monograph analysis of Lawrence R. Samuel’s The American Dream: A Cultural History

monograph analysis of Lawrence R. Samuel’s The American Dream: A Cultural History HISTORY 1378-05 (20044)/United States History Since 1877;Professor Pegoda ~ Spring 2015; Monograph Analysis Students should write a thoughtful monograph analysis of at least 4-6 pages where they analyze and evaluate Lawrence R. Samuel’s The American Dream: A Cultural History. This paper is due Friday, May 1, 2015, at 10:00 pm. A hardcopy should be brought to class and submitted Saturday, May 2, 2015, at Noon, with the Academic Honesty Pledge attached. No late work will be accepted. Papers may be submitted early. Additionally, the professor will happily go over reviews and provide feedback before the deadline so students have an opportunity to improve. Students seeking early feedback should contract the professor several days before the due date. Students should write according to the following general outline. All of these questions should be considered but should be addressed in a narrative fashion that is clear and makes sense. Do not answer each question one-by-one, as the assignment calls for a coherent essay. I. This review should open with an introductory paragraph where the writer tells the reader what to expect in the review. This paragraph should also provide a BRIEF summary of Samuel’s work. It should also identify Samuel’s overall thesis. Why does Samuel say his topic is needed? What themes or topics does Samuel address? II. The next three paragraphs should explain the three most important major arguments Samuel uses. One per paragraph. Why are these the most important compared to all of the other arguments? What are the implications of these arguments? What assumptions do these arguments rest on? Be sure to give brief examples. (There are many, many correct answers as to the best arguments.) III. In the fifth paragraph, discuss what kind of evidence Samuel uses. What kind of sources does he mention or reference? Does Samuel do an effective job of using said evidence to support his overall ideas? Can you imagine other kinds of evidence that would support, or possibly contradict, Samuel’s argument? IV. In the next paragraph, consider how Samuel’s work compares with the textbook, assigned primary sources, and course lectures. How do these perspectives agree or disagree? Does the textbook even deal with the questions explored by Samuel? What observations can you make about what seems to be important to historians or what they disagree about? V. In the concluding paragraph or two, please evaluate the work by providing your opinion. Were you persuaded by Samuel’s argument and use of evidence and explanations? Are you persuaded as to the larger significance of this material? Did Samuel write in a clear, coherent, organized way? Does Samuel seem overly biased in any way? What did you like about the book and why? What did you not like about the book and why? Has your interest in the American Dream and its cultural history been satisfied, piqued, or bludgeoned out of you? What did you learn? Where you surprised about anything? For all of these questions, answer why and how and provide examples. Review the following again as needed for information about successful university writing. “Five Characteristics of College Writing” http://andrewpegoda.com/resources/five-characteristics-of-college-writing/ “Checklist for Writing Assignments: http://andrewpegoda.com/resources/checklist-for-writing-assignments/ The Oxford Comma, plus Every Comma Rule You Need to Know” http://andrewpegoda.com/2014/06/24/the-oxford-comma-plus-every-comma-rule-you-need-toknow/ “Mastering the Semicolon, Colon, and Apostrophe” http://andrewpegoda.com/2014/06/25/mastering-the-semicolon-colon-and-apostrophe/ “14 Must Know Rules of Grammar Guaranteed for Successful Writing” http://andrewpegoda.com/2014/06/25/14-must-know-rules-of-grammar-guaranteed-forsuccessful- writing/ “Grading Rubric” http://andrewpegoda.com/resources/grading-rubric/ Additionally, please remember that all out-of-class work must be typed in Times New Roman size 12, with one-inch margins on all four sides, and double-spaced. Spelling, grammar, and format count – please use Academic English (this means NOT using first person [e.g., the word “I”], text-message language, contractions, clichés, or slang, for example). Students tend to make more mistakes on grammar than on content, so be careful. Out-of-class assignments must be submitted online for plagiarism detection in Blackboard. Additionally, students must bring a hardcopy to class with the turn-it-in digital receipt and the academic honesty pledge attached—all pages must be stapled. Quotations must be kept to a minimum. No more than four (brief) total sentences may be quoted throughout the paper. When quoting, put the page number in a parenthetical citation. For example, “I am quoting this line” (4). Please note that The American Dream is not a “novel” (novels are fictional accounts). This book is considered a “monograph.” Be sure and take the appropriate and necessary time to write a good, formal, publishable paper. Academic honesty is very important and is required. For out-of-class assignments, including this review, students are prohibited from using any outside sources or each other, doing so constitutes cheating. This means students MAY NOT reference any online sources or reviews about the book. Students must complete the review INDEPENDENTLY. Students may only reference material specifically assigned or discussed in this class, such as weekly packets, lectures, the textbook, or class discussions. Students are also prohibited from, for example, turning in the same paper as another student, submitting an online review as their work, or having someone else write the paper for them. Students who cheat or plagiarize will be punished. Cheating or plagiarizing will result in an “F” for the course. In all cases, all violations of academic honesty will be reported to the Dean of Students, and students will run the risk of being expelled from Alvin Community College. Students with questions should ask. Students are responsible for policies in the student handbook, as well as rules of common sense. Academic Honesty Pledge for The American Dream assignment: This document is intended to remind all students about the importance of academic honestly. This is especially true for any students who wait until the last minute to work on this assignment. Do not make a poor and regrettable decision that will tarnish your academic credentials and academic future (i.e. do not use someone else’s ideas/paper and call it your own). By initialing each item and signing this document below, I acknowledge that: • __________ I completely read The American Dream: A Cultural History. • __________ The ideas in this paper are mine and mine alone. • __________ I did not use any sources from the Internet (including academic databases) to help write this paper or develop these ideas. • __________ I did not seek nor provide any assistance to other students in this course (current or former students) while preparing or writing this assignment. • __________ I did not buy this paper. • __________ I did not pay someone to write this paper. • __________ I understand that if any part of this paper is plagiarized, I will be caught and punished. • __________ I understand that the consequences for plagiarizing lead to an automatic “F” for the semester and a report with Academic Affairs. Full Name (print): _____________________________________________ Date: __________ Signature: ____________________________________________________ ID#: __________