WORKSHEET FOR ANALYTICAL ESSAY
Use this outline to workshop your ideas for the analytical essay with your Teaching Assistant by emailing it back and forth. Worth up to 5 points.
STEP 1: PICK A TOPIC TO WRITE ABOUT
Skim through the textbook and the Major Contentions in the Textbook page from the course Blackboard page.
What topic is most interesting to you and why?
The topic I am interested in is Medieval and early modern Europeans were far more interested in the wider world than peoples of other major cultures.
What does Prof. Daly argue about this topic (quote the specific relevant passage from the textbook with page number reference)?
“A great number of Europeans traveled to the east, and the accounts they penned enjoyed great popularity back home” (Daly, 123).
Do you think you agree, or disagree, with Prof. Daly? Why? (Example: Daly claims that women had more rights in medieval Europe than in other civilizations? (Find exact quotation with page number reference.) Do you think Daly is right about this?)
I agree Professor Daly when he thinks that Europeans were far more interested in the wider world because he states “From 1247 to 1253 alone, four Europeans journeyed to the court of the Great Khan in Mongolia, and two, Giovanni da Pian del Carpine and Willem van Rubroeck” (Daly, 123). I agree with professor Daley because most of Europes advancements happened through the influence of other countries.
Formulate a research question about your topic, the answer to which will help you to either support or refute Prof. Daly’s argument: In what ways was Europe interested in the wider world and what did they do that showed their interest?
STEP 2: IDENTIFYING SOURCES
Create a bibliography of possible scholarly sources that can help you answer the research question you formulated in step one.
Your bibliography must include the following in the correct format:
- Four scholarly sources you will use to answer your question (you can change or add to these sources later as you see fit). Scholarly sources are typically books published by a university press or articles published in specialized journals (e.g. the American Historical Review).
- If the sources are books, list the chapter(s) you will use. (Feel free to use Google Books.)
- If you are using an article, you should read the whole article. (JSTOR and Project Muse are great search engines for finding articles.)
- Do not use online encyclopedias, except to find other sources.
Example bibliography:
Allen, Robert C. The British Industrial Revolution in Global Perspective. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009.
Brady, Thomas A., Jr. “The Rise of Merchant Empires, 1400-1700: A European Counterpoint.” In The Political Economy of Merchant Empires, ed. James D. Tracy. Cambridge: Cambridge University press, 1991. Pp. 117–60.
Chirot, Daniel. “The Rise of the West.” American Sociological Review 50 (April 1985): 181–95.
Crosby, Alfred. The Measure of Reality: Quantification and Western Society, 1250-1600. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997.
Your bibliography (list your sources in the space below as you identify them):
STEP 3: PAPER OUTLINE
Once you have identified and read your sources, you should proceed to create a rough outline of your analytical essay. Your outline should include a thesis statement indicating clearly and succinctly what position you are taking and why. You should follow this with more specific information about the points you are going to raise in support of your thesis. You should also explain how your selected sources support these points. Fill in the following blanks to create your outline.
Thesis statement:
People in Europe were fare more interested in the wider world than people in other cultures because of society, education, jobs etc.
Point 1: Society had influence
How does this point support your thesis?
Society in Europe was hard working, and they always were interested in learning more. Meaning they thought that they knew everything.
Which source(s) will provide evidence to argue this point?
Provide at least one specific historical example from the source in question.
Point 2:Education had influence
How does this point support your thesis?
Education helped to spark the interest in most Europeans in expanding their knowledge of the world and building a better Europe.
Which source(s) will provide evidence to argue this point?
Provide at least one specific historical example from the source in question.
Point 3: Since people were more educated, they were getting good jobs.
How does this point support your thesis?
Since people were getting jobs this helped for them to contribute to society and expand on their knowledge.
Which source(s) will provide evidence to argue this point?
Provide at least one specific historical example from the source in question.
Point 4: The separation from church helped to spark the interest in the wider world
How does this point support your thesis?
People became more open minded as they received more freedom, and this helped to create many breakthroughs
Which source(s) will provide evidence to argue this point?
Provide at least one specific historical example from the source in question.