Indian Boarding Schools Essay
Instructions:
You will write a 5-7 page essay (double-spaced, 12-point font) in MLA format. Read Chapter 11, p. 365-381 in your textbook. Refer to this reading and information from Module 6 to write this essay. All quotes from the book and from the provided article links must be cited using simple parenthetical citations. See examples of this style below. The following quotes are from Henry Ward Beecher and Sitting Bull. Read about these men through the links provided in the Interaction section of this module. Then read the following quotes carefully and relate each quote to the mission and activities of the Indian boarding schools. In your essay, be sure to discuss how Henry Ward Beecher and Sitting Bulls’ beliefs and life experiences might have prompted them to issue these quotes. Refer to the essay preparation guide below for specific instructions on how to write this essay. Also, refer to the rubric at the end of this document for grading criteria. “The common schools are the stomachs of the country in which all people that come to us are assimilated within a generation. When a lion eats an ox, the lion does not become an ox but the ox becomes a lion.” ..Henry Ward Beecher “If the Great Spirit had desired me to be a white man he would have made me so in the first place. He put in your heart certain wishes and plans; in my heart he put other and different desires. Each man is good in the sight of the Great Spirit. It is not necessary, that eagles should be crows.” ..Sitting Bull (Teton Sioux) Essay Preparation Guide:
The Indian Boarding School Essay is due in Module 6. This serves as a guide to help you as you prepare to write this essay.
1. As shown on the grading rubric for this essay, grammar errors (including spelling, wording, sentence structure, etc.) will negatively affect your grade. Therefore it is important that you spell check, grammar check and carefully review your essay prior to submitting it. It is helpful to read the essay out loud so that your ears will catch wording errors and awkward sentences that you might not catch when reading the essay silently. Use Smarthinking (via the Tutoring Services link under Course Home) to help you as needed.
2. Carefully read all of the assigned readings for the essay including the textbook and the
information about the authors of the quotes.
3. Carefully review the AVP and all of the module materials related to the Indian Boarding Schools.
4. For this essay you need to think about several things:
Why and how the boarding schools came into existence
The lives of the men who wrote the quotes
What does each quote mean?
And, most importantly, how does each quote relate to what occurred at the boarding schools and how were peoples’ lives affected by what occurred at the boarding schools?
The legacy of the boarding schools
5. It might be easier to write the essay if you organize it in four (4) sections as follows:
Section 2: Explain how the authors’ work and life experiences would have influenced their decisions to take a stand against boarding schools. Then Interpret the quotes (explain what they mean. Section 3: Explain how the words in the quote relate directly to the experiences of the children in the boarding schools. Provide specific examples of the specific things that the children experienced that would have caused the authors of the quotes to write these quotes. The key here is to be specific and provide details that show that you have completed the readings and paid close attention to the module content including the AVP. Section 4 (Conclusion): Provide a brief overview of what you have argued in the essay. For example, you might write, “In conclusion, the Indian Boarding Schools…” or you might write, “What this review of the Indian Boarding Schools shows is…” or you might write, “In closing, the Indian Boarding Schools…” You might discuss the legacy of the boarding schools (were these boarding schools successful? Did they accomplish what they set out to accomplish?) and how this shows that the critics of these schools, like the authors of the quotes, were shown to be correct or incorrect (or a combination of both) based on your interpretation of the readings and the AVP.
6. MLA-style guidance: Some parenthetical citation examples (MLA-style) for the essay:
If you include a quote from the first Americans: A History of Native Peoples, by Kenneth Townsend and Mark Nichols, include the following after the quote which identifies the author of the book and the page number on which the quote can be found:
o (Townsend, 365)
If you include a quote from the Biographical Reference Center’s article on Sitting Bull by John A. Bailey, include the following after the quote:
o (Bailey)
If you include a quote from the Biographical Reference Center’s article on Henry Ward Beecher by Clifford E. Clark, include the following after the quote:
o (Clark)
For the Works Cited page (MLA-style), consider the following:
For the Biographical Reference Center articles, click on the “citation” tab for the complete citation information
For the textbook, include the authors, full title, publisher, and date of publication.
For additional information on MLA-style formatting, click the MLA Guide link under Resources in the course menu.
Submit your Indian Boarding Schools Essay to the Assignment basket no later than Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT of Module 6. (This Assignment may be linked to Turnitin.)
Essay Rubric:
Levels correspond roughly to letter grades (4 = A, 1 = F)
Level Criteria
4
(135-150 pts)
Well-developed thesis directly addressing the topic.
Persuasive analysis of the topic, addressing all parts of the topic; analysis demonstrates thorough understanding of all sides of a question (as appropriate).
Outstanding grasp of general historical issues raised by topic.
Numerous specific examples demonstrate detailed knowledge of relevant history.
Extremely well organized, with a clear introduction, argument, and conclusion.
Well written in appropriate standard English; few grammatical errors or colloquialisms.
3
(120-134 pts)
Clear thesis addressing the topic.
Good analysis of the topic, addressing most parts of the topic; analysis demonstrates understanding of all sides of a question (as appropriate), though may be unevenly developed.
Good grasp of general historical issues raised by topic.
Several specific examples demonstrate good knowledge of relevant history.
Well organized, with an introduction, argument, and conclusion.
Clearly written in appropriate standard English; some grammatical errors or colloquialisms.
2
(90-119 pts)
Thesis indicates some aspect of the topic; more a restatement of than a point about the topic.
Analysis of the topic, addressing most parts of the topic; analysis adequate but unevenly developed.
Some grasp of general historical issues raised by topic, though some significant issues may be omitted.
Some specific examples demonstrate knowledge of relevant history; some clearly relevant examples omitted.
Contains at least two of the following: introduction, argument, and conclusion; organization may be somewhat unclear.
Understandable, but contains several grammatical errors or colloquialisms.
1
(0-89 pts) No discernible thesis and/or serious misunderstanding of the topic.
Descriptive rather than analytical; marginally related to the topic; significant logical gaps.
Little grasp of general historical issues raised by topic.
Few and/or erroneous specific examples demonstrate little knowledge of relevant history.
Poorly organized: no clear introduction, argument, or conclusion.
Pattern of grammatical errors and/or inappropriate colloquialisms.
Total Points Earned: __________/150
