Writing in history

[Porridge]

the literary analysis thread, and specifically, @Amoret's post got me thinking about writing in history. 

Literary analysis papers are one type of writing that is taught in high school.

What kind of analysis and writing would you expect in history in high school?

I'm interested in knowing what one might expect from a standard, non-honors high school history student, but also what you might expect from a student who is ready for DE / AP level.

I'm interested both in what would make a kid academically ready for college history courses (assuming the student might take some history in college), and beyond college, what will help them learn to think more clearly - skills that might be transferrable or applicable in a broad range of situations.

[Rosie_0801]

If a student can articulate a thesis statement and argue it within the word limit, and footnote properly, they're prepared for college level history.

The higher the level of study, the better the critical thinking skills are expected to be.

[8filltheheart]

 Any writing assignment I give for science or history at the high school level is analytical in that it requires analyzing information and forming an articulated pov based on the that research. I expect my kids to be able to form a thesis, do research, and support their thesis. For history, in the thread that caused the spin off thread you are referencing, I gave the example, "what were the economic impacts of the CA gold rush."  One of my dd's wrote a sr capstone thesis paper on the Catholicity of Shakespeare (she spent the entire school yr reading/researching/writing.) 

Last yr in 11th grade, a different dd wrote a science paper on the impacts of lithium/cobalt mining (for batteries) and windmill farms on the local ecosystems. It was a great learning experience. She had to learn how to find journal articles and how to read research papers. It's so much more than knowing how to write a 5 paragraph essay. (Insert huge eye roll emoji) A 5 paragraph essay has somehow morphed into an educational objective (one I personally dont value).

 

[elegantlion]

I TA'd for U.S. History courses over the last few years at a state university. Our students had 3 essay assignments based upon prompts about primary sources. It was a large survey course and students had a wide variety of abilities from those who had never mastered the 5 paragraph essay to those who were well prepared. 

The prompts we gave them allowed them to form their own thesis statements but gave them some guidance & boundaries. Many had trouble with that. 

The best writing for history advice I ever received was that you have to allow the evidence to speak for itself. You can add context and consensus or disagreement with other sources, but you really need to approach historical writing with an open mind about what you'll find. 

This is a really random list of things I saw that students struggled with. This was a survey course, sometimes the first semester of college, for some the first U.S. history course they had ever taken: 

• not understanding the difference between a primary source & secondary source 
• Deciding on a thesis before you've gathered enough evidence to make a real conclusion. I often reminded students they can tweak their main thesis after they write the paper if they see their evidence pointing toward a different argument
• making large sweeping claims like "throughout history" when they read 3 sources on a specific event from colonial America. 
• the above made them over write, a good thesis doesn't have to be groundbreaking 
• using quotes or paraphrases appropriately
• knowing when to cite the above (I'm a stickler for proper citation per sentence)
• knowing how to use footnotes - not only when they were appropriate but how to insert them into a document. History as a field uses Chicago or Turabian (Chicago-lite) citation style. Footnotes or Endnotes are the standard option as it makes the document easier to read. 
• how to use more than one source in a paragraph to make YOUR point, not just copying information. For example, good writers would find evidence in two or more sources that helped form a point of their thesis. They would include both sources in one paragraph that started with a thesis statement of their own. 
• Reading & following the instructions of the assignment. We gave students very specific & simple instruction (like 12pt font, double spaced, with title and your name on the front page, no cover page necessary). 
• Other instructions - like don't consult outside sources for this, only use what we have assigned - this helps ward off plagiarism. 
• Good sentence structure and avoid overtly flowery language. I'm also a creative writer and my historical writing has a very different tone. There is plenty of room for your own voice which does take some time & experience to develop
• Reading through your paper aloud before submitting. I still do this and catch those little errors my eyes tend to jump over when editing. 
• Asking for help or clarification when needed. 

A lot of historical writing goes back to 1. making claims that are supported by evidence, 2. forming well-argued paragraphs that support your main thesis, and 3. tweaking main thesis if necessary, and 4. following the parameters of the assignment.