U.S. History 2 (HIST 1302)
Book Analysis
Assignment –
SUMMER 2022
8-WEEK
SESSION
Dr. T. Thomas, Professor, History
Austin Community College
Copyright,
Dr. T. Thomas, 2022
WHO SHOULD DO THIS
ASSIGNMENT?
Do this assignment ONLY if:
THE ASSIGNMENT
APPROVED “BOOK ANALYSIS
BOOK LIST”
WHERE CAN I GET A COPY OF
A BOOK ON THE “Book Analysis Book List”?
BOOK ANALYSIS FORMAT
Time-saving HINT: COPY the Book Analysis Questions from my website or
from Blackboard – and PASTE them into a Word document. You can also
“abbreviate” the questions (that is, delete all my examples, leaving just the
question).
GRADING THE BOOK ANALYSIS
ASSIGNMENT
You’ll be graded
on the following criteria:
§ a demonstrated understanding of the book you’ve read, as
evidenced by your answers to the Book Analysis questions;
§ the thoughtfulness and thoroughness of your answers;
§ answering each and every question;
§ written expression that is clear and comprehensible, using
sentences and, when appropriate, paragraphs;
§ written expression that employs proper English language
grammar, spelling, and capitalization.
§ your ability to follow directions.
HINTS: Don’t submit a first draft.
DUE DATE
·
Book Analysis Papers are due at 12 NOON on MONDAY, AUGUST 8th.
HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR BOOK
ANALYSIS
SAMPLE BOOK ANALYSIS
ASSIGNMENTS
§
You
are welcome to take a look at a “sample” Book Analysis Assignment.
§
Contact
me if you'd like to view a Sample Book Analysis
WHAT ARE THE QUESTIONS
THAT I HAVE TO ANSWER?
They start here:
BOOK ANALYSIS QUESTIONS
Below are the Book
Analysis Questions that you must answer.
Section
1. GENERAL BOOK INFORMATION
AND SUMMARY |
1.1 Give the following
information:
The
full book title (Make sure you italicize or underline
the book title)
Author
Publisher
& year published
1.2 Give a general
Summary of the book.
In about 5 – 7
sentences give basic information about this book, including who and
what the book is about, and when and where the book takes place.
(HINT: Think of how you might summarize the plot of
a movie that you’ve seen.)
Section 2. SUMMARY
of the Book’s PREFACE
What does the author say in the
“Preface” (in a few sentences, summarize the Preface)? If the book has
no “Preface”, then use the "Introduction". If the book has
neither, then summarize the “Acknowledgments” section.
If the book has none of these
sections, then just say “the book has no Preface, no Introduction and no
Acknowledgments”.
Section 3. IDENTIFY
and DISCUSS the Book’s THESIS
In the Introduction or the first
chapter, the author usually says what he/she will be trying to prove in the
book; that is, what this book will prove to the reader about a
particular topic.
List and Discuss at least 3 theses – or 3 points that
the author will try to prove in the book
·
These are usually stated either in
the Introduction or in the first chapter; but sometimes they are discussed
throughout the book.
·
Your answer should begin with
"In this book, the author hopes to prove that......." and then
discuss at least 3 points that the author hopes to prove about the
subject of the book.
Example: “In this book, the author hopes to prove that America’s westward
expansion in the 19th century resulted in the decline of Native
Americans’ culture, language, and population.” Then present at least 2 other
points that the author is hoping to prove and briefly explain them.
Section 4. In-depth
CHAPTER ANALYSIS
For Sections 4, 5, and 6,
you’ll pick a different chapter from your book, and answer several questions
about that chapter.
For example,
§ to answer all the questions in Section 4, you can use Chapter 1 from the Book you chose.
§ to answer all the questions in Section 5, you can use Chapter 5 from your Book.
§ to answer all the questions in Section 6, you can use Chapter 9 from your Book.
§ YOU choose which 3 chapters from your book that you want to use - to answer questions in Sections 4, 5, and 6.
4.1 Give the Chapter number (if there is one) and the Chapter Title.
Chapter Titles
should be in Quotation Marks.
Example:
Chapter 1:
"Franklin's Early Years"
4.2 Give a
SUMMARY of the Chapter.
In about 5 – 7
sentences, summarize the chapter (a good summary gives the reader basic
information, such as WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY. (Think of how you would
summarize the plot of a movie to a friend who has not seen the movie )
4.3 State and explain the author’s THESIS for this Chapter
In a few
sentences, explain the author’s thesis for this chapter.
That is, what does the author hope to prove about his/her subject
in this chapter.
Hint: Look at the chapter title. It often is related to
the chapter thesis.
Your answer
should begin "In this chapter, the author hopes to prove that......"
Example:
"In this
chapter, the author hopes to prove that Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves (with
the Emancipation Proclamation) for political, not humanitarian,
reasons." And then explain what the author meant by this.
4.4 Restate the author’s ARGUMENT for this chapter.
In a few
sentences, restate the argument that the author used to prove the
main idea.
What did the
author argue, in order to convince you that his/her main idea was correct.
Example:
“The author
states that Lincoln freed the slaves because he needed his party’s support for
his upcoming re-election campaign and because he wanted the support of the
English government. Freeing the slaves accomplished both of those
political goals.” Then offer another sentence or two to further explain
the author’s argument.
4.5 Restate the author’s CONCLUSION(S) for this chapter.
In a few
sentences, identify and discuss the conclusions at which the author
arrives at the end of the chapter.
Don’t say what
HAPPENED; Say what the author CONCLUDES ABOUT what happened.
Hint: the conclusions usually are related to the Main Points.
Example:
"The author
concludes that the accusations of witchcraft in Salem in 1692 were motivated by
political and economic disputes between the two prominent families of
Salem."
4.6
Evaluating the Chapter SOURCES/EVIDENCE.
Look in the
chapter’s footnotes (sometimes these are listed on the bottom of each page;
sometimes they are listed at the back of the book). If there are no
footnotes, look in the Bibliography or “works Cited” section at the back of the
book
4.6.1 Cite one Primary source
footnote from this chapter
A Primary
source is something written by someone at that time in history;
such as a diary, a letter, a piece of legislation, a tax record; a deed; a
business ledger; newspapers) Cite the source.
Example
of a newspaper article from the past:
"Custer
Defeated at Little Big Horn," The New York Times, April 14, 1876.
Example
of a published diary:
Jennifer Jones,
ed., Diary of Anne Frank, 4th edition (New York: McGraw-Hill,
1977).
4.6.2 Cite one Secondary source footnote from
this chapter
A Secondary
source is something written by someone at a later date; usually a book
or article by a historian about some historical event. Cite the
secondary source; that is, make it look like a footnote. Give the author,
title, publisher, and place and date of publication.
Examples:
Michael Smith, Witchcraft
in the Later Middle Ages (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1980).
Julia Juarez,
"Mayan Hieroglyphs Decoded," Journal of Latin American History
(June 1994), pp. 366-396.
4.6.3 Identify what TYPE of source
or what type of evidence would have made the author's argument/main idea
more convincing? (Don't say "the argument was convincing enough".)
Example:
If your book is
about the everyday lives of enslaved people , you
might say:
"If the
author used letters or diaries written by enslaved people, his argument about
the hardships of slave life would have been stronger."
Section 5. In-depth
CHAPTER ANALYSIS
(you’ll be answering the same questions as Section 4 above, but for
a different
chapter from your book)
5.1 Give the Chapter number (if there is one) and the Chapter Title.
Chapter Titles
should be in Quotation Marks.
Example:
Chapter 1:
"Franklin's Early Years"
5.2 Give a
SUMMARY of the Chapter.
In about 5 – 7
sentences, summarize the chapter (a good summary gives the reader basic
information, such as WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY. (Think of how you would
summarize the plot of a movie to a friend who has not seen the movie )
5.3 State and explain the author’s THESIS for this Chapter
In a few
sentences, explain the author’s thesis for this chapter.
That is, what does the author hope to prove about his/her subject
in this chapter.
Hint: Look at the chapter title. It often is related to
the chapter thesis.
Your answer
should begin "In this chapter, the author hopes to prove that......"
Example:
"In this
chapter, the author hopes to prove that Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves (with
the Emancipation Proclamation) for political, not humanitarian,
reasons." And then explain what the author meant by this.
5.4 Restate the author’s ARGUMENT for this chapter.
In a few
sentences, restate the argument that the author used to prove the
main idea.
What did the
author argue, in order to convince you that his/her main idea was correct.
Example:
“The author
states that Lincoln freed the slaves because he needed his party’s support for
his upcoming re-election campaign and because he wanted the support of the
English government. Freeing the slaves accomplished both of those
political goals.” Then offer another sentence or two to further explain
the author’s argument.
5.5 Restate the author’s CONCLUSION(S) for this chapter.
In a few
sentences, identify and discuss the conclusions at which the author
arrives at the end of the chapter.
Don’t say what
HAPPENED; Say what the author CONCLUDES ABOUT what happened.
Hint:
the conclusions usually are related to the Main Points.
Example:
"The author
concludes that the accusations of witchcraft in Salem in 1692 were motivated by
political and economic disputes between the two prominent families of
Salem."
5.6
Evaluating the Chapter SOURCES/EVIDENCE.
Look in the
chapter’s footnotes (sometimes these are listed on the bottom of each page;
sometimes they are listed at the back of the book). If there are no
footnotes, look in the Bibliography or “works Cited” section at the back of the
book.
5.6.1 Cite one Primary source
footnote from this chapter
A Primary
source is something written by someone at that time in history;
such as a diary, a letter, a piece of legislation, a tax record; a deed; a
business ledger; newspapers) Cite the source.
Example
of a newspaper article from the past:
"Custer
Defeated at Little Big Horn," The New York Times, April 14, 1876.
Example
of a published diary:
Jennifer Jones,
ed., Diary of Anne Frank, 4th edition (New York: McGraw-Hill,
1977).
5.6.2 Cite one Secondary source footnote from
this chapter
A Secondary
source is something written by someone at a later date; usually a book
or article by a historian about some historical event. Cite the
secondary source; that is, make it look like a footnote. Give the author,
title, publisher, and place and date of publication.
Examples:
Michael Smith, Witchcraft
in the Later Middle Ages (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1980).
Julia Juarez,
"Mayan Hieroglyphs Decoded," Journal of Latin American History
(June 1994), pp. 366-396.
5.6.3 Identify what TYPE of source
or what type of evidence would have made the author's argument/main idea
more convincing? (Don't say "the argument was convincing enough".)
Example:
If your book is
about the everyday lives of enslaved people, you might say:
"If the
author used letters or diaries written by enslaved people, his argument about
the hardships of slave life would have been stronger."
Section 6. In-depth
CHAPTER ANALYSIS
(you’ll be answering the same questions as in Sections 4 and 5
above, but for a different
chapter from your book)
6.1 Give the Chapter number (if there is one) and the Chapter Title.
Chapter Titles
should be in Quotation Marks.
Example:
Chapter 1:
"Franklin's Early Years"
6.2 Give a
SUMMARY of the Chapter.
In about 5 – 7
sentences, summarize the chapter (a good summary gives the reader basic
information, such as WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY. (Think of how you would
summarize the plot of a movie to a friend who has not seen the movie )
6.3 State and explain the author’s THESIS for this Chapter
In a few
sentences, explain the author’s thesis for this chapter.
That is, what does the author hope to prove about his/her subject
in this chapter.
Hint: Look at the chapter title.
It often is related to the chapter thesis.
Your answer
should begin "In this chapter, the author hopes to prove that......"
Example:
"In this
chapter, the author hopes to prove that Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves (with
the Emancipation Proclamation) for political, not humanitarian,
reasons." And then explain what the author meant by this.
6.4 Restate the author’s ARGUMENT for this chapter.
In a few
sentences, restate the argument that the author used to prove the
main idea.
What did the
author argue, in order to convince you that his/her main idea was correct.
Example:
“The author
states that Lincoln freed the slaves because he needed his party’s support for
his upcoming re-election campaign and because he wanted the support of the
English government. Freeing the slaves accomplished both of those
political goals.” Then offer another sentence or two to further explain
the author’s argument.
6.5 Restate the author’s CONCLUSION(S) for this chapter.
In a few
sentences, identify and discuss the conclusions at which the author
arrives at the end of the chapter.
Don’t say what
HAPPENED; Say what the author CONCLUDES ABOUT what happened.
Hint: the conclusions usually are related
to the Main Points.
Example:
"The author
concludes that the accusations of witchcraft in Salem in 1692 were motivated by
political and economic disputes between the two prominent families of
Salem."
6.6
Evaluating the Chapter SOURCES/EVIDENCE.
Look in the
chapter’s footnotes (sometimes these are listed on the bottom of each page;
sometimes they are listed at the back of the book). If there are no
footnotes, look in the Bibliography or “works Cited” section at the back of the
book.
6.6.1 Cite one Primary source
footnote from this chapter
A Primary
source is something written by someone at that time in history;
such as a diary, a letter, a piece of legislation, a tax record; a deed; a
business ledger; newspapers) Cite the source.
Example
of a newspaper article from the past:
"Custer
Defeated at Little Big Horn," The New York Times, April 14, 1876.
Example
of a published diary:
Jennifer Jones,
ed., Diary of Anne Frank, 4th edition (New York: McGraw-Hill,
1977).
6.6.2 Cite one Secondary source footnote from
this chapter
A Secondary
source is something written by someone at a later date; usually a book
or article by a historian about some historical event. Cite the
secondary source; that is, make it look like a footnote. Give the author,
title, publisher, and place and date of publication.
Examples:
Michael Smith, Witchcraft
in the Later Middle Ages (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1980).
Julia Juarez,
"Mayan Hieroglyphs Decoded," Journal of Latin American History
(June 1994), pp. 366-396.
6.6.3 Identify what TYPE of source
or what type of evidence would have made the author's argument/main idea
more convincing? (Don't say "the argument was convincing enough".)
Example:
If your book is
about the everyday lives of enslaved people, you
might say:
"If the
author used letters or diaries written by enslaved people, his argument about
the hardships of slave life would have been stronger."
You have now completed the “In-Depth Analyses” of your 3 chosen
chapters. The
remaining questions pertain to the entire book.
Section 7. IDENTIFY AND DISCUSS the Book’s OVERALL
CONCLUSIONS
List and discuss at least 3 conclusions at which the author arrives.
These are usually found in the concluding chapter, and are usually related to
the points the author sought to prove throughout the book.
Don’t say what HAPPENED; DO say what the author CONCLUDES ABOUT
what happened
Example:
“The author
concludes that the witchcraft hysteria in Salem in 1692 resulted from a
conflict between two prominent families.” Then discuss what the
author means by this.
Remember: Don’t give
one-sentence answers.
Section 8. Identify and Evaluate the AUTHOR’S SOURCES
A good book review or book
“analysis” will evaluate the sources that the author used when writing the
book. So it’s useful to take a look at where the author got his/her information
– that is, what “sources” the author
used.
Where do you FIND the “sources” that the author used?
In the
author’s:
§ footnotes (at the bottom of the pages in each chapter) or
§ endnotes (at the end of each chapter or the end of the book), or
§ bibliography (at the end of the book)
8.1 PERIODICALS.
List the names
of 5 periodicals that the author cites in the book.
Periodicals are newspapers, magazines, & scholarly
journals.
Examples of
periodicals:
Journal of Early American
History
American Historical Review
Psychology Today
William & Mary
Quarterly
The New York Times
Austin American-Statesman
Ladies' Home Journal
Military History Quarterly
Latin American Research
Review
8.2 PRIMARY
SOURCES.
List three types
of primary sources the author uses.
Examples of
Primary sources are: letters, diaries, interviews, legislation,
photographs (from that time period), films (from that time period).
Which of these
did your book’s author use? List 3 types.
8.3 BENEFITS
OF USING PRIMARY SOURCES.
If
you were writing a history book, WHY
would your book benefit from using PRIMARY sources (letters,
diaries,
etc.) from that
time period?
Assume that the sources ARE available and that you ARE able
to read the sources. So, what might be a benefit
of using primary sources when writing history?
Don’t
say “Primary
sources give a first-hand account of the event.”
Say WHY
a “first-hand” account would be helpful
if you were writing a history book.
8.4 PROBLEMS
USING PRIMARY SOURCES.
If
you were writing a history book,
what might be a problem in using primary sources for the book you’re
writing?
8.5 BOOKS ON
SAME SUBJECT.
List
3 books that deal with the same subject matter as your
book.
Give author,
title, place of publication, publisher, and date of publication – just as this
information would appear in a footnote.
Hint: use the “subject search” feature of
the library’s computerized card catalog to find these books. Consult with
a librarian if you need help.
You can also use
the LINK in Blackboard entitled "How to Find ONLINE Books, Articles,
etc." to search for book titles.
8.6 ARTICLES
ON SAME SUBJECT.
List
3 articles (from scholarly publications or
newspapers) that deal with the same subject matter as your book. Give
author, title of article, publication in which article appears, date of
publication, and page numbers - just as this information would appear in a
footnote.
Hint: do
a subject search in an on-line "periodicals index" to find articles.
On ACC's library webpage, there is a link to various periodicals indexes.
Choose "social and behavioral sciences" category and then do a
subject search. For example, if your book was about the Salem witch trials,
you'd do a subject search on "Salem witch trials". Your search should
return periodical articles on the Salem witch trials. Get assistance
from a reference librarian if needed.
You can
also use the LINK in Blackboard entitled "How to Find ONLINE Books,
Articles, etc." to search for articles.
YOU’RE ALMOST DONE!!
9. Some Final IMPRESSIONS, OPINIONS, AND COMPARISONS
Answer the following questions
thoughtfully, and thoroughly.
9.1 What did you like best about
the book? What did you like least about the book?
9.2 Did you feel that the author was biased in
presenting the subject matter? How so –
what made you think the author was biased?
9.3 List 3 facts that you learned from the book.
List 3 FACTS, not
"impressions" or interpretations.
An example of a FACT
is:
"George
Washington was the only president unanimously elected".
An example of an IMPRESSION
(or INTERPRETATION) is:
"George
Washington was the best military commander of all time."
Give ONLY Facts
as your answers.
9.4 COMPARE YOUR BOOK WITH THE CLASS TEXTBOOK
How does our
textbook’s treatment of the topic compare with the author’s treatment of the topic
List and discuss at least 3 similarities and 3 differences.
Discuss content, not form or format.
DON'T
say: "The book gave a more in-depth
view of Franklin's life, while the textbook was more general." That is a
statement of form, not content.
DO
say: "My book discussed Franklin's
diplomatic efforts in France, while the textbook did not mention his work in
France." This compares content.
9.5 Would you recommend the book
to someone else? Why or why not? (It's OK to be candid and honest)
9.6 If you could write a book on
some historical topic, what topic would you choose, and why?
Congratulations - You are DONE with the Book Analysis!
Before you submit your
Book Analysis, check to make sure that you have:
And make sure your paper is saved
and submitted in a .doc or .docx format - NOT pdf,
rtf, txt, or any other format.
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