Help me study for my History class. I’m stuck and don’t understand.

Essay

Writing Prompts (Choose *one* of the two):

1. Drawing on assigned readings, explain the historical context and factors that shaped the emergence of Africana Studies as an academic discipline—how and why was education critical to the struggle for inclusion and racial transformation?
2. In the first half of this course, we have considered the African diaspora from 1400 until the 1800s. Drawing on the assigned readings, what impact did the slave trade have on the black experience in this period?

Details:
Whichever prompt you choose, you must cite the assigned readings from the first part of the semester. You do not have to consider all of the readings for the whole first half of the semester, but you should use as many as possible to support your argument. Any form of citation is acceptable, as long as it is clear which readings you are referencing. No outside sources. Please also include a bibliography.

Word Count: minimum 1000 words; maximum 1250 words.

Please include your word count in your submission.

Grading

This essay is worth 60% of your Midterm Exam grade (the other 40% comes from the in-class, short-answer portion).

If you do not include the word count, you will lose 5 points out of 60 points. If you do not meet the word requirement or do not address the correct topic/readings, you will receive 0 points. Otherwise, the essay will be graded based on the student’s demonstrated knowledge of the subject, use of readings, clarity of focus and organization. Students are expected to write a well-developed essay with a complete introduction, clearly identified thesis, body paragraphs that develop the thesis, and conclusion.

Essays will be graded based primarily on the following questions:

• Does your essay have a central argument?
• How well organized is your paper? Does it revolve around one central argument?
• How interesting, persuasive, and sophisticated is the argument and the analysis that leads to it?
• Is your writing clear and concise?

Writing Tips

• Argument: Your first paragraph must contain your essay’s central argument. You might consider underlining this argument, so that it is crystal clear.
• Clarity and Organization: Once you’ve settled on a central argument, be sure that you organize your paper around it and cut out any word, phrase, sentence, or paragraph that doesn’t advance it.
• Evidence: In building the case for your argument, be sure to cite numerous, specific examples. Please use parenthetic citations: (Gomez, 104). Please include a bibliography. You will not be graded on the formatting of these citations; just make it clear what source you’re citing.
• Analysis: Sophisticated, nuanced arguments are best. So do not ignore evidence that doesn’t quite fit your thesis. Instead, try to tweak your thesis to accommodate this conflicting evidence; or briefly mention this evidence and then explain why it is perhaps an exception to the general rule or argument you’re laying out.
• Writing tone and style: This paper, unlike your weekly responses, must be scholarly in tone. For example, do not use contractions such as “don’t.” In terms of style, focus most intently on being clear and concise.