How disease has shaped human history
HIST 112B: Short Assignment #1 Dr. Vongsathorn
Answer the following questions in a double-spaced, 3-page essay. Writing three pages in extra large font does not fulfill the length requirement – your essay should be at least 900 words. (900 words is just under three pages, double-spaced in Times New Roman, size 12 font.)
How has disease shaped human history?
This essay is meant to help you connect our coursework so far to the wider theme of disease that we will continue discussing throughout the semester. The following guidelines are essential, because they offer a structure to ensure that you are able to integrate ideas and examples from different sources and different parts of the world, that you do not plagiarize, and that you fulfill Breadth Humanities requirements.
In writing the essay question, you can answer such questions as:
How has disease influenced politics in human history?
How has disease shaped the lives of everyday people?
How has disease shaped economies in human history?
Your essay should include an introduction with a clear argument (thesis), several examples backed up with evidence from the readings, and a conclusion. It must be written in full sentences with good English grammar. You MUST include at least one primary source in the essay. You can use the primary sources from ‘Weighing the Evidence’ in the textbook, from Blackboard, or from our in-class primary source activities. You MUST include examples from at least two different continents, or examples that highlight the connection between multiple continents. This assignment is meant to help you bring together themes and readings that we have been covering recently in class, and your essays should draw primarily on material from Chapters 15, 16, and/or 17. That means that your essay must be about the time period between 1300 and 1600.
You must reference all of the material that you draw from other sources, and if you use sources from outside of class, they must be reliable. All of your sources must be referenced in the essay and at the end, using any of these citation methods: https://libguides.siue.edu/citationstyles. A good way to make sure that you are citing everything that you use, and not plagiarizing, is by having a citation at the end of each sentence.
The assignment is due on Sunday, February 6th at 11:59 PM. You must submit a copy on Blackboard by this time, and please bring a hard copy to the next class. You may use late passes on this assignment. If you want to get the best possible grade – and I hope learn the most – follow all of the guidelines above. You could lose points on the following:
Points Reason
-10 No primary source
-10 Only provides examples from one continent
-10 Uses information and words written by other people without citation
-5 Cites direct quotes, but does not cite further sources
% off total WC = Word count: If you turn in an essay with 800 words, then an 89% (800 out of 900) is the highest grade you can get. If your WC is lower than 900, then the missing % will be taken off your final grade.
