to get inside the mind of one of the characters.
“Rip Van Winkle” and “Young Goodman Brown” are told as third-person narratives, not as first-person narratives. The difference is that a third-person narrative presents the characters to us in the words of a narrator rather than from the words of the characters themselves. The story contains descriptions such as “Rip Van Winkle did this” or “Young Goodman Brown said that,” but it’s not as if the characters themselves are telling everything from their perspective. Of course, sometimes they speak in the story, but they do not get to tell the story or what they thinking or feeling. It is up to the reader to determine what the characters might be thinking or feeling.
For this assignment, choose one of the following options:
(A) Imagine you are Rip Van Winkle’s daughter, Judith, writing a journal entry after her father reappears after 20 years. Try to get into the mind of Judith. Be imaginative and creative. Pretend you are Judith and have just seen your father after he has been missing for 20 years. You will not be retelling the plot of the story; you will be Judith reflecting on the events of the day. In this journal entry you can put down whatever thoughts she might have using absolute frankness and honesty. 
OR
(B) Imagine you are Young Goodman Brown writing a journal entry the day after the events described in the story. Try to get into the mind of Goodman Brown. Be imaginative and creative. Pretend you are Goodman Brown and have just experienced the events described in the story. You will not be retelling the plot of the story; you will be Goodman Brown interpreting and reflecting on the events of the day. In this journal entry you can put down whatever thoughts Goodman Brown might have using absolute frankness and honesty. 
Criteria: Write a minimum 400 words in paragraph form, using Times New Roman 12-point font (or similar) with double spacing. A title page is not required.
Submit as a Microsoft Word attachment on the submission page (click title above). Assignments not submitted in this way may be returned to you ungraded.
use this resource https://www.ibiblio.org/ebooks/Irving/Winkle/Irving_Winkle.pdf

You learned the definition of the American Dream in this week’s lecture. You also learned about the American identity. Traits often associated with the American identity include boldness, confidence, perseverance, and integrity. These traits are often demonstrated through a character’s words or actions. This week, we’ll focus on boldness. How is boldness reflected in the characters of Rebecca Harding Davis’s story? Choose two characters from “Life in the Iron Mills” and explain how boldness applies to them in the story.
Criteria:
300 words minimum (excluding quotations and citations)
Include two properly integrated and cited direct quotations (one related to each character) to support your claims. See the Literary Analysis Tools Module from this week’s activities for information about integrating and citing direct quotations.
use this resource https://www.gutenberg.org/files/876/876-h/876-h.ht…

An explanation (in at least 100) words of how the song lyrics or an image or two from the video compares with your concept of the American Dream.
When you think of the American Dream, what do you think of? For some, John Mellencamp’s “Little Pink Houses” exemplifies many of the ideals related to the American Dream. As you watch the video below, think about the images presented both in the song lyrics and the video. How do these images relate to your understanding of the American Dream?

An explanation (in at least 100) words of how the song lyrics or an image or two from the video compares with your concept of the American Dream.
When you think of the American Dream, what do you think of? For some, John Mellencamp’s “Little Pink Houses” exemplifies many of the ideals related to the American Dream. As you watch the video below, think about the images presented both in the song lyrics and the video. How do these images relate to your understanding of the American Dream?

Write a 3 page monograph from this book using the rubrics I have provided. Follow the rubrics I have attached. Make the font and size and style exactly how the rubric says, and answer every question. Cite the sources exactly how the prompt says, and create footnote as the rubric says.
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/20203/20203-h/2020…