History 398

Intro. to Historical Thought and Methods

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Credit hours: 5
GEC categories:
Prerequisites: none

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Course Objectives: This course is intended to enhance your research skills and to give you practice in the critical analysis of sources: historical (i.e. primary) sources--written, visual, physical, and oral; and secondary sources (i.e. other historians' interpretation of the primary source record). You will also learn skills that will be necessary and useful in whatever career you choose  critical and analytical thinking, writing, reading, working in groups, and public speaking.

Course Content: This class will introduce history majors to the exciting field of history. Though the use of various readings and films ( such as The Matrix), we will explore the historians craft, including what we mean by history how we study history, and how we read and write history. Throughout the course we will examine ideas of truth in history, and how historians investigate the past to uncover history. As such, we will analyze various sources that are used to look at the past as well as diverse approaches to history and methodologies.

Method of Presentation: This course requires active participation by each and every student, and will be conducted as a workshop and discussion class. There will be a significant amount of reading.

Method of Evaluation: 3-5 short papers, skill exercises/homework, participation, group presentation

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