Posted: December 1st, 2022

HIST 140: Source Analysis Instructions

HIST 140: Source Analysis Instructions
Due to Moodle by start of class on 12/6; bring paper copy to class with you
This source analysis assignment is intended to reflect one’s reading, analyzing, and
conclusion-drawing from primary sources. It is also intended to showcase your ability to use
evidence from these sources to create a well-written and coherent argument—the work that
actual scholars in all disciplines do on a daily basis.
The Prompt
As we have seen in this class, there has been no shortage of hatred in the modern world. One
particular class of people that were usually on the receiving end of this hatred and violence were
those of the Jewish religion and / or Jewish descent. In addition to being expelled from multiple
different cities and different times, being segregated into special parts of the cities known as
ghettos, or being murdered through the execution of state-sponsored pogroms, violence against
this people group culminated in the Holocaust, which saw the systematic extermination of six
million Jews.
However, as the sources that follow will show, history never happens in a vacuum—and
anti-Semitism, the root of the Holocaust, goes back further into the past than many tend to think,
even as far back as the first century A.D. This assignment, however, will focus on anti-Semitism
from the time of the expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492 (source #1) to the culmination of the
field of eugenics in the early 20th century (source #8). You will use these sources to answer the
following question:
“How were Jews seen and perceived by Europeans from the years 1492-1907? How might
these perceptions have led to the acceptance of (and in some cases, enthusiasm for) the
Holocaust in Nazi Germany?”
You may discuss some sources more than others, but you should be sure to incorporate at least
six sources into your analysis in some fashion. You should also bring in outside information from
the textbook and lectures when possible; however you do not need to do any outside research
in order to complete this assignment.
This should culminate in a paper totaling at least five full pages at minimum, and no more than
six full pages maximum. It should be submitted in Times New Roman 12 pt. font,
double-spaced, with one-inch margins. I believe that you should have no problem hitting the
page minimum if you follow the instructions thoroughly—but if you are struggling with a direction
to go or how to talk more about the sources, please let me know and we can meet to discuss it.
The following rubric has been provided to guide you as you complete this assignment.
Rubric for Source Analysis Assignment
5 points: Introduction
-Do you state your position clearly and concisely in a thesis statement?
-Do you use your introduction to discuss the major arguments you will be
making?
-Is your introductory paragraph free of cliches (“since the beginning of time,” “humans have
continually evolved…”, “the modern world is cool…”, etc etc
30 points: Sources (5 pts each x 6 total)
-Do you use at least ten (6) of the eight sources throughout your paper?
-Do you incorporate direct quotes when appropriate?
-Do you connect the sources back to the argument that you are making?
25 points: Context
-Do you properly contextualize the sources that you analyze in your assignment?
-Do you incorporate context from the course lectures and materials?
-Do you make clear the connection between the primary sources and the contextual
information that you incorporate?
5 points: Conclusion
-Do you restate your position clearly and concisely?
-Do you end with a strong, definitive statement about what you have proven?
5 points: Formatting
-Does the paper meet length requirements (min. 5 full pages, max. 6 full pages)
-Does the paper follow formatting guidelines (12 pt Times New Roman font, double spaced, 1
inch margins
-Is the paper free of spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors (or: have you gone over it with
spell-check?)
-Does the paper use complete sentences; do those sentences make sense?
70 points Total

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