HIST 415 Vietnam and the Twentieth Century Experience
General Instructions for All Written Assignments
Each week you will have a short written assignment. Though each assignment is slightly different, this should serve as general instructions for all assignments.
Formatting: All assignments should be completed as Microsoft Word documents. They should be between 2 and 3 pages and be double spaced with standard indentation. The font should be size 12, Times New Roman. You should create a short title page including your name, the date, the assignment title, and the instructor’s name. The page limit does NOT include the title page or bibliography.
Writing: Your writing should demonstrate both a factual understanding of the topic at hand and your own analysis. You will often be asked to explain what conclusions you have drawn on a topic. To do so, you should use historical facts to explain your own conclusions. You should NOT simply quote something from someone else’s writing. The purpose of these assignments is to demonstrate your personal understanding of the topics. Your writing should be well organized and easy to follow. Good spelling and grammar are always important and points may be deducted for poorly written work. The essay should be organized with an introduction, body, and conclusion. The introduction should include a statement of purpose or thesis. Avoid the use of first person, personal opinion that is not supported by facts from your sources, and vague pronouns.
Research and Citation: Research is the basis of all analytical writing. Historians rely on facts to form their conclusions and they must be able to present the sources of these facts. Citations are a way to show the scholarly sources you used to find your facts. This helps others who read your work confirm the truth behind your findings. For example, if you wanted to use a specific statistic you should need to cite the study which produced it so your reader knows you didn’t just make it up. Much of your writing will be your own thoughts and conclusions. However, you may wish to include specific information or direct quotations from outside sources. Quotes should be used sparingly. Anytime you use an outside source you should include a citation in APA format. When you include a citation you must also include a bibliography. The failure to properly cite sources and quotations can lead to plagiarism. Whenever you copy something directly from an outside source, you MUST indicate it as a quote and use citations or it will be considered plagiarism. Plagiarism is a very serious academic offense and can result in a zero grade for the assignment or even harsher consequences. But don’t worry! Citation is simple once you get the hang of it. There is an APA Handbook available in Student Resources. This is why I require every paper to have a reference page, NO EXCEPTIONS! If you have any further questions about any of the assignments, please contact your instructor.

Grading Rubric for Written Assignments
Hello Class,
There is a paper due each week through week 6 for this class. All papers are worth 60 points. Please look over the following information concerning the grading of these written assignments:
60 Points Total
30 Points for Content and analysis
This is where the student will receive points for their individual ideas and their ability to support ideas with sound logic and facts. This is where the student is tested on their ability to know the critical facts of the course. This section can be further broke down into 4 categories
+ Outstanding (25-30 points.). The student clearly knew the critical facts of the argument, and states these facts soundly. Also, it is likely the student is coming up with fresh and new ideas, ones which are not presented to the student in the text.
+ Well (20-24 points). The student knows most of the critical facts of the argument, and states these facts soundly.
+ Satisfactory (15-19 points). The student knows