Topic Low Stakes Writing Assignment 5: Oregon Trail
Type Term paper
Level High School
Style APA
Sources 2
Language English(U.S.)
Description
Low Stakes Writing Assignment 4: Oregon Trail Primary Documents
For this low-stakes assignment you are to discuss at least two of the assigned primary documents relating to life on the Oregon Trail from the assignment sheet for Class 17.
A letter from the Oregon Trail:
http://www.oregonpioneers.com/JLooney_Letter.htm
Advice from the Oregon Trail:
http://www.oregonpioneers.com/porter2.htm
%u0432%u0402%u045ADiary of a woman migrating to Oregon, 1853,%u0432%u0402%u045C American Yawp Reader:
In addition you may discuss one or two additional documents (which could include images, short stories, songs, etc. , but your focus should be on the assigned documents. You will want to be familiar with the story of the Oregon Trail migrants; reading up on the terms on the assignment list for Class 17 should be a big help.
You are open to discuss any theme you like, but you should try and focus on that theme.
In one to two pages (250 %u0432%u0402%u201C 500 words) discuss an interesting or important aspect of life on the Oregon Trail. What brought them to migrate? What did they expect? Were they well prepared? How did the migration affect families? The subject is open to you. But don%u0432%u0402%u2122t wander too much.
Here are some things to keep in mind when analyzing primary documents. Not that you should directly answer each of these%u0432%u0402%u201Djust keep them in mind, and think about answering those that are most important for any given document.
} What is it?
} Who wrote it? (Who took it down?)
} When was it written? (two aspects of when):
} Absolute time (date)
} Relative time (context)
} Who was the intended audience/user?
} What is its intent?
} What is missing? What else do we want to know to %u0432%u0402%u045Aread%u0432%u0402%u045C it?
} Can you summarize it (50 words to give peers the gist)?
} (Subversive editorial Q: Why is editor/teacher including it?)
Interrogate the Source:
} What factual information is conveyed in this source?
} What opinions are related in this source?
} What is implied or conveyed unintentionally in the source?
} What is not said in this source?
} How does this source compare to secondary source accounts?
} What is surprising or interesting about the source?
} What do I not understand in this source?
Spacing Double
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