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Assignment Prompt & Instructions

SEE ATTACHED

**files (3)**

– ## HIST207WEEK4.pdf

– ## EssayInstructionsandRubric.pdf

– Week4_TheRomans.PDF

**## HIST207WEEK4.pdf**

Week 4 Assignment: Roman Empire Essay

This week, you have examined the rise and development of the Roman
civilization with particular attention given to the divergent views of the
Roman Empire. The glory of the Roman Empire led to many to ask, “What
is a good society?” Drawing evidence from the lectures, but especially the
historical readings for this week, compose an essay on the varying views of
the Roman Empire. There are a range of issues you may choose to focus
on such as what qualities made Rome great, whether God or the gods had
chosen Rome for greatness, and so forth.

This essay should be based on the historical readings from the course.
There are no outside sources required for this paper. Based on your
reading and analysis of the historical documents, write an essay based on
your thesis statement. A thesis is a focused argument based on your
reading of the historical documents. The essay should use evidence from
the historical documents to support your thesis (please see helpful hints
below on writing this assignment). Be sure to develop a strong, specific
thesis and provide evidence to support your argument.

Requirements: The essays should be 1000-1250 words in length. While
lectures may be utilized, the paper should primarily rely on the historical
documents to support your thesis.

Citation: Any form of citation (e.g., APA, Turabian) is allowed as long as
you remain consistent throughout the paper. Citations, including in-text
citations, do not count towards the overall word total.

Review detailed assignment directions and grading rubric in the
attached file. To submit, use the link provided above.

READINGS:

● Genesis 1:28 reads: “God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful
and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish
in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that
moves on the ground.’” This passage has become known as the
Creation Mandate. It speaks to the work that humankind was given by
God prior to the Fall and the introduction of human sin. The Creation
Mandate is premised on the Imago Dei. Humans are created in the
image of God (Genesis 1:27), and therefore, have the capacity for
reason, creativity, communication, community and love. Having been
created in the image of God, humans have a capacity “to do” and are
instructed by God to “fill the earth and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28).
While God is the Creator, the Creation Mandate indicates that
humans are sub-creators who shape the world and develop cultures
(Genesis 1:28). Humans have a mandate to cultivate this world with
the attributes of God such as goodness, beauty, love and truth. This
can be done in all areas of life and in a person’s chosen profession.

● Rome's Conquests of Carthage and CorinthYouTube · Ancient Rome
Live5.2K+ views · 5 years ago

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MTZY7AC8mk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MTZY7AC8mk)

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MTZY7AC8mk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MTZY7AC8mk)

**## EssayInstructionsandRubric.pdf**

Page 1 of 4

Essay Instructions and Rubric

Description: For this class, you are required to write a number of essays based on the historical
readings from the course. There are no outside sources required for these papers. Based on your
reading and analysis of the historical documents, write an essay based on a thesis statement. A
thesis is a focused argument based on your reading of the historical documents. The essay should
use evidence from the historical documents to support your thesis (please see helpful hints
below on writing this assignment). Please see the Comprehension sections of applicable weeks
for more details on each essay assignment.

Requirements: The essays should be 1000-1250 words in length. While lectures may be utilized,
the paper should primarily rely on the historical documents to support your thesis.

Citation: Any form of citation is allowed as long as you remain consistent throughout the paper.
Citations, including in-text citations, do not count towards the overall word total.

Writing a Thesis and Essay (Helpful Hints)

What is a Thesis Statement?

Almost all of us—even if we don’t do it consciously—look early in an essay for a one- or two-
sentence condensation of the argument or analysis that is to follow. We refer to that condensation
as a thesis statement.

Why Should Your Essay Contain a Thesis Statement?

• to test your ideas by distilling them into a sentence or two
• to better organize and develop your argument
• to provide your reader with a “guide” to your argument

In general, your thesis statement will accomplish these goals if you think of the thesis as the
answer to the question your paper explores.

Develop a strong thesis statement. Give some thought to your thesis before taking notes and
outlining, lest you end up with pages and pages of pointless evidence. Ask yourself, "What is the
main question that I am trying to answer in this paper?" "What is the one point that I want the
reader to come away with after reading my essay?" If you are writing an essay based on
numerous historical sources, consider a theme that unites the documents. Your thesis is like a
coat tree or clothes line upon which you will hang your supporting evidence. Without it, the
essay has no direction and no purpose. It should present your analysis of the meaning and
significance of the source(s). Accordingly, your thesis should be argumentative, not descriptive.

Example of a descriptive "thesis": "In Common Sense, Thomas Paine presented his views on
why the American colonists should break with Great Britain" (Note: no one would ever disagree

Page 2 of 4

with this statement; it only tells us what the author did and it says absolutely nothing about the
meaning or significance of Paine's work).

Example of an argumentative thesis: "Thomas Paine's use of plain language, biblical analogies,
and egalitarian rhetoric explains the enormous appeal of Common Sense" (Note: one could easily
prove this argument by examining, in the subsequent paragraphs, the three points listed in the
sentence).

A strong thesis statement expresses one main idea. Readers need to be able to see that your
paper has one main point. If your thesis statement expresses more than one idea, then you might
confuse your readers about the subject of your paper.

A strong thesis statement is specific. A thesis statement should show exactly what your paper
will be about, and will help you keep your paper to a manageable topic.

Don't summarize-analyze! An historical source essay should not be a restatement or summary
of the document's content. Essays typically call for a close analysis or dissection of the texts'
meanings.

Use strong topic sentences. "What is the main point I am trying to make in this paragraph?" The
first sentence in the paragraph-the topic sentence-should announce not only the subject of the
paragraph but also the significance of the information that follows it. The topic sentence is
essentially the thesis of an individual paragraph. Do not place your strongest points in the middle
of or at the end of the paragraph lest the reader wonder why he/she is reading your evidence.

Use quotes judiciously. The essay should present your analysis of the sources; overuse of quotes
reduces the amount of space in which you have to develop your arguments and shows that you
have nothing more to say than the original document. Refrain from using block quotes in shorter
essays (those that are fewer than eight pages long) unless the complete quote is indispensable to
your analysis. If your quote is longer than four lines, then you should use a block quotation.
Block quotes are single spaced, indented, and do not need the telltale quotation marks (" . . . ").
Be sure that you provide citations and that your quotations do not take the words, phrases, or
sentences out of context.

These helpful hints brought to you by: Writing Tutorial Services, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/thesis_statement.shtml; College of William and Mary
http://www.wm.edu/as/history/undergraduateprogram/historywritingresourcecenter/handouts/primar
ysources/index.php

Page 3 of 4

GRADING RUBRIC
100 points total

Excellent

Points: 34-
31

Good
Points: 30-

27

Fair
Points: 26-24

Poor
Points: < 24

Points
for

Section

Thesis or
Organizing
Principle

The essay
includes a
focused,
polished thesis
or
sophisticated
organizing
principle, and
develops a
convincing
position or
compelling,
unified
narrative, as
appropriate to
the assignment.

The essay
includes an
appropriate,
focused thesis
or organizing
principle, and
develops a
clear position
or unified
narrative, as
appropriate to
the
assignment.

The essay includes
a thesis or
organizing
principle and
develops a
position or clear
narrative, although
the
position/narrative
might not be
exceptionally
focused, polished,
or convincing.

The essay lacks
an evident
organizing
principle or
thesis statement
and fails to
adequately
develop a
convincing
position or
unified
narrative.

Comments: [Enter any comments here]

Excellent
Points: 33-

30

Good
Points: 39-

27

Fair
Points: 26-23

Poor
Points: < 23

Points
for

Section

Organization,
Development and

Support

The essay
demonstrates
exceptional
critical
thinking skills
and includes
well-chosen,
effective
supporting
information or
narrative
details. This
evidence is
organized and
presented
persuasively,
coherently and
logically, with
one point
leading
smoothly to the
next.

The essay
demonstrates
strong critical
thinking skills
and includes
good
supporting
information or
narrative
details. This
evidence is
organized and
presented
logically and
coherently,
within an
appropriate
plan of
organization.

The essay
demonstrates some
critical thinking
skills and includes
adequate
supporting
information or
narrative details.
This evidence is
organized and
presented
logically, within
an observable plan
for organization.
There may be
some logical
fallacies, points
left
underdeveloped,
or some
ineffective
narrative
development.

The essay fails
to demonstrate
adequate
critical thinking
skills or include
enough
supporting
information or
narrative
details. This
evidence or
development is
presented
haphazardly or
illogically or
ineffectively.

Comments: [Enter any comments here]

Excellent Good Fair Poor Points

Page 4 of 4

Points: 33-
30

Points: 29-
27

Points: 26-23 Points: < 23 for
Section

Style, Format and
Mechanics

The essay
demonstrates a
polished and
effective
writing
style. The
essay
demonstrates
exceptional
academic
credibility and
polished
formatting. The
tone and
vocabulary are
most
appropriate for
the audience,
topic, and
purpose. The
essay conveys
an effective,
distinct
author’s voice.
The essay is
free of errors in
the convention
of the English
language.

The essay
demonstrates
an effective
writing
style. The
essay
demonstrates
good academic
credibility and
effective
formatting.
The tone and
vocabulary are
appropriate for
the audience,
topic, and
purpose. The
essay conveys
an effective,
author’s voice.
The essay is
mostly free of
errors in the
convention of
the English
language.

The essay
demonstrates a
suitable writing
style. The essay
demonstrates basic
academic
credibility and
suitable
formatting. The
tone and
vocabulary are
appropriate for the
audience, topic
and purpose. The
essay gives the
reader some sense
of the author’s
voice. Although
the essay may
contain some
errors in the
convention of the
English language,
it will be free of
egregious
grammatical
errors.

The essay fails
to demonstrate
an effective
writing
style. The
essay fails to
demonstrate
academic
credibility
and/or is not
appropriately
formatted. The
tone and
vocabulary are
inappropriate
for the
audience, topic,
and
purpose. The
essay fails to
give the reader
some sense of
the author’s
voice. The
essay includes
multiple errors
in the
convention of
the English
language, and
some of these
errors are
egregious.

Comments: [Enter any comments here]

Total Points:

Overall Comments: [Enter any comments here]

– What is a Thesis Statement?
– Why Should Your Essay Contain a Thesis Statement?

**Week4_TheRomans.PDF**

This file is too large to display. [View in new window](https://www.sweetstudy.com/files/week4-theromans-pdf)

**Week4_TheRomans.PDF**

This file is too large to display. [View in new window](https://www.sweetstudy.com/files/week4-theromans-pdf)

**## HIST207WEEK4.pdf**

Week 4 Assignment: Roman Empire Essay

This week, you have examined the rise and development of the Roman
civilization with particular attention given to the divergent views of the
Roman Empire. The glory of the Roman Empire led to many to ask, “What
is a good society?” Drawing evidence from the lectures, but especially the
historical readings for this week, compose an essay on the varying views of
the Roman Empire. There are a range of issues you may choose to focus
on such as what qualities made Rome great, whether God or the gods had
chosen Rome for greatness, and so forth.

This essay should be based on the historical readings from the course.
There are no outside sources required for this paper. Based on your
reading and analysis of the historical documents, write an essay based on
your thesis statement. A thesis is a focused argument based on your
reading of the historical documents. The essay should use evidence from
the historical documents to support your thesis (please see helpful hints
below on writing this assignment). Be sure to develop a strong, specific
thesis and provide evidence to support your argument.

Requirements: The essays should be 1000-1250 words in length. While
lectures may be utilized, the paper should primarily rely on the historical
documents to support your thesis.

Citation: Any form of citation (e.g., APA, Turabian) is allowed as long as
you remain consistent throughout the paper. Citations, including in-text
citations, do not count towards the overall word total.

Review detailed assignment directions and grading rubric in the
attached file. To submit, use the link provided above.

READINGS:

● Genesis 1:28 reads: “God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful
and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish
in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that
moves on the ground.’” This passage has become known as the
Creation Mandate. It speaks to the work that humankind was given by
God prior to the Fall and the introduction of human sin. The Creation
Mandate is premised on the Imago Dei. Humans are created in the
image of God (Genesis 1:27), and therefore, have the capacity for
reason, creativity, communication, community and love. Having been
created in the image of God, humans have a capacity “to do” and are
instructed by God to “fill the earth and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28).
While God is the Creator, the Creation Mandate indicates that
humans are sub-creators who shape the world and develop cultures
(Genesis 1:28). Humans have a mandate to cultivate this world with
the attributes of God such as goodness, beauty, love and truth. This
can be done in all areas of life and in a person’s chosen profession.

● Rome's Conquests of Carthage and CorinthYouTube · Ancient Rome
Live5.2K+ views · 5 years ago

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MTZY7AC8mk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MTZY7AC8mk)

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MTZY7AC8mk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MTZY7AC8mk)

**## EssayInstructionsandRubric.pdf**

Page 1 of 4

Essay Instructions and Rubric

Description: For this class, you are required to write a number of essays based on the historical
readings from the course. There are no outside sources required for these papers. Based on your
reading and analysis of the historical documents, write an essay based on a thesis statement. A
thesis is a focused argument based on your reading of the historical documents. The essay should
use evidence from the historical documents to support your thesis (please see helpful hints
below on writing this assignment). Please see the Comprehension sections of applicable weeks
for more details on each essay assignment.

Requirements: The essays should be 1000-1250 words in length. While lectures may be utilized,
the paper should primarily rely on the historical documents to support your thesis.

Citation: Any form of citation is allowed as long as you remain consistent throughout the paper.
Citations, including in-text citations, do not count towards the overall word total.

Writing a Thesis and Essay (Helpful Hints)

What is a Thesis Statement?

Almost all of us—even if we don’t do it consciously—look early in an essay for a one- or two-
sentence condensation of the argument or analysis that is to follow. We refer to that condensation
as a thesis statement.

Why Should Your Essay Contain a Thesis Statement?

• to test your ideas by distilling them into a sentence or two
• to better organize and develop your argument
• to provide your reader with a “guide” to your argument

In general, your thesis statement will accomplish these goals if you think of the thesis as the
answer to the question your paper explores.

Develop a strong thesis statement. Give some thought to your thesis before taking notes and
outlining, lest you end up with pages and pages of pointless evidence. Ask yourself, "What is the
main question that I am trying to answer in this paper?" "What is the one point that I want the
reader to come away with after reading my essay?" If you are writing an essay based on
numerous historical sources, consider a theme that unites the documents. Your thesis is like a
coat tree or clothes line upon which you will hang your supporting evidence. Without it, the
essay has no direction and no purpose. It should present your analysis of the meaning and
significance of the source(s). Accordingly, your thesis should be argumentative, not descriptive.

Example of a descriptive "thesis": "In Common Sense, Thomas Paine presented his views on
why the American colonists should break with Great Britain" (Note: no one would ever disagree

Page 2 of 4

with this statement; it only tells us what the author did and it says absolutely nothing about the
meaning or significance of Paine's work).

Example of an argumentative thesis: "Thomas Paine's use of plain language, biblical analogies,
and egalitarian rhetoric explains the enormous appeal of Common Sense" (Note: one could easily
prove this argument by examining, in the subsequent paragraphs, the three points listed in the
sentence).

A strong thesis statement expresses one main idea. Readers need to be able to see that your
paper has one main point. If your thesis statement expresses more than one idea, then you might
confuse your readers about the subject of your paper.

A strong thesis statement is specific. A thesis statement should show exactly what your paper
will be about, and will help you keep your paper to a manageable topic.

Don't summarize-analyze! An historical source essay should not be a restatement or summary
of the document's content. Essays typically call for a close analysis or dissection of the texts'
meanings.

Use strong topic sentences. "What is the main point I am trying to make in this paragraph?" The
first sentence in the paragraph-the topic sentence-should announce not only the subject of the
paragraph but also the significance of the information that follows it. The topic sentence is
essentially the thesis of an individual paragraph. Do not place your strongest points in the middle
of or at the end of the paragraph lest the reader wonder why he/she is reading your evidence.

Use quotes judiciously. The essay should present your analysis of the sources; overuse of quotes
reduces the amount of space in which you have to develop your arguments and shows that you
have nothing more to say than the original document. Refrain from using block quotes in shorter
essays (those that are fewer than eight pages long) unless the complete quote is indispensable to
your analysis. If your quote is longer than four lines, then you should use a block quotation.
Block quotes are single spaced, indented, and do not need the telltale quotation marks (" . . . ").
Be sure that you provide citations and that your quotations do not take the words, phrases, or
sentences out of context.

These helpful hints brought to you by: Writing Tutorial Services, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/thesis_statement.shtml; College of William and Mary
http://www.wm.edu/as/history/undergraduateprogram/historywritingresourcecenter/handouts/primar
ysources/index.php

Page 3 of 4

GRADING RUBRIC
100 points total

Excellent

Points: 34-
31

Good
Points: 30-

27

Fair
Points: 26-24

Poor
Points: < 24

Points
for

Section

Thesis or
Organizing
Principle

The essay
includes a
focused,
polished thesis
or
sophisticated
organizing
principle, and
develops a
convincing
position or
compelling,
unified
narrative, as
appropriate to
the assignment.

The essay
includes an
appropriate,
focused thesis
or organizing
principle, and
develops a
clear position
or unified
narrative, as
appropriate to
the
assignment.

The essay includes
a thesis or
organizing
principle and
develops a
position or clear
narrative, although
the
position/narrative
might not be
exceptionally
focused, polished,
or convincing.

The essay lacks
an evident
organizing
principle or
thesis statement
and fails to
adequately
develop a
convincing
position or
unified
narrative.

Comments: [Enter any comments here]

Excellent
Points: 33-

30

Good
Points: 39-

27

Fair
Points: 26-23

Poor
Points: < 23

Points
for

Section

Organization,
Development and

Support

The essay
demonstrates
exceptional
critical
thinking skills
and includes
well-chosen,
effective
supporting
information or
narrative
details. This
evidence is
organized and
presented
persuasively,
coherently and
logically, with
one point
leading
smoothly to the
next.

The essay
demonstrates
strong critical
thinking skills
and includes
good
supporting
information or
narrative
details. This
evidence is
organized and
presented
logically and
coherently,
within an
appropriate
plan of
organization.

The essay
demonstrates some
critical thinking
skills and includes
adequate
supporting
information or
narrative details.
This evidence is
organized and
presented
logically, within
an observable plan
for organization.
There may be
some logical
fallacies, points
left
underdeveloped,
or some
ineffective
narrative
development.

The essay fails
to demonstrate
adequate
critical thinking
skills or include
enough
supporting
information or
narrative
details. This
evidence or
development is
presented
haphazardly or
illogically or
ineffectively.

Comments: [Enter any comments here]

Excellent Good Fair Poor Points

Page 4 of 4

Points: 33-
30

Points: 29-
27

Points: 26-23 Points: < 23 for
Section

Style, Format and
Mechanics

The essay
demonstrates a
polished and
effective
writing
style. The
essay
demonstrates
exceptional
academic
credibility and
polished
formatting. The
tone and
vocabulary are
most
appropriate for
the audience,
topic, and
purpose. The
essay conveys
an effective,
distinct
author’s voice.
The essay is
free of errors in
the convention
of the English
language.

The essay
demonstrates
an effective
writing
style. The
essay
demonstrates
good academic
credibility and
effective
formatting.
The tone and
vocabulary are
appropriate for
the audience,
topic, and
purpose. The
essay conveys
an effective,
author’s voice.
The essay is
mostly free of
errors in the
convention of
the English
language.

The essay
demonstrates a
suitable writing
style. The essay
demonstrates basic
academic
credibility and
suitable
formatting. The
tone and
vocabulary are
appropriate for the
audience, topic
and purpose. The
essay gives the
reader some sense
of the author’s
voice. Although
the essay may
contain some
errors in the
convention of the
English language,
it will be free of
egregious
grammatical
errors.

The essay fails
to demonstrate
an effective
writing
style. The
essay fails to
demonstrate
academic
credibility
and/or is not
appropriately
formatted. The
tone and
vocabulary are
inappropriate
for the
audience, topic,
and
purpose. The
essay fails to
give the reader
some sense of
the author’s
voice. The
essay includes
multiple errors
in the
convention of
the English
language, and
some of these
errors are
egregious.

Comments: [Enter any comments here]

Total Points:

Overall Comments: [Enter any comments here]

– What is a Thesis Statement?
– Why Should Your Essay Contain a Thesis Statement?

**Week4_TheRomans.PDF**

This file is too large to display. [View in new window](https://www.sweetstudy.com/files/week4-theromans-pdf)

**## HIST207WEEK4.pdf**

Week 4 Assignment: Roman Empire Essay

This week, you have examined the rise and development of the Roman
civilization with particular attention given to the divergent views of the
Roman Empire. The glory of the Roman Empire led to many to ask, “What
is a good society?” Drawing evidence from the lectures, but especially the
historical readings for this week, compose an essay on the varying views of
the Roman Empire. There are a range of issues you may choose to focus
on such as what qualities made Rome great, whether God or the gods had
chosen Rome for greatness, and so forth.

This essay should be based on the historical readings from the course.
There are no outside sources required for this paper. Based on your
reading and analysis of the historical documents, write an essay based on
your thesis statement. A thesis is a focused argument based on your
reading of the historical documents. The essay should use evidence from
the historical documents to support your thesis (please see helpful hints
below on writing this assignment). Be sure to develop a strong, specific
thesis and provide evidence to support your argument.

Requirements: The essays should be 1000-1250 words in length. While
lectures may be utilized, the paper should primarily rely on the historical
documents to support your thesis.

Citation: Any form of citation (e.g., APA, Turabian) is allowed as long as
you remain consistent throughout the paper. Citations, including in-text
citations, do not count towards the overall word total.

Review detailed assignment directions and grading rubric in the
attached file. To submit, use the link provided above.

READINGS:

● Genesis 1:28 reads: “God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful
and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish
in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that
moves on the ground.’” This passage has become known as the
Creation Mandate. It speaks to the work that humankind was given by
God prior to the Fall and the introduction of human sin. The Creation
Mandate is premised on the Imago Dei. Humans are created in the
image of God (Genesis 1:27), and therefore, have the capacity for
reason, creativity, communication, community and love. Having been
created in the image of God, humans have a capacity “to do” and are
instructed by God to “fill the earth and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28).
While God is the Creator, the Creation Mandate indicates that
humans are sub-creators who shape the world and develop cultures
(Genesis 1:28). Humans have a mandate to cultivate this world with
the attributes of God such as goodness, beauty, love and truth. This
can be done in all areas of life and in a person’s chosen profession.

● Rome's Conquests of Carthage and CorinthYouTube · Ancient Rome
Live5.2K+ views · 5 years ago

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MTZY7AC8mk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MTZY7AC8mk)

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MTZY7AC8mk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MTZY7AC8mk)

**## EssayInstructionsandRubric.pdf**

Page 1 of 4

Essay Instructions and Rubric

Description: For this class, you are required to write a number of essays based on the historical
readings from the course. There are no outside sources required for these papers. Based on your
reading and analysis of the historical documents, write an essay based on a thesis statement. A
thesis is a focused argument based on your reading of the historical documents. The essay should
use evidence from the historical documents to support your thesis (please see helpful hints
below on writing this assignment). Please see the Comprehension sections of applicable weeks
for more details on each essay assignment.

Requirements: The essays should be 1000-1250 words in length. While lectures may be utilized,
the paper should primarily rely on the historical documents to support your thesis.

Citation: Any form of citation is allowed as long as you remain consistent throughout the paper.
Citations, including in-text citations, do not count towards the overall word total.

Writing a Thesis and Essay (Helpful Hints)

What is a Thesis Statement?

Almost all of us—even if we don’t do it consciously—look early in an essay for a one- or two-
sentence condensation of the argument or analysis that is to follow. We refer to that condensation
as a thesis statement.

Why Should Your Essay Contain a Thesis Statement?

• to test your ideas by distilling them into a sentence or two
• to better organize and develop your argument
• to provide your reader with a “guide” to your argument

In general, your thesis statement will accomplish these goals if you think of the thesis as the
answer to the question your paper explores.

Develop a strong thesis statement. Give some thought to your thesis before taking notes and
outlining, lest you end up with pages and pages of pointless evidence. Ask yourself, "What is the
main question that I am trying to answer in this paper?" "What is the one point that I want the
reader to come away with after reading my essay?" If you are writing an essay based on
numerous historical sources, consider a theme that unites the documents. Your thesis is like a
coat tree or clothes line upon which you will hang your supporting evidence. Without it, the
essay has no direction and no purpose. It should present your analysis of the meaning and
significance of the source(s). Accordingly, your thesis should be argumentative, not descriptive.

Example of a descriptive "thesis": "In Common Sense, Thomas Paine presented his views on
why the American colonists should break with Great Britain" (Note: no one would ever disagree

Page 2 of 4

with this statement; it only tells us what the author did and it says absolutely nothing about the
meaning or significance of Paine's work).

Example of an argumentative thesis: "Thomas Paine's use of plain language, biblical analogies,
and egalitarian rhetoric explains the enormous appeal of Common Sense" (Note: one could easily
prove this argument by examining, in the subsequent paragraphs, the three points listed in the
sentence).

A strong thesis statement expresses one main idea. Readers need to be able to see that your
paper has one main point. If your thesis statement expresses more than one idea, then you might
confuse your readers about the subject of your paper.

A strong thesis statement is specific. A thesis statement should show exactly what your paper
will be about, and will help you keep your paper to a manageable topic.

Don't summarize-analyze! An historical source essay should not be a restatement or summary
of the document's content. Essays typically call for a close analysis or dissection of the texts'
meanings.

Use strong topic sentences. "What is the main point I am trying to make in this paragraph?" The
first sentence in the paragraph-the topic sentence-should announce not only the subject of the
paragraph but also the significance of the information that follows it. The topic sentence is
essentially the thesis of an individual paragraph. Do not place your strongest points in the middle
of or at the end of the paragraph lest the reader wonder why he/she is reading your evidence.

Use quotes judiciously. The essay should present your analysis of the sources; overuse of quotes
reduces the amount of space in which you have to develop your arguments and shows that you
have nothing more to say than the original document. Refrain from using block quotes in shorter
essays (those that are fewer than eight pages long) unless the complete quote is indispensable to
your analysis. If your quote is longer than four lines, then you should use a block quotation.
Block quotes are single spaced, indented, and do not need the telltale quotation marks (" . . . ").
Be sure that you provide citations and that your quotations do not take the words, phrases, or
sentences out of context.

These helpful hints brought to you by: Writing Tutorial Services, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/thesis_statement.shtml; College of William and Mary
http://www.wm.edu/as/history/undergraduateprogram/historywritingresourcecenter/handouts/primar
ysources/index.php

Page 3 of 4

GRADING RUBRIC
100 points total

Excellent

Points: 34-
31

Good
Points: 30-

27

Fair
Points: 26-24

Poor
Points: < 24

Points
for

Section

Thesis or
Organizing
Principle

The essay
includes a
focused,
polished thesis
or
sophisticated
organizing
principle, and
develops a
convincing
position or
compelling,
unified
narrative, as
appropriate to
the assignment.

The essay
includes an
appropriate,
focused thesis
or organizing
principle, and
develops a
clear position
or unified
narrative, as
appropriate to
the
assignment.

The essay includes
a thesis or
organizing
principle and
develops a
position or clear
narrative, although
the
position/narrative
might not be
exceptionally
focused, polished,
or convincing.

The essay lacks
an evident
organizing
principle or
thesis statement
and fails to
adequately
develop a
convincing
position or
unified
narrative.

Comments: [Enter any comments here]

Excellent
Points: 33-

30

Good
Points: 39-

27

Fair
Points: 26-23

Poor
Points: < 23

Points
for

Section

Organization,
Development and

Support

The essay
demonstrates
exceptional
critical
thinking skills
and includes
well-chosen,
effective
supporting
information or
narrative
details. This
evidence is
organized and
presented
persuasively,
coherently and
logically, with
one point
leading
smoothly to the
next.

The essay
demonstrates
strong critical
thinking skills
and includes
good
supporting
information or
narrative
details. This
evidence is
organized and
presented
logically and
coherently,
within an
appropriate
plan of
organization.

The essay
demonstrates some
critical thinking
skills and includes
adequate
supporting
information or
narrative details.
This evidence is
organized and
presented
logically, within
an observable plan
for organization.
There may be
some logical
fallacies, points
left
underdeveloped,
or some
ineffective
narrative
development.

The essay fails
to demonstrate
adequate
critical thinking
skills or include
enough
supporting
information or
narrative
details. This
evidence or
development is
presented
haphazardly or
illogically or
ineffectively.

Comments: [Enter any comments here]

Excellent Good Fair Poor Points

Page 4 of 4

Points: 33-
30

Points: 29-
27

Points: 26-23 Points: < 23 for
Section

Style, Format and
Mechanics

The essay
demonstrates a
polished and
effective
writing
style. The
essay
demonstrates
exceptional
academic
credibility and
polished
formatting. The
tone and
vocabulary are
most
appropriate for
the audience,
topic, and
purpose. The
essay conveys
an effective,
distinct
author’s voice.
The essay is
free of errors in
the convention
of the English
language.

The essay
demonstrates
an effective
writing
style. The
essay
demonstrates
good academic
credibility and
effective
formatting.
The tone and
vocabulary are
appropriate for
the audience,
topic, and
purpose. The
essay conveys
an effective,
author’s voice.
The essay is
mostly free of
errors in the
convention of
the English
language.

The essay
demonstrates a
suitable writing
style. The essay
demonstrates basic
academic
credibility and
suitable
formatting. The
tone and
vocabulary are
appropriate for the
audience, topic
and purpose. The
essay gives the
reader some sense
of the author’s
voice. Although
the essay may
contain some
errors in the
convention of the
English language,
it will be free of
egregious
grammatical
errors.

The essay fails
to demonstrate
an effective
writing
style. The
essay fails to
demonstrate
academic
credibility
and/or is not
appropriately
formatted. The
tone and
vocabulary are
inappropriate
for the
audience, topic,
and
purpose. The
essay fails to
give the reader
some sense of
the author’s
voice. The
essay includes
multiple errors
in the
convention of
the English
language, and
some of these
errors are
egregious.

Comments: [Enter any comments here]

Total Points:

Overall Comments: [Enter any comments here]

– What is a Thesis Statement?
– Why Should Your Essay Contain a Thesis Statement?

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