Ancient and Modern World
History
Mr. Layne
Project Explanation and Directions, Marking Period 1
What is the project?
Ancient World: select and read a
book by a modern historian that is related to Ancient World history (history to 1500) and write a
critical review of that book.
Modern World: select and read a book by a modern historian that is related to Modern World history (1500-Present) and write a critical review of that book.
What is the purpose of this project?
This project has many purposes. They are:
- To
expose you to secondary historical literature
- To
teach you the role that secondary literature plays in the understanding of
history
- To
enable you to develop and hone your critical reading and writing skills
- To
give you the opportunity to explore and investigate an historical topic
that you find interesting and would like to know more about
How much of my grade is this project worth?
This project will be worth 35% of your marking period grade
How will this project be graded?
You will be graded on the following criteria:
- Meeting due dates
- Correct
spelling, grammar, and formatting
- Effective
critical evaluation of your secondary source
- Overall
substance of the review
- Strength
of conclusions
What is a critical book review, and how do I write one?
A critical book
review does the following:
- it identifies and discusses the
historian’s thesis (the question the book is answering or the argument
that it is making)
- it briefly summarizes the main
points of the book
- it examines and evaluates the evidence
(sources) used by the historian to prove the thesis (what kinds of sources
does the historian rely on? Does
the historian cite their sources?
Did they include a bibliography?)
- it examines the conclusions made by the
historian to see if they are relevant to the thesis and supported by the
evidence
- it points out any shortcomings the book
has regarding all of the above (problems with the thesis, lack of
evidence, problems with interpretations of evidence, problems with the
conclusion, etc.)
Your book review should be between 500-750 words
(approximately 2-3 pages). The paper
should be double-spaced, stapled, and typed in 12
pt. Times New Roman font. Any attempt to make your paper appear longer
than it actually is (large font, weird spacing, etc.) will result in your grade
being penalized.
The review itself is essentially written like an essay. You are to provide a bibliographic entry for
the book at the very beginning of the review, like this:
John Keegan, The Face
of Battle :
A Study of Agincourt, Waterloo , and the
Somme, New York : Penguin Books, 1978, 365 pages, bibliography,
index.
You then proceed to review the book. You will need a thesis (your view of the
book—what it is about, what it does well, and what it is lacking). You will need to back up your thesis with
evidence—material from the book that you use to back up your thesis. You
therefore need to cite the book as you review it. To do so, simply use parenthetical
documentation, like this (Keegan, 261).
Finally, you must draw conclusions about the book
Are there
requirements for the type of book I can choose?
Yes. The book needs
to be a scholarly work of history published sometime during the last 50 years
(the 1960s and up) that is at least 250 pages in length. The book can be about anything relating to
world history to 1500 or from 1500-present depending on which class you are in--Ancient or Modern (including topics we haven’t studied yet). You will need to submit your choice to me for
final approval (I’m also glad to help you figure out topics/books that may be
of interest to you—just let me know).
When is the review due?
You have several due dates—one for your book, one for an
optional rough draft, and one for the finished review. Those dates are:
- Wednesday,
Sept. 4th : Book due for
my approval (you may submit it prior to that date if you wish)
- Friday,
September 27th: Due date
for rough drafts (optional)
- Friday,
October 4th: Finished
review is due in class.
What if I have more questions?
Ask me—at the beginning or end of class, in the halls, via
email, whatever—just ask.
Honors Students:
- Your
book should be a minimum of 300
pages in length, and you will also prepare a presentation on the book
which you will present to the class.
Grading Rubric:
This is the rubric I will be using to grade your book review. You can use it a checklist of sorts to make sure your review meets all of the requirements. Make sure you are looking at the correct one for you--college prep or honors.
Book Review
Grading Rubric
Mr. Layne
College Prep
Student Name:
______________________________________
Formatting—20 pts.
- Spelling
and grammar—10 pts
- Spacing
and formatting—10 pts
_______pts
Elements of the book review—80 points
o Identifies/addresses
the author’s purpose/thesis—10 pts
o Provides
a brief summary of the book—10 pts
o Discusses
use of evidence by the author—10 pts
o Discusses
the strengths and weaknesses of the book—10 pts
o Refers
to specific aspects of the book to substantiate the review—10 pts
o Overall
quality of the review—30 pts
_______pts
Final Grade:_________
Comments:
Book Review Grading Rubric
Mr. Layne
Honors
Student Name:
______________________________________
Formatting—20 pts.
- Spelling
and grammar—10 pts
- Spacing
and formatting—10 pts
_______pts
Elements of the book review—70 points
o Identifies/addresses
the author’s purpose/thesis—10 pts
o Provides
a brief summary of the book—10 pts
o Discusses
use of evidence by the author—10 pts
o Discusses
the strengths and weaknesses of the book—10 pts
o Refers
to specific aspects of the book to substantiate the review—10 pts
o Overall
quality of the book review—20 pts
_______pts
Presentation—10 pts.
o
Identifies and explains author’s thesis—2 pts
o
Provides a brief summary of the book—2 pts.
o
Discusses the author’s use of evidence and conclusion(s)—2 pts.
o
Discusses the book’s strengths and weaknesses—2 pts.
o
Question/answer—2 pts.
_______pts
Final Grade:_________
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