Write a précis of 250-300 words of Michael Kaplan’s article on tavern violence in New York City from Module 2.

A précis is a short summary of a longer written work.  A good précis will summarize, as succinctly and accurately as possible, the main point(s) of the article and illustrate the basic structure of its argument.  Imagine yourself preparing a short memorandum for a busy colleague or superior who must wade through a vast quantity of important information in a short period of time.  What does he or she need to know about the arguments in this article?   How effectively can you communicate that in no more than 300 words?

Concision, clarity, and accuracy are the goals of this assignment.  Extensive quotation of the article is both unnecessary and unwise.  If done properly, this assignment will be quite difficult.  As with all course essays, please prepare and upload your precis in a Canvas-compatible file format such as .doc, .docx, .rtf, or .pdf.  Please note that Canvas cannot digest OS X Pages documents at this time.

Due date:  Monday, March 22 (11:59 p.m.)

Objective: You will choose one of the films or podcasts listed below and write a response to it. In this assignment you will briefly summarize the film/podcast (1-2 paragraphs), explain your reaction to it (2-3 paragraphs), and analyze it as an historical source (3-5 paragraphs).

Assignment parameters: Responses should be 3 pages in length, double-spaced, 12-point font, with standard, one-inch margins. Any words you use other than your own, including those from the book, must be placed within quotation marks and must be cited (either in-text citations or footnotes/endnotes). Failure to quote words not your own is plagiarism.

You should consider the following questions:

Summarize the film/podcast (1-2 paragraphs).

1. What is the general subject matter of the film/podcast?
2. How does it relate to the course module in which it is located?

Explain your reaction (2-3 paragraphs).

1. Have you learned about the film’s/podcast’s subject matter before?
2. Does the information in the film/podcast confirm what you already knew or does it provide new insights, sources, or context?
3. Does the film/podcast make you think in a new way about the subject matter?
4. Was there any particular part that stands out to you? Why?

Analyze it as an historical source (3-5 paragraphs).

1. Why was this film/podcast produced? What is the creator’s intention in filming/recording it?
2. Does it reveal any biases? How do you know?
3. What strategies did the creator use to draw the audience in? Are these strategies effective? Why or why not?
4. How does the film/podcast add to the public’s knowledge about the American past and present?

List of Films/Podcasts

America Inside Out, Season 1, Episode 1: “Re-Righting History” (Module 1)

Ben Franklin’s World, Episode 139, “Andrés Reséndez, The Other Slavery: Indian Enslavement in the Americas” (Module 2)

Ben Franklin’s World, Episode 228: “Eric Hinderaker, The Boston Massacre” (Module 3)

We Shall Remain, Episode 2, “Tecumseh’s Vision” (Module 4)

“The Economy that Slavery Built,” episode 2 of the New York Times’s 1619 Project podcast (Module 5)

Slavery by Another Name (Module 6 and 8)

The Gilded Age (Module 7 and 8)

Political Scandals, Episode 30, “Crédit Mobilier” (Module 7)

New York Public Radio, On the Media, “Empire State of Mind, Episode 2” (Module 8)

Triangle Fire (Module 9)

In an essay that is approximately 750 words in length, analyze the provided historical image and place it within its proper historical context. Your essay should contain a thesis or argument that answers the question below and use evidence from the image to support that argument. You may use your textbook and/or lecture notes in your answer.

In your analysis, answer the following question:

What does this image reveal about the time period in which it was produced?

In order to answer this question, you may consider addressing the following:

• Who produced the image?
• When was the image produced?
• Who was the intended audience?
• What is the purpose of the image? What messages does it convey?
• What is the historical context in which the source was produced and viewed?
• What unspoken assumptions does the image contain?
• What biases are detectable in the image?

Additionally, be sure to connect your analysis of the image to an ethical issue during the time it was produced or during the present day that illustrates your understanding of how this image relates to a sense of personal and social responsibility. For example, in what ways does this image reveal how individual actions and choices have affected our broader society and our nation? Devote approximately 250 of your 750 words to this exploration of personal and social responsibility revealed in the image.

questions and reading are in the files, and each question should be answered in a paragraph or less.