Assignment Prompt & Instructions
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**## SemesterWritingAssignmenthist.docx**
Semester Writing Assignment
Instructions
United States History
Spring 2025 Research Paper
Background and Rationale: History consists of facts, but also how people interpret what happened. In 2025, learning history is not straightforward because perspectives change, have bias, and sometimes change what really happened. Students need to understand that no history is perfect, or accurate.
This assignment requires each student to choose one movie based upon an event or situation in American History. Students should watch the film at least twice. The first time, watch without taking notes; the second time, take notes on specific elements that you want to discuss in your review.
Your review should have a clear point of view and should follow the organization outlined below.
Introduction: Identify the primary (single) point of the film. Was the movie, for example, sympathetic or critical? How did the movie attempt to persuade the audience to accept this point of view?
Provide information about the film, including its title, year, and director. This paragraph should also answer the following questions about the film:
— Is it a documentary or a feature film?
— Is it based on a novel or memoir? Is it based on true events? Is it a purely fictional story or does it purport to depict actual historical events and people?
Conclude the paragraph with a sentence that reveals your perspective of the film. This does not need to be a thesis statement, but it should clearly indicate what you see as the film’s salient characteristics, virtues, or flaws (which you will elaborate on in the analysis paragraphs).
Plot summary: Provide an accurate, concise description of the film’s plot (or, if it is a documentary, its scope). This paragraph should provide enough information for a reader who has not seen the film to understand the rest of your review. You may include spoilers. Provide a background and historical setting for the film and its perspective using and citing sources as needed. Your thesis should correctly identify the perspective of the movie.
Contextualization:This should clearly situate the film in relation to the timeline of American history and other historical events of the same time period. Discuss its release date in relation to relevant developments discussed in this course. Who is the target audience? Is the film responding to other films or events? Is it responding to specific narratives about American history?
Analysis/Argument: What argument is the film making? What does the filmmaker want viewers to leave the theater thinking or discussing? (And how does this connect to the historical context/ the film’s release date?) Does the film effectively deliver its message? If so, what makes it effective? If not, explain why you were not convinced. (Use the last sentence of this paragraph to transition into the next paragraph.)
Analysis for Historical Accuracy: How is the film’s historical accuracy supported or challenged by the historical record? Use your knowledge from this course (lectures, readings, discussions, and other films) to assess the accuracy of the film you are reviewing. You may include a limited number of quotes from relevant course materials.
You must have two examples from major scenes that were historically significant in the movie and that support the movie thesis, (do NOT describe aspects of technical film making such as acting, directing, editing, design, set design, photography, soundtrack, costumes, script writing—you are not experts at these techniques. These aspects of film making are associated with the film’s aesthetic qualities but not central to historical accuracy).
Each scene’s historical analysis should include
accuracy of the character(s)
Accuracy of the setting
Accuracy of the scene’s sequence of events
The movie’s use of evidence
Analysis of the scene’s contribution to the movie’s point of view
Compare the movie’s story and evidence to sources or textbooks you have read in history courses and assess the movie’s accuracy as a statement of history—also assess the movie’s usefulness as history instruction. If this comparison does involve other sources, they must be recognized and properly cited.
Conclusion: This paragraph should clarify what you see as the “headline” about this film. In other words, what is its defining contribution or significance to the category of American history films? Finally, should the film, in your opinion, be required viewing in this course? Why or why not?
Additional Sources: You should view the film’s original theatrical trailer. Most are available on YouTube. Make sure you are viewing the original trailer and not a subsequent DVD or re-release trailer. How was the film advertised to audiences?
Internet Movie Database (IMDb), www.imdb.com Use IMDB for information on the film’s release and personnel (director, screenwriter, producer, etc.).
You should read at least one review of the film so that you can evaluate the context of its release. You can find historical reviews of most feature films at: RogerEbert.com, https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews and/or New York Times Movie Reviews, https://www.nytimes.com/reviews/movies
Format and Submission: Your review should italicize film titles each time you use them, and the first time you mention a film, include the film’s year of release, i.e. The Post (2017). Your review should be carefully proofread, and should be presented in MLA format. Any paper using AI or plagiarized will earn a zero.
Logical Arguments: Be careful that you do not make errors of logic and argument as you judge films for their historical contributions. Here are a few logical traps to avoid:
1. Presentism—avoid using your present day ideas, values, or technological skills to judge films. For example the older black and white movie Midway, is much more accurate historically than the newer, full color, love-story Pearl Harbor.
2. Personal biases—avoid using your personal, cultural, or religious biases to judge films. If desired you can make a personal statement in your conclusions.
3. Personal judgments—avoid clichés and sweeping colloquialisms like “I hated the film”, or “it was awesome”. You are doing a critical analysis of the historical qualities of the movie and such personal statements do not help.
4. Expert judgments—if you are a professional nurse, a retired combat veteran, or other expert and wish to use your professional judgment to help analyze a film, fine. But mostly you will need to rely on other sources for expertise. Every semester some student writes something like “that was the best battle scene ever” when, in fact, that student had had no experience in battle. Do not write about what you do not know.
5. Cherry Picking—avoid picking the easy scenes, or ones you like. Dig into the movie and look for elements which raise questions. One cherry-picks or uses the fallacy of exclusions when one examines only one side of an issue. Ask if the movie is holding back some of the story. Look for evidence counter to the movie’s theme.
6. Character and emotional biases—avoid judging a film on its likability, a character, a favorite performer, the soundtrack, or the ending.
7. Spoilers are OK—tell and evaluate the whole story—you do not need to worry about “spoiling” the ending.
Your review should be honest, fair and be your own work. It should also be critical–so look carefully for historical errors. Many of Hollywood’s most acclaimed films contain outrageous errors.
Depending on the movie, even these errors may still be “acceptable”, if the movie point of view delivers a consistent message—so you need to think carefully. You will need to do some research to verify elements of the film you review. You may not use your text as anything other than a general reference.
Writing Requirements
Write professionally in a convincing tone.
Avoid clichés, colloquialisms, and forms of idiomatic expression.
Write in the past tense; avoid the use of personal pronouns; and write in the active voice.
Edit and polish your writing.
Use 12 point non-serif fonts, double spacing, and one inch margins.
Do not use a cover page.
Edit and proof your spelling using both spell-check and manual reading.
Using this required font and spacing will produce a minimum three to four page paper.
Be sure this is your work.
If other sources are used, cite those using MLA.
Save a copy.
Files uploaded must be .compatible with Turnitin
MOVIE LIST
Early Colonial and Revolutionary Eras
The Crucible, 1996, Salem Witchcraft
Amistad, 1997, slavery on trial
Drums along the Mohawk, 1939, revolution in New York
The Patriot, 2000, Revolutionary America
The Last of the Mohicans, 1992, French and Indian War
Birth of a Nation, 2016, Nat Turner’s Rebellion
John Adams, 2008, life of John Adams from revolution to death
Civil War & Reconstruction Era
The Civil War, 1990, PBS
Lincoln, 2012, Lincoln’s skills at critical moments
The Horse Soldiers, 1959, Union soldiers behind the lines
Glory, 1989, 54th Massachusetts Regiment
Andersonville, 1996, prison camps
Gettysburg, 1993, epic battle
Gods and Generals, 2003, Stonewall Jackson
12 Years a Slave, 2013, African American is kidnapped to spend 12 years as a slave
Birth of a Nation, 1915, Dramatization of Confederacy
The Conspirator, 2010, arrest and trial of the men and women accused of killing Lincoln
**## SemesterWritingAssignmenthist.docx**
Semester Writing Assignment
Instructions
United States History
Spring 2025 Research Paper
Background and Rationale: History consists of facts, but also how people interpret what happened. In 2025, learning history is not straightforward because perspectives change, have bias, and sometimes change what really happened. Students need to understand that no history is perfect, or accurate.
This assignment requires each student to choose one movie based upon an event or situation in American History. Students should watch the film at least twice. The first time, watch without taking notes; the second time, take notes on specific elements that you want to discuss in your review.
Your review should have a clear point of view and should follow the organization outlined below.
Introduction: Identify the primary (single) point of the film. Was the movie, for example, sympathetic or critical? How did the movie attempt to persuade the audience to accept this point of view?
Provide information about the film, including its title, year, and director. This paragraph should also answer the following questions about the film:
— Is it a documentary or a feature film?
— Is it based on a novel or memoir? Is it based on true events? Is it a purely fictional story or does it purport to depict actual historical events and people?
Conclude the paragraph with a sentence that reveals your perspective of the film. This does not need to be a thesis statement, but it should clearly indicate what you see as the film’s salient characteristics, virtues, or flaws (which you will elaborate on in the analysis paragraphs).
Plot summary: Provide an accurate, concise description of the film’s plot (or, if it is a documentary, its scope). This paragraph should provide enough information for a reader who has not seen the film to understand the rest of your review. You may include spoilers. Provide a background and historical setting for the film and its perspective using and citing sources as needed. Your thesis should correctly identify the perspective of the movie.
Contextualization:This should clearly situate the film in relation to the timeline of American history and other historical events of the same time period. Discuss its release date in relation to relevant developments discussed in this course. Who is the target audience? Is the film responding to other films or events? Is it responding to specific narratives about American history?
Analysis/Argument: What argument is the film making? What does the filmmaker want viewers to leave the theater thinking or discussing? (And how does this connect to the historical context/ the film’s release date?) Does the film effectively deliver its message? If so, what makes it effective? If not, explain why you were not convinced. (Use the last sentence of this paragraph to transition into the next paragraph.)
Analysis for Historical Accuracy: How is the film’s historical accuracy supported or challenged by the historical record? Use your knowledge from this course (lectures, readings, discussions, and other films) to assess the accuracy of the film you are reviewing. You may include a limited number of quotes from relevant course materials.
You must have two examples from major scenes that were historically significant in the movie and that support the movie thesis, (do NOT describe aspects of technical film making such as acting, directing, editing, design, set design, photography, soundtrack, costumes, script writing—you are not experts at these techniques. These aspects of film making are associated with the film’s aesthetic qualities but not central to historical accuracy).
Each scene’s historical analysis should include
accuracy of the character(s)
Accuracy of the setting
Accuracy of the scene’s sequence of events
The movie’s use of evidence
Analysis of the scene’s contribution to the movie’s point of view
Compare the movie’s story and evidence to sources or textbooks you have read in history courses and assess the movie’s accuracy as a statement of history—also assess the movie’s usefulness as history instruction. If this comparison does involve other sources, they must be recognized and properly cited.
Conclusion: This paragraph should clarify what you see as the “headline” about this film. In other words, what is its defining contribution or significance to the category of American history films? Finally, should the film, in your opinion, be required viewing in this course? Why or why not?
Additional Sources: You should view the film’s original theatrical trailer. Most are available on YouTube. Make sure you are viewing the original trailer and not a subsequent DVD or re-release trailer. How was the film advertised to audiences?
Internet Movie Database (IMDb), www.imdb.com Use IMDB for information on the film’s release and personnel (director, screenwriter, producer, etc.).
You should read at least one review of the film so that you can evaluate the context of its release. You can find historical reviews of most feature films at: RogerEbert.com, https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews and/or New York Times Movie Reviews, https://www.nytimes.com/reviews/movies
Format and Submission: Your review should italicize film titles each time you use them, and the first time you mention a film, include the film’s year of release, i.e. The Post (2017). Your review should be carefully proofread, and should be presented in MLA format. Any paper using AI or plagiarized will earn a zero.
Logical Arguments: Be careful that you do not make errors of logic and argument as you judge films for their historical contributions. Here are a few logical traps to avoid:
1. Presentism—avoid using your present day ideas, values, or technological skills to judge films. For example the older black and white movie Midway, is much more accurate historically than the newer, full color, love-story Pearl Harbor.
2. Personal biases—avoid using your personal, cultural, or religious biases to judge films. If desired you can make a personal statement in your conclusions.
3. Personal judgments—avoid clichés and sweeping colloquialisms like “I hated the film”, or “it was awesome”. You are doing a critical analysis of the historical qualities of the movie and such personal statements do not help.
4. Expert judgments—if you are a professional nurse, a retired combat veteran, or other expert and wish to use your professional judgment to help analyze a film, fine. But mostly you will need to rely on other sources for expertise. Every semester some student writes something like “that was the best battle scene ever” when, in fact, that student had had no experience in battle. Do not write about what you do not know.
5. Cherry Picking—avoid picking the easy scenes, or ones you like. Dig into the movie and look for elements which raise questions. One cherry-picks or uses the fallacy of exclusions when one examines only one side of an issue. Ask if the movie is holding back some of the story. Look for evidence counter to the movie’s theme.
6. Character and emotional biases—avoid judging a film on its likability, a character, a favorite performer, the soundtrack, or the ending.
7. Spoilers are OK—tell and evaluate the whole story—you do not need to worry about “spoiling” the ending.
Your review should be honest, fair and be your own work. It should also be critical–so look carefully for historical errors. Many of Hollywood’s most acclaimed films contain outrageous errors.
Depending on the movie, even these errors may still be “acceptable”, if the movie point of view delivers a consistent message—so you need to think carefully. You will need to do some research to verify elements of the film you review. You may not use your text as anything other than a general reference.
Writing Requirements
Write professionally in a convincing tone.
Avoid clichés, colloquialisms, and forms of idiomatic expression.
Write in the past tense; avoid the use of personal pronouns; and write in the active voice.
Edit and polish your writing.
Use 12 point non-serif fonts, double spacing, and one inch margins.
Do not use a cover page.
Edit and proof your spelling using both spell-check and manual reading.
Using this required font and spacing will produce a minimum three to four page paper.
Be sure this is your work.
If other sources are used, cite those using MLA.
Save a copy.
Files uploaded must be .compatible with Turnitin
MOVIE LIST
Early Colonial and Revolutionary Eras
The Crucible, 1996, Salem Witchcraft
Amistad, 1997, slavery on trial
Drums along the Mohawk, 1939, revolution in New York
The Patriot, 2000, Revolutionary America
The Last of the Mohicans, 1992, French and Indian War
Birth of a Nation, 2016, Nat Turner’s Rebellion
John Adams, 2008, life of John Adams from revolution to death
Civil War & Reconstruction Era
The Civil War, 1990, PBS
Lincoln, 2012, Lincoln’s skills at critical moments
The Horse Soldiers, 1959, Union soldiers behind the lines
Glory, 1989, 54th Massachusetts Regiment
Andersonville, 1996, prison camps
Gettysburg, 1993, epic battle
Gods and Generals, 2003, Stonewall Jackson
12 Years a Slave, 2013, African American is kidnapped to spend 12 years as a slave
Birth of a Nation, 1915, Dramatization of Confederacy
The Conspirator, 2010, arrest and trial of the men and women accused of killing Lincoln