HIST 10613-080
Kerstetter

Drawing inferences, considering multiple perspectives, and acknowledging limits to knowledge

Workshop essay #5: Use the documents that can be accessed via hyperlinks in the syllabus for the week of February 18 to complete this assignment.

1. Read the documents.

2. Write a historical question these documents could be used to answer.

3. Analyze connections that link the documents and note one connection you think others might miss.

4. Design the outline of a sound argument based on the documents. Use the model below to outline your argument, but use a substantial number of documents--the more the better.

Evidence
A. Evidence from document X.
B. Evidence from document Y.
C. Evidence from document Z.

Warrants
A. Evidence from document X supports __________ interpretation or claim.
B. Evidence from document Y supports __________ interpretation or claim.
C. Evidence from document Z supports __________ interpretation or claim.

Objection:
Pose a good objection to one of the warrants.

Rebuttal:
Referring to the evidence, write a rebuttal to the objection. In other words, explain why the objection does not harm the argument.

Submit a written copy of your question, connection, and argument outline at the beginning of class.

This assignment adapted from material developed by Lendol Calder and presented in "Uncoverage: Toward a Signature Pedagogy for the History Survey," Journal of American History 92(March 2006): 1358-1870 and on a related Web site http://www.indiana.edu/~jah/textbooks/2006/calder/index.html.