History essay
1. Choose one of the periods in the history of the United States.
2. Do research and provide personal opinions about it. The more sources you check the more objective your essay will be.
3. Follow the following structure for your essay:
a. Introduction
b. Context
c. Causes
d. Detailed process
e. Short term and long term consequences
f. Opinion and conclusion
4. The essay should be about 2-3 pages long
5. Hand in the essay on December 19th . Do not type it!
How to plan, start and write your essay
1. Planning. Decide what to say before you start. Write your points down on paper. Analyse them. Think of a structure (sequence of events, reasons-consequences...) Make a point!
2. Your point should be clear from the beginning. Start with a good introduction to grab the reader´s attention at the start. Use strong language, say something controversial or start with a short statement.
3. Start a new paragraph every time something changes. Each paragraph needs a clear topic. Use linking words such as “however” “furthermore” “consequently”, “therefore”...
4. Use formal language and avoid vague words like “nice” “thing”
5. Give examples
6. If you quote someone else´s words, include the author’s name and the page number where you found it. Example: ´.....´ (Author, year: page)
7. Conclude with phrases like “to conclude” “in conclusion”, “to sum up”...
8. Read through the essay and check that it makes sense before handing it in. It should be neat and clear
9. Include a list of references (websites, encyclopaedias, books...). There are many citation manuals. We suggest the following:
Books
Author’s Last Name, Author’s First Name and Middle Name/Initial. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publishing Company Name, Year of Publishing.
Encyclopedias
Author’s Last Name, Author’s First Name and Middle Name/Initial. “Article Name.” Title of Encyclopedia. Year of Edition or Edition Number ed.
Websites
Author’s Last Name, Author’s First Name and Middle Name/Initial. “Title of Article/Document.” Title of Site. Ed. Name of Editor (First Name Last Name). Date of publication or most recent update. Name of organization associated with site. Date of when you accessed the document.
