The Reflection Essay 1 is designed to have students draw on the course lectures and readings to demonstrate their comprehension of American history. The primary criterion for assessment and grading is how well the essay incorporates the course lectures and the course primary source documents (In-Class Assignments). The secondary criterion for assessment and grading will be how well the essay utilizes Give Me Liberty to support its argument. 1) Select ONE essay prompt: What challenges did English colonists encounter in founding the Chesapeake Bay (Virginia and Maryland) and New England? What roles did indentured servitude and slavery play in the development of the English colonies? What are some of the key events that led to the American Revolution, and what role did loyalism play? To what degree did the war affect gender, race, and class relations after the war? 2) In a 950-1150-word essay, address your selected topic by drawing ONLY from our course content: lectures, Give Me Liberty, and Voices of Freedom. Please present your own words and ideas. This essay tests the student’s ability to demonstrate comprehension of course materials: Essays that use resources external to this course (Wikipedia, online essays, Chat GPT, etc.) will automatically be scored as a zero. In the most egregious cases of plagiarism, students can be referred to the Dean of Student Services for administrative review. 3) Essays must discuss one reference from Give Me Liberty, one reference from the course primary sources (In Class Assignment documents), and one reference from the course lectures, a total of three separate references that support the essay. All references require citations in the same paragraph where the references are being discussed (this tells the reader which reference is connected to which claims in your essay): When citing from the course primary sources (In Class Assignment documents), use the following format: (Document Author, “Document Title,” Date of Publication). When citing a lecture, use the following format: (Hickey, IVC Lecture, date of lecture). When citing Give Me Liberty, use the following format: (Foner, Give Me Liberty, Chapter title or page #). Important: When citing course materials, try to PARAPHRASE in your own words what you understand the content to mean. Minimal direct quotes are acceptable, but paraphrasing is preferred because this allows your voice and analysis to lead the way. After you paraphrase (or quote directly), provide a citation directly after the source you are analyzing: EXAMPLE: According to the lecture, European explorers initially set out to sail for Japan, China, and India. They did so to avoid paying the high fees charged by Arab traders for goods traded from the Far East. What Europeans did not realize was that the North and South American continents lay between Europe and Asia (Hickey, IVC Lecture, 1/24/2025). EXAMPLE: Eric Foner argues that, unlike in the Virginia Colony, where single, indentured men predominated, the English who migrated to New England arrived as family groups and could afford their own passage to the New World (Foner, Give Me Liberty, Ch. 2). EXAMPLE: Thomas Paine published “Common Sense” in 1776, which presented arguments in favor of the American Revolution. Making his aversion to monarchy the centerpiece of his argument, Paine contended that hereditary aristocracy had no place in a modern republic in which no one was born to rule over others (Thomas Paine, “Common Sense,” 1776). 4) Although not required, I recommend the following format: three (or four) paragraphs: introduction, body, and conclusion. The introduction tells the reader what the essay is about and what it will argue, and provides some essential background. The second (or third) chapter includes the evidence (course references) and analysis of those references. The third paragraph should wrap up the essay with a conclusion and connect back to the main claims made in the Intro paragraph. Carefully review your final draft before submission. Does it flow and make sense? Having a trusted friend or family member read a preliminary draft can help identify unclear passages. The highest-scoring essays will thoughtfully address the prompt questions by analyzing evidence from the course lectures and readings, explaining why the evidence supports the essay, and will be free of grammar/formatting/spelling errors. No separate Works Cited or Bibliography is required. 5) Essays must be submitted directly into the text entry box for this assignment. DO NOT SUBMIT ATTACHED FILES OF ANY KIND. Students can write their essays in Word/Google Docs/Other and copy and paste them into the text box. However, correct any formatting errors before submitting to Canvas. 6) Reflection Essay 1 is due to Canvas on APRIL 22, by 11:59 PM. For students seeking assistance with drafting basic essays, please contact the IVC Writing CenterLinks to an external site.. Grading Rubric: 90-100: The essay expertly addresses the prompt question and demonstrates a clear command of the course themes and materials. This essay’s claims are strongly supported by evidence drawn from course materials, and each reference is evaluated and analyzed. All references are cited correctly and directly after they appear in the essay. The essay is free of grammar/spelling/formatting errors. 80-89: The essay ably addresses the prompt question and demonstrates a general understanding of the course themes and materials. This essay’s claims are supported by evidence drawn from course materials, but some references may lack evaluation and analysis. This essay may be missing a required reference or citation. Some grammar/spelling/formatting errors may be present. 70-79: The essay introduces some background or general context but does not comprehensively address the prompt question. It demonstrates only a partial command of the course themes. References may not be thoroughly evaluated or analyzed. This essay may be missing multiple references or citations. This essay may not meet the minimum required content (word length). Numerous grammar/spelling/formatting errors may be present. 69-below: The essay does not meet the minimum requirements stated in the prompt. This essay does not meet the minimum required content (word length). The essay does not demonstrate a command of course themes or course materials to support the essay claims. It may be missing multiple references or use external sources. Numerous grammar/spelling/formatting errors may be present. The essay is an incomplete draft. Please email me with any questions.