Two papers based on the class reading will be required. These are to be critical essays. They are due on Session 6 and Session 11. They shall be no longer than 7 pages; no creative line-spacing, margins, or character formats please.
The papers are meant to be think pieces, but not day-dreaming pieces. The first paper covers the foundational conceptual material of the course. This paper could take one or more arguments apart and examine them for logical consistency, completeness, clarity, and evidence. It could compare and contrast two or more theoretical arguments according to several of the aforementioned criteria. It could apply one or more theories to a substantive problem already well known to the student (and thus requiring no further research), as a vehicle toward a critique of the theoretical arguments. The second paper covers the substantive material on World War I. Thus it should involve application of the theoretical and conceptual material from part I of the course, to some of the World War I case material. The most self organizing and straightforward approach would test one or more theories against some of this case material. Extra reading is permitted but not required for this paper. Students should review the topics of these papers with me. The best way to do so is to send me a brief one paragraph summary of the plan.