Here is a nice photo from PMC Cadet Life 1914, Widener University Archives.
Nice, eh?
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
A Challenge for My Students in HIST101 D004 Fall 09
Here is a good Civil War Challenge for extra credit on your final. First person to correctly post identifying the battlefield and specific location BOTH earns 5 extra points! of this site:
AT the time:
TODAY:
Keep History Alive!
bs
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Research Plan
Well here we go again, another year a new plan.
For my students, please note that it is imperative that you have a plan before you begin. No plan ever survives contact with the enemy so it is okay to make changes but you MUST have a plan.
Here are the steps you need to do to develop a successful project and I suggest you do the same:
1. Plan a weekly/daily/monthly plan with deadlines and try to stick by it.
2. Develop a series of questions that you wish to answer from your research.
3. Develop a preliminary bibliography-separate by primary & secondary.
4. Collect your sources.
5. Use each source by taking notes
I prefer note cards for much of my work but on last year's project I also put information into a spreadsheet/timeline with various tabs for events. This proved very effective in keeping long quotations etc as my handwriting now leaves something to be desired.
6. Develop an outline.
7. Organize your research according to your outline.
8. BEFORE you beg the first rough draft make sure you now develop an effective Thesis Statement. Without one your historical writing will lack focus and direction.
9. Right a rough draft.
10. Review the draft-PRINT IT OUT-you will be amazed what you cannot see on a computer screen for some reason. READ the paper out loud, again you will be amazed.
11. Have someone else read it to see if your Thesis Statement is proven in your paper.
Sound like a lot of work? To answer that, I guess it boils down to how good do you want it to be!
For me, this week I will be spending time developing my plan for the next 11 months.
Keep History Alive.
bs
For my students, please note that it is imperative that you have a plan before you begin. No plan ever survives contact with the enemy so it is okay to make changes but you MUST have a plan.
Here are the steps you need to do to develop a successful project and I suggest you do the same:
1. Plan a weekly/daily/monthly plan with deadlines and try to stick by it.
2. Develop a series of questions that you wish to answer from your research.
3. Develop a preliminary bibliography-separate by primary & secondary.
4. Collect your sources.
5. Use each source by taking notes
I prefer note cards for much of my work but on last year's project I also put information into a spreadsheet/timeline with various tabs for events. This proved very effective in keeping long quotations etc as my handwriting now leaves something to be desired.
6. Develop an outline.
7. Organize your research according to your outline.
8. BEFORE you beg the first rough draft make sure you now develop an effective Thesis Statement. Without one your historical writing will lack focus and direction.
9. Right a rough draft.
10. Review the draft-PRINT IT OUT-you will be amazed what you cannot see on a computer screen for some reason. READ the paper out loud, again you will be amazed.
11. Have someone else read it to see if your Thesis Statement is proven in your paper.
Sound like a lot of work? To answer that, I guess it boils down to how good do you want it to be!
For me, this week I will be spending time developing my plan for the next 11 months.
Keep History Alive.
bs
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Let the New Year Begin!
I just received word that AMU has, once again, approved my research grant for 2010!
So, David Vickers Jr. of Camden, NJ. Vickers is another interesting cadet from DMA, you are my project for this year! He was in the 3rd and 4th New Jersey Volunteers and was eventually captured at Spotsylvania Court House, take to Macon, GA and Camp Oglethorpe. When Sherman’s forces approached, he was moved to Camp Sorghum near Columbia, SC. He was brevetted to brigadier general in 1865 and after the war served as a diplomat in Cuba. During the Spanish American war he was an inspector general. Upon his death his will was contested by a second wife from Chile. He should make for a very interesting story.
So, David Vickers Jr. of Camden, NJ. Vickers is another interesting cadet from DMA, you are my project for this year! He was in the 3rd and 4th New Jersey Volunteers and was eventually captured at Spotsylvania Court House, take to Macon, GA and Camp Oglethorpe. When Sherman’s forces approached, he was moved to Camp Sorghum near Columbia, SC. He was brevetted to brigadier general in 1865 and after the war served as a diplomat in Cuba. During the Spanish American war he was an inspector general. Upon his death his will was contested by a second wife from Chile. He should make for a very interesting story.
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