No Assignment for Monday, 12/3

There is no reading assignment for Monday. We will take part in a grading exercise instead.

Please remember that first drafts of your essays are due on Wednesday.

Writing Conference Schedule

As a reminder, we will NOT have class on Monday and Wednesday, Nov. 26 & 28. Instead, you will meet with me individually in conference to discuss your thesis and outline for Essay Assignment #3. The schedule is as follows:

Monday, November 26
10:00-10:15am (MAN 503): Raia
10:15-10:30am (MAN 503): Daly
10:30-10:45am (MAN 503): Hallinan
10:45-11:00am (MAN 503): Jaeger

Wednesday, November 27
10-10:15am (MAN 503): Taylor
10:15-10:30am (MAN 503): Fimognari
10:30-10:45am (MAN 503): Berman
10:45-11:00am (MAN 503): Zeolla
11:00-11:15am (MAN 503): Szyman
11:30-11:45am (NGT 456): Edwards
11:45am-12:00pm (NGT 456): Kinnear
12:30-12:45pm (NGT 456): Doring
12:45-1:00pm (NGT 456): Mattsey
1:00-1:15pm (NGT 456): O'Rourke
1:15-1:30pm (NGT 456): Azucey
1:30-1:45pm (NGT 456): Blanco

See you then. Enjoy your holiday weekend.

Essay Assignment #3

Argumentative Essay

Assignment: Using the texts we have read (or watched) this semester, answer the following question:

What makes America exceptional?

Your essay should be 5-7 pages, double-spaced, and typed with 1” margins. You should use appropriate citation formatting from the texts.

Objectives: The goal of this essay is to help you develop your own thesis-driven argument about the course content. Rather than responding to one or more specific readings, you are expected to respond to a specific question and to use a variety of course material to support your answer. Over the course of the semester, you have become qualified through in-depth study of American exceptionalism to take your own position on relevant questions, and to support your position with the ideas and opinions of others as accessed through class readings.

I suggest that you follow these steps in completing the assignment:

1. After reading the assigned question, begin by jotting down your initial reactions to it. Based on your own understanding of the course topic, how would you answer this question? It is highly recommended that you begin rather informally, jotting down as many ideas as you can with regard to the assigned question. Do not concern yourself at this early stage with constructing a focused and coherent answer.
2. As you begin to respond to the assigned question, you may also begin to take note of which specific class readings seem most relevant to this question. In thinking about the assigned question, which readings come to mind? Can other class readings be connected to this question, even if it may not be their central focus?
3. In reviewing your initial responses to the assigned question, look for common threads that can serve as a starting point for formulating a thesis. Your ultimate goal is to articulate your answer to the assigned question in a clear sentence that can serve as the thesis statement for your paper.
4. With a preliminary thesis statement in hand, begin to identify which class readings will be most helpful for supporting this statement. Begin to look at each reading in more detail to determine exactly what parts of the reading are most relevant to your thesis. Make note of specific sections that can be incorporated into your paper as evidence.
5. Prepare a tentative outline that lists the points and corresponding textual evidence you plan to use to support your thesis.
6. Once you have an outline, you are ready to start writing your first draft.

Deadlines: As with previous assignments, I will ask you to draft a one-sentence thesis statement. However, I also want you to construct a reasonable well-defined outline as well. The thesis-and-outline will be due IN CONFERENCE with me on either Monday, November 26 or Wednesday, November 28. (A sign-up sheet for conference times will be available in class a week ahead of time.) We will meet one-on-one for a 15-minute conference concerning your thesis, evidence, and supporting arguments as described in the outline.

Based on availability, you can decide which of the two days you will meet with me, but be aware of the trade-offs involved. For example, meeting Wednesday gives you more time to complete your outline, but leaves you with less time for revision. If you absolutely cannot make the scheduled meeting times, contact me to arrange an alternative meeting time.

Your first draft of the essay is due in class on Wednesday, December 5. Again, if you cannot make it to class, you need to make alternate arrangements with me. You MUST attach the thesis-and-outline statement page we discussed in conference. I will provide comments on the drafts and return to you the following Monday (12/10).

Your final draft is due on Wednesday, December 19, at the beginning of class. You should attach your first draft AND your thesis-and-outline, because I will want to track how the essay has been revised.

Just to be clear, these again are the deadlines:

Monday, Nov. 26/Wednesday, Nov. 28
Thesis and Outline Due IN CONFERENCE

Wednesday, December 5
First Draft Due (w/ thesis/outline attached)

Wednesday, December 19
Final Draft Due (w/ 1st draft & thesis/outline attached)

Grading: Grading will be based on the criteria provided in your syllabus. However, FIVE additional considerations will also be factored into your grade:

• If you do not meet with me in conference to discuss your thesis and outline, I will deduct a full letter grade from your grade for the assignment.


• If you do not submit your first draft in class on Wednesday, December 5, I will deduct a full letter grade from your grade for the assignment.


• If you hand in your final draft late, without a valid and documented excuse, I will deduct a full letter grade from your grade for the assignment. However, you should also note that if you do not leave me enough time to grade the paper before the semester ends, you will receive an “F” for the assignment.


• If you do not attach your thesis/outline to the first draft, or the first draft to the final draft, I will deduct a third of a letter grade from your grade for the assignment for each offense.


• In general, you should revise extensively between the first draft and final draft. A lack of revision will be reflected negatively in the final grade.

Assignment for Monday, 11/19

For Monday, we're going back to our old friend Tocqueville. Read the following sections in Chapter XVII (17), "Principal Causes which Serve to Maintain the Democratic Republic in The United States":

• Indirect Influence of Religious Opinions upon Political Society in The United States
• Principal Causes which Render Religion Powerful in America

Feel free to summarize. And remember that you can find the Tocqueville text online (see the links on the right-hand side of this webpage).

Assignment for Wednesday, 11/14

Read John Winthrop's famous speech, "A Model of Christian Charity," (often called the "city on a hill" sermon). The text is available here. This reading is a challenging one (it was written in 1630) and not all parts are germane to our discussion, but do your best to read (and, if you'd like, summarize) it.

Assignment for Monday, 11/12

REMINDER: There is no class on Wednesday, November 7. Instead, you should make sure you see your advisor and plan your courses for next semester.

On Monday, November 12, your final drafts are due for Essay Assignment #2.

No Assignment for Monday, 11/5

There is no assigned reading for Monday. I'll return your paper drafts at the end of class, and we will participate in another writing exercise.