HIST 499: RS: Senior Seminar in History

HIST 499-005: Witch Hunting in Old and New England
(Fall 2014)

04:30 PM to 07:10 PM M

Research Hall 202

Section Information for Fall 2014

This senior seminar will focus on teaching you how to produce a research paper based heavily on primary sources. In the first part of the semester (weeks 1-5) students will examine a variety of primary and secondary sources about the belief in and prosecution of witchcraft in Old and New England in the period 1550-1700, both to become familiar with the methodologies historians have used to try to understand these episodes, as well as to see that the historiography and the conclusions historians have drawn about these three cases are still contested and debated. In the remainder of the semester (weeks 6-14) students will focus on writing a research paper on a topic of their choice that is related to the topic of witch-hunting in either Old or New England. These papers will be based heavily on primary sources and will demonstrate a history major's competency to "do" history rather than just study it. In the first part of the course we shall meet collectively each week as a seminar to discuss and analyze the required readings. In the second part of the course we usually shall meet individually rather than as a seminar, so I can better monitor and help students in writing the research paper. All students will make an oral presentation of their project to the entire seminar at the end of the semester. Grading will be based on several short in-class writing assignments in the first part of the course, a first and final draft of the research paper itself, the oral presentation, as well as oral participation in the seminar meetings.

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Course Information from the University Catalog

Credits: 3

Research on specialized historical topic culminating in seminar paper and oral presentation. Synthesis course; students expected to integrate knowledge and skills acquired in Mason Core courses. Notes: Subject determined by instructor. Student may present no more than 3 credits for graduation credit. Must receive passing grade to graduate with BA in history. Limited to three attempts.
Mason Core: Synthesis
Specialized Designation: Research/Scholarship Intensive, Topic Varies, Writing Intensive in Major
Recommended Prerequisite: History majors with 90 credits
Registration Restrictions:

Required Prerequisites: (HIST 300C or 300XS) and (ENGH 302C, ENGL 302C, ENGH 302XS, HNRS 110C, 110XS, 210C, 302C or 302XS).
C Requires minimum grade of C.
XS Requires minimum grade of XS.

Enrollment is limited to students with a major in History.

Schedule Type: Seminar
Grading:
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.

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