Research Essay ProjectIntroductionInstead of a final exam, you.docx

Research Essay Project
Introduction
Instead of a final exam, you will complete a major research
essay project. The research essay project is a mandatory
component of the course; you must pass the research essay
project to be eligible to pass the course.
The research essay will be based on the following broad topic:
· The role of energy in North American history
Within this broad topic, you will select your own historical
case-study subject that addresses the role of energy in North
American history. The research essay should be based on both
primary and secondary source research. In consultation with
your Open Learning Faculty Member, you will choose a case-
study subject and submit a proposal for your research essay
project.
· Proposal: 5% of final grade
· Research essay: 35% of final grade
Instructions
It will be helpful for you to read through this full set of
instructions for the research essay project at the beginning of
the course to familiarize yourself with the expectations. Also,
it’s not too early to start thinking about a particular subject area
of interest that you might want to work on for this project. Be
sure to consult with your Open Learning Faculty Member.
Introductory reading
Begin by reading the first chapter of Richard White’s 1995
book, The Organic Machine: The Remaking of the Columbia
River. In this book, White analyzes the history of the Columbia
River as a system of energy flows between the river, salmon,
and the human inhabitants of the Columbia watershed.
This first chapter will provide you with a methodology for
framing your own case study on the role of energy in North
American history.
As you read this chapter, make notes and answer the following

questions:
1. How does White define energy?
2. How widely or narrowly will you define energy in your own
essay?
You may also want to share your thoughts and ideas about this
reading with your peers through the course’s online
“Discussions.”
White, Richard. The Organic Machine: The Remaking of the
Columbia River. New York: Hill & Wang, 1995. Chapter One
“Knowing Nature through Labor: Energy, Salmon Society on the
Columbia” pgs. 3–29.
Choose a historical case-study subject
Because this assignment will be based, in part, on primary
source research, you are encouraged to begin by searching for a
primary source or set of primary sources on a specific historical
case-study subject that addresses the topic of the role of energy
in North American history.
Seek out specific case-studies that relate to a particular subject
area of interest. For instance, if you are interested in oil and gas
development, you might want to write a research essay on an
aspect of the history of tar sands mining in northern Alberta. If
you are interested in urban environments, you might want to
write about nineteenth-century scavengers in a particular city.
Remember to select a case study that explores the
environmental history of a given subject. Be sure to consult
with your Open Learning Faculty Member about your
preliminary ideas when you are selecting a case study.
Additional ideas for subject areas of research
The following list provides further ideas for subject areas of
research that you might explore for the role of energy in North
American history:
· Hydro-electric development
· Oil and gas consumption
· Cities
· Agriculture
· Rivers

· Forestry
· Nuclear power
· Colonization and resettlement
· Fisheries
· Irrigation
· Transportation
· Conservation
· Government policy
· Environmental activism
Learn More about Primary Sources and Online Research
To learn more about primary sources and to begin to find
sources online, please consult the Thompson Rivers University
Library guides to primary sources for environmental history as
well as the guides for Canadian and American history:
TRU Library Environmental Studies
guide: http://libguides.tru.ca/cat.php?cid=423
TRU Library Canadian History Primary Sources
guide: http://libguides.tru.ca/content.php?pid=4053&sid=24757
TRU American History Primary Sources
guide: http://libguides.tru.ca/content.php?pid=4109&sid=24915
In addition, recall that the Course Overview includes further
links to online guides to writing about history.
Planning and Developing the Research Essay
The research essay should be between 14 and 15 pages in
length, formatted using standard (Times New Roman) 12-point
font, with 1-inch margins.
As you work on this project, be sure to remember that you need
to develop a clear thesis or argument for this essay. The essay
should be argument driven rather than be a descriptive
summary. Keep a consistent set of notes as you read through
your sources and other course material to help generate ideas.
Once you have selected a historical case-study subject for your
research essay, begin secondary source research to learn more
about your subject. Secondary sources, including books and
journal articles, will provide you with historical context and
give you a sense of what other historians have written about

your subject.
Based on your initial primary and secondary source research,
consolidate your ideas into a proposal for the research essay.
Write a Proposal
Prepare a 1-page written proposal with a bibliography. The
bibliography should include a minimum of 1 primary source and
5 secondary sources.
Write your proposal using clear and unified paragraphs. Provide
proper footnote citations and a properly formatted bibliography
(Chicago/Turabian Style footnotes preferred).
Note
For guidelines to Chicago (Turabian) Style, please refer to the
“Cite My Sources” section of the TRU Library website
athttp://www.tru.ca/library/guides/citation_styles.html#chicago.
Include the following components in your proposal:
· A working title
· A working thesis statement
· Information about your historical case-study subject
· A brief plan for future research for completion of the essay
Submitting Your Proposal
On completion of Unit 3, use your course “Assignments” tool to
submit your proposal as an attachment to your Open Learning
Faculty Member for evaluation and feedback. Follow the same
submission procedures as outlined for the assignments, using
the phrase “Proposal” so that your Open Learning Faculty
Member can easily identify your submission.
Submitting Your Research Essay
Follow the same submission procedures as outlined for the
proposal, using the phrase “Research Essay Project” so that
your Open Learning Faculty Member can easily identify your
submission. Submit your research essay assignment by the end
of completing of Unit 4.
Criteria for Evaluating the Research Essay
The following criteria will be used to evaluate the research
essay project.
Proposal

The proposal is marked out of 10 marks and is worth 5% of your
final grade in the course.
The following criteria will be used to evaluate the proposal
portion of the project.
Substance (7 marks)
· The proposal provides a clear working thesis.
· The proposal clearly outlines a manageable historical case-
study subject.
· The bibliography identifies a minimum of 1 primary source
and 5 secondary sources.
Writing Style and Format (3 marks)
· Paragraphs are unified, developed, and coherent, with
transitions between ideas.
· Sentences are grammatically correct; words are chosen for
accuracy and impact.
· The writing follows the conventions of spelling, grammar, and
punctuation.
· Format follows proper footnote citations and provides a
properly formatted bibliography (Chicago Style footnotes
preferred).
· Writing about historical places, persons, and events is in the
past tense.
Research Essay
The final research essay is marked out of 100 marks and is
worth 35% of your final grade in the course.
The following criteria will be used to evaluate the final research
essay:
Substance (75 marks)
· The essay provides evidence of critical thinking and analysis
as well as synthesis of researched information throughout and
presents a logical and persuasive argument.
· Research sources are relevant and credible and are clearly
documented in the paper.
· The essay provides evidence of one or more primary sources.
· The essay provides evidence of adequate secondary source
research (uses 10 or more secondary sources, including books

and journal articles).
· The introduction offers a sense of direction for the paper and
presents a clear thesis statement to the reader.
· The body develops the necessary aspects of the main idea and
provides examples, support, or illustration for each aspect of
the main idea.
· The conclusion summarizes the main points and ties them to
the thesis; it also presents an impact statement and/or suggests
direction for future research.
Writing Style and Format (25 marks)
· Paragraphs are unified, developed, and coherent, with
transitions between ideas.
· Sentences are grammatically correct; words are chosen for
accuracy and impact.
· The writing follows the conventions of spelling, grammar, and
punctuation.
· Format follows proper footnote citations and provides a
properly formatted bibliography (Chicago Style footnotes
preferred).
· Writing about historical places, persons, and events is in the
past tense.
Guide to Assigned Grades
In marking your final research essay, your Open Learning
Faculty Member will assess your ability to analyze the topic and
develop and present a logical, persuasive, and insightful
argument that is well supported by citing relevant, current, and
credible sources.
Your research essay must also demonstrate a comprehensive
understanding of the material, and your writing must be clear,
concise, and grammatically correct and include proper Chicago
(Turabian) format and citations. A first-class, or “A,” paper
(80–100%) will meet this criteria, and all lesser grades will
have missed at least one of the ingredients just described.
The following guidelines may help you set standards for your
research essay project and interpret the mark you receive.
80% and above:

A first-class essay (A+/A/A–) exhibits excellence in style,
demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of the material,
and provides evidence of critical thinking and analysis as well
as synthesis of well-researched information throughout. It
shows originality and insightfulness, and is written in clear,
fluent, and technically correct prose. References are properly
and consistently cited and recorded using Chicago (Turabian)
Style.
70–79%:
A second-class paper (B+/B/B–) represents solid, above-average
competence and achievement. In an essay of this quality, the
ideas are sound, convincingly substantiated, and show some
originality; in an otherwise strong discussion, expression might
be inconsistent, incomplete in the use of evidence, or display
minor weaknesses in style.
60–69%:
A paper at this level (C+/C/C–) is of average competence and
demonstrates a satisfactory but incomplete grasp of the research
material; ideas might not be fully developed or might tend
toward vagueness, or the argument might exhibit problems in
expression, organization, style, or mechanics.
50–59%:
A paper at this level (D range) indicates a weak or barely
adequate understanding and use of the research material;
organization and substantiation of argument might be deficient,
or the discussion might be flawed by basic writing errors or
problems in expression. A grade at this level warns that more
energy and effort are needed.
Below 50%:
A grade at this level is a fail and indicates that the essay is
unsatisfactory either in content or expression (or both) and that
it does not demonstrate a satisfactory understanding of the
material.
Assignment 4

Submission Instructions
Please use the following instructions for submitting your
assignment to your Open Learning Faculty Member.
As soon as you have completed all parts of Assignment 4, name
and save your document. Send it to your Open Learning Faculty
Member for marking by using theAssignments link. Be sure to
include your name, the course code, assignment number, and the
date of submission on the title page of your assignments, so
they can be easily identified, and you can get credit for all your
work. Use headers in the body of your written assignments to
make sure all components of your assignments are clearly
identified (course code, your surname, assignment number, date
[day, month, year]).
Name your assignment file as follows: course number_your
surname_assignment number_date. For example, if your name is
John Smith and you are submitting Assignment 4, name your
file: HIST 3991_Smith_Assignment4_14June2014.
How to submit your assignment (PDF)
Note
Keep a copy of your assignment before sending it to your Open
Learning Faculty Member for evaluation so you can refer to
your assignment during a telephone or email discussion with
your Open Learning Faculty Member. Also, in the unlikely
event that your assignment is lost, you will have an extra copy
of your work. Many student writing manuals today suggest that
students keep copies of all early drafts of their work as well, to
protect themselves against mistaken charges of plagiarism.
As soon as you have submitted your assignment, and while
waiting for your Open Learning Faculty Member to return it,
begin the next module.
When your marked assignment is returned, review your Open
Learning Faculty Member’s comments and queries. Take the
time to carefully go over the marked assignment. If necessary,
reread sections of the textbook or unit commentary that gave
you trouble. What lessons can you apply to your next
assignment? Phone your Open Learning Faculty Member if you

have any questions or problems.
Your Open Learning Faculty Member is responsible for the
grade you receive on an assignment. If you disagree with a
mark, discuss it with your Open Learning Faculty Member right
away. Also, the Open Learning Faculty Member alone decides
whether you may or may not rewrite and assignment. You
should know, however, that it is not customary to allow
revisions of already graded work unless you make a formal
appeal. This is why telephone contact with your Open Learning
Faculty Member before assignment submission is important—
particularly if you are having difficulty
Assignment Instructions
This assignment is worth 12% of your final grade. There are two
parts, short and long answer questions related to your course
readings.
Short Answer Questions
In four or five sentences, briefly answer five of the following
questions. Ten marks each.
1. After reading chapters 13 (America in Black and Green), 14
(Throwaway Society) from the Steinberg textbook and Martin
Melosi’s article, answer the following question:In general, how
would you describe the pattern of energy consumption in the
U.S. in the twentieth century?
2. After reading the article Alan Olmstead and Paul , and
Matthew Eveden outline the role governments’ played in each
case and explain the relative importance of volunteerism in
controlling consumption patterns.
3. Based upon the documentary on “Birth of a Movement” and
Chapter 15 (Shades of Green) from the Steinberg textbook,
explain some of the social, cultural, and political factors that
inspired the modern environmental movement of the 1960s and
1970s?
4. According to Samuel P. Hays and Robert Gottlein, what are
some of the main differences between the conservation
movement and the modern environmental movement?
5. What argument does Steinberg make in the final chapter (In

Corporations We Trust) about the current state of the American
environment and the relationship with growing corporate power.
6. How was the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,
Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report received by the popular
media?
7. How do Matthew Nisbet and Teresa Myers’ view the different
representations of climate change or global warming? How does
Mark Carey? How does Spencer Weart?
Long Answer Questions
Answer two of the following questions. 250-350 words per
question. Twenty-five marks each.
1. Reflecting on the types of energy resources you consume, in
what ways are your consumption patterns influenced by
government, private corporations, and individual choice? Based
on the readings, how effective have governments and private
corporations been in regulating the consumption of energy
resources in the twentieth century and what factors shaped those
regulations?
2. Considering the cultural, political, and economic context of
the 1960s and 1970s in North America, why did events like the
Santa Barbara oil spill, the publication of Silent Spring, and the
Love Canal emergency help lead to emergence of a modern
environmental movement that was different from the earlier
conservation movement?
3. Reflecting back on previous course material on the
conservation movement and the environmental movement, why
has global warming captured the attention of environmentalists,
policy-makers, and the broader public at the turn of the twenty-
first century? How have social and biophysical factors shaped
perceptions of global warming?
The following criteria will be used to evaluate your answers.
Criteria
Weighting
Your response adequately addresses/answers the question.
/10
Your response demonstrates critical and thoughtful reflection on

the readings, videos, and other course materials. It synthesizes
ideas from the course material and includes your own
interpretation/response.
/10
Your response is written in clear, fluent, and technically correct
prose. (Note that the writing is less formal than an essay, so you
may write in the first person.)
/5
Assignment 3
Note

readings.
1. How did Gifford Pinchot’s concept of conservation differ
from John Muir’s concept of preservation? John Muir is in Nash
Roderick`s “Hetch Hetchy”.
2. From Chapter 9 (Death of the Organic City) of Steinberg’s
book, outline the social, cultural, and environmental factors
motivated or prompted the conservation movement.
3. Based upon the Peter Gillis’s and Thomas Roach’s article in

what ways did U.S. conservationists influence the conservation
movement in Canada?
4. From the article by Ted Binnema and Melanie Niemi and the
Nathaniel Langford the superintendent of Yellowstone National
Park, outline the differing views on “squatters” and aboriginals.
5. Analyze the links between “wilderness” as an idea and the
exclusion of Aboriginal and rural Euro-Americans from parks in
the nineteenth century in William Cronon’s essay.
6. According to Karl Jacoby how did the conservation
movement redefine previously accepted consumptive uses of
nature?
7. From Steinberg’s Chapter 9 (Death of the Organic City) and
Martin Melois’s ,what were some of the major forces that led to
the “Death of the Organic City”? Are there elements of the
“organic city” still evident in your own urban environment?
8. From Clay McShane and Joel Tarr’s article, explain how the
use of horses influence the shape of urban areas. How did
humans and horses coexist in cities?
1. In what ways did Pinchot’s concept of conservation
contradict and/or complement earlier approaches to human
interactions with non-human nature through the management of
natural resources?
2. The creation of national parks redefined landscapes according
to a particular ideal of “wilderness.” Reflecting on your own
definition of “squatter,” how did the creation of national parks
redefine the activities of humans who used these landscapes?
What did “wilderness” include and exclude?
3. How does the story of Earth Abides represent nature in the
city? How does this representation reflect or contradict the
place of urban nature in your own community? Based on what
you read in the documents, in what ways has the place of nature
changed in cities over the nineteenth and twentieth centuries?

Criteria
Weighting
/10
/10
/5
Assignment 2
Note

readings.
1. From the Steinberg textbook, Reflections from a Woodlot
explain what were some of the main environmental factors that

impeded or facilitated resettlement.
2. After reading Samuel de Champlain’s Voyages, how do you
think his target audience e shape his writing?
3. Based on Cook’s argument, how important were ecological
factors to survival in the New France colony? How do Virginia
DeJohn Anderson’s findings compare to Ramsay Cook’s?
4. What is Carl Martin’s main argument regarding the impact of
Europeans on the culture of the northeastern Algonquian?
5. In what ways does Charles Bishop refute or contradict Carl
Martin’s thesis? How does Carl Martin respond to his critics?
Do you think his ecological interpretation is sound?
6. From Steinberg’s chapters 5 and 7 and Joyce Chaplin’s
article, explain how access to water shaped power relations in
the U.S. South. What impact did water and agriculture have on
the enslavement of African peoples in this part of North
America?
7. Based upon Donald Worster’s essay and the primary sources
“An Advocate Encounters the Irrigators, 1887” and “An
Advocate Encounters the Irrigators, 1887”, explain how
irrigation was organized in California in the late nineteenth and
early twentieth century? Were there alternatives to the model
chosen?
1. Considering the environmental challenges of resettlement,
how might an environmental history approach change the way
historians think about the colonization of North America by
European peoples?
2. How did the encounter with capitalism through the fur trade
alter the Aboriginal relationship with fur-bearing animals?
3. How did the control over water through the use of different
irrigation technologies alter social power relations in the U.S.
South and West?
4. The following criteria will be used to evaluate your answers.
Criteria

Weighting
/10
/10
/5
Unit One
Assignment 1
file: HIST3991_Smith_Assignment1_14June2014.
Note

readings.
1. Worster’s article uses the term “agroecological perspective.”
What does he mean by this term, and how does this perspective

reflect Worster’s understanding of environmental history?
2. In Crosby’s article, try to chart some of the major changes
and trends in the field of environmental history. How has the
field matured over time? What are some of the dominant
influences of that change?
3. Try to identify what “the problem of the problem of
environmental history” is, according to Sörlin and Warde. What
do they see as the new direction for environmental historians?
4. Based on the readings by (Steinberg, Turner and Peacock,
how would you characterize the Aboriginal relationship with
non-human nature and the environment prior to the arrival of
Europeans in North America?
5. Based on Krech’s reflections, how has the concept of the
“Ecological Indian” continued to influence modern
environmentalism?
6. How does Crosby , try to keep geography in mind. Where
does Crosby concentrate his analysis? What parts of the New
World does he talk about?
7. What do Piper and Sandlos add to Crosby’s arguments? How
does this research challenge the idea of ecological imperialism?
1. What is environmental history and how can it help us re-think
the study of the past? How did your initial thoughts on
environmental history compare to what you read in the articles?
2. Similar to the “Keep America Beautiful” video, find two
additional online sources that represent Aboriginal people along
the lines of the “Ecological Indian” and explain how the
readings reflect or contradict these representations.
3. In what ways can Alfred Crosby’s concept of ecological
imperialism be applied to Canada? How did ecological
imperialism occur differently in Canada compared to the United
States and Central America?
Criteria

Weighting
/10
/10
/5

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