Primary Source Analysis Paper

Paper Requirements:
1) Your Primary Source Analysis Paper must be between 500 and 700 words
(Write the Word Count in parentheses at the bottom
of the essay).
2) It must use areadable font.
3) The paper will be exactly four paragraphs and should include the following elements.
a.Paragraph one:
i.introduce paper topic
ii.briefly mention the sources (by title and author)
iii.include a clear interpretive thesis as the final sentence of the first
paragraph.
b.Paragraph two:
i.Introduce the context in which source one was written
ii.Summarize the topic of source one
iii.
Use quotes from  source one to support your thesis
c.Paragraph three:
i.Introduce the context in which source two was written
ii.Summarize the topic of source two
iii.Use quotes from source two to support your thesis
d.Paragraph four:
i.Compare the two sources to prove your thesis:
1.Explain why looking at only one of the sources alone would be
insufficient to demonstrate your thesis.
2.Demonstrate connection to a wider theme in world history
How to write a Primary Source Analysis Paper:
1) Choose your due date.
2) Choose two primary sources to compare from MyHistoryLab or
World History in Documents (on reserve in the library). The sources should be from the same era, but different world regions; or from the same world region but different eras.
3) In the first paragraph, introduce both sources in your own words.
4) In the second paragraph, analyze specific quotes to demonstrate how your first source reflects the historical contexts in which it was created.
5) In the third paragraph, analyze specific quotes to demonstrate how your second source reflects the historical contexts in which it was created.
6) In the fourth paragraph, compare the two sources and explain what looking at them together reveals about a larger pattern or theme in world history.
7) Rewrite the entire paper using your insights from paragraph four as a thesis to reorganize the paper.
8) Proofread; read it aloud to your roommates; proofread; print it out; read aloud the hard copy to yourself; proofread.
9) Submit the Primary Source Analysis Paper on Canvas.
The professor or a Graduate Teaching Assistant will grade your paper using the rubric on the following page.