Instructions: Develop a compare/contrast essay of 750 to 1000 words minimum/maximum with an introduction, body, and conclusion. Include a works cited page.
Be sure to argue a particular point of view in your essay (your thesis) and cite varied examples from the readings in MLA format in order to support your perspective. Please focus on the reading themselves, and avoid using outside sources (particularly open-web sources such as Wikipedia). Whatever you do, DO NOT give me a biography of the author or retell a story.
Compare and contrast two of the tales in the Canterbury Tales. Possible ideas would be to discuss different areas being satirized, tone, and characters. Do not retell two of the stories in this essay but lay out similarities and differences in topic, form, or something else that strikes you as important or relevant. Do not repeat a discussion we have seen in the forum.

A comparison of US and international disaster response. (Are there differences? Similarities? You may want to choose one or two examples from the US and compare with non-US events). paper should be 7-10 pages (not counting cover page and reference list) or about 3500 words.Remember, you are to write as if you are teaching an audience that is invested, but has no prior knowledge of your topic. Give an introduction to the reason the subject is important to our study. Then develop several paragraphs of content: perhaps one for each of three to seven points you think are especially crucial to understanding. (Those three to seven points were probably listed in your introduction!) Develop each paragraph to explain in rich detail the situation and locale/population as appropriate to which the point applies. Recall: Who, What, When, Where, Why, How. Finally, a conclusion that clearly states (reviews) the key aspects of the three to seven points you want the reader /audience to act upon.

Final Paper/Project
Asian American history is, in many ways, social history – history seen from the perspective
of ordinary people. While economic, social, and religious elites have always wielded great
power historically, the consequences of historical changes and transformations are lived by
all people, powerful or not, and ordinary people, in their own ways, have contributed to
those changes and transformations.
The final paper/project addresses the original question we began the class with: in what
ways have the ideas of “Asia” and “America” emerged and been shaped by global historical
forces – capitalism, industrialism/modernity, labor migration, nationalism – and how have
ordinary people made sense of those forces as they’ve come to shape their lives, culture,
and the societies in which they live.
For your project, you will compare the histories/stories of two Asian Americans from the
early twentieth century. You will choose two people from a list of names I will provide,
research their personal and family histories, and write up your findings, situating how they
might have experienced the broad historical changes we have discussed in the course.
Telling their individual stories allows you to frame and illuminate that broader history, while
comparing and contrasting their stories allows you to explore the difference and diversity of
Asian American experiences. Part of what you’ll have to decide is what “Asian American”
means – how Asia and America are related – in the context of their story and history. In
telling their histories, you may and probably want to consult and incorporate materials from
your previous assignments: a) what are/were the conditions of the region and/or country
they came from as well as where they live now; b) what were the specific historical issues
that shaped their lives? how aware were they (and/or their families) about the full
circumstances and conditions of those issues? c) have they lived under the same
circumstances, or have they changed, particularly if they migrated/immigrated?
You may choose one of several formats to present your final project: a conventional paper
(12-15 pages), a web site), a video documentary, or some other type of mixed-media form
that combines aspects of these forms. In that regard, I will demonstrate and explain in-class
an online platform, StoryMaps, that allows you to put your story and any documents you
find on the web. In your choice, remember that certain formats require production and
post-production processes in addition to the thinking that goes into its original treatment.
You are familiar with writing papers on a computer word-processor where once you’ve
organized your thoughts, production is a relatively simple matter of spellchecking,
proofreading, and printing (and stapling and copying). A video documentary may require
writing a script, significant time shooting footage, editing, and other post-production
processes. Keep in mind also that each format differs in the presentation of argument,
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evidence, narrative, and style. Regardless of format, you should turn in all materials you
produce, not just the final version. If you put up a web site, also print out pages with their
respective content and a site map showing the relationships between the different pages.
For a documentary, provide a script, etc. I will arrange a place on the web for all the
papers/projects so everyone will be able to see each others’ papers/projects. So remember
as you are writing/working on them that they will be public, not just for my grading
purposes.
Your projects will be original historical research; in almost every case, the stories you write
will be stories that have never been told or presented. Neither you – nor I – will know
where the person’s story goes or how it turns out. That may make the assignment
frustrating initially, but it will also make it interesting, and hopefully exciting. You will have a
choice between one of two types of people on the lists: a) a picture bride or b) a naturalized
World War One military veteran. Which you choose will give you access to different
information:
• For picture brides, you’ll have information collected by the state of California of
women who arrived via Angel Island in 1918. The list of tabulated information
includes their names, the name of the ship on which they arrived (and on what
date), in some cases, their age, the name (or initial) of their husbands, and the
address where they settled. In some cases you’ll also have a date, which indicates
the date they subsequently had their first child (if it was within a year).
• For WWI veterans, you will have a copy of the naturalization petition they filed
during or after the war. The petition asked a number of questions that the veterans
answered as best they could: where they were born, when, where, and how they
arrived in the United States, did they have wives and/or children, who were their
witnesses, etc.
To begin your project, enter the name(s) of the people you’ve chosen using the respective
Google form for picture brides or WWI veterans, then check against the other Google form
responses to see if someone else has chosen the same person. If you chose a picture bride,
return to your Google form and enter the additional information you have about them from
the picture bride document. If you chose a veteran, e-mail me and I will send you a copy of
their naturalization documents. Using those documents, return to your Google form and
enter the additional information you have about them from those documents. You should
enter this information for each person you include in your project.
From there, you’ll be on your own to research the person. There are several genealogical
sites online that can help you find additional information about them. These include Family
Search (http://FamilySearch.org) and Forebears (http://Forebears.io), which offer free
accounts, and Ancestry (http://Ancestry.com), which is a paid service that offers a free trial.
On these sites, you can find information about when someone arrived, where they lived
(and when they lived there), who they married, what children they had, if and when they
died, etc.
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Most sites will have general guides to finding historical information and you can find other
resources online and in the library for finding historical/genealogical information. You may
have to figure out ways to configure your searches to get this information:
• do you have details about the person, such as their birth date and location, that can
help distinguish them from another person with a similar name?
• might there be an alternative spelling for the person’s name to use in your search?
Once you find information or a historical document about the person, save a copy and
consider what kinds of information it may contain. A marriage license, for instance, often
lists parents and witnesses. A ship manifest may have explanatory notes about relatives,
sponsors, or location. The more information you find about someone, the more clues you
will have to find additional information about them.
Take detailed notes while doing your research. Use them as the basis for a rough draft of
the story you will tell. You may find documents that connect to some of the issues, themes,
and history we’ve discussed in class or in the assigned readings. Feel free to use them as
sources for context in your story.
You do not need to do this research alone. You can ask the reference librarians in Bartle for
their assistance. You are free to help one another, sharing tips about how to find
information, etc. (I have set up a discussion forum on Blackboard for this). You may also ask
questions in class or during my office hours. If it turns out your research isn’t leading to
fruitful results, you may always choose a different person for your project.
Save electronic copies of any documents or photographs you find to include with your
paper or to use in a StoryMaps version of your project.

Assignment Purpose and Objectives: An Annotated Bibliography (“Literature Review”) gathers and summarizes information about your research topic into one document. Its purpose is to create a reference sheet reminding you of your various sources (their relevance to your paper, their research methodologies and data, and their specific arguments). It also preserves a record of research about your topic which may be shared with both your immediate readers and the broader audience the topic may influence and attract (others in your specific field, communities impacted by issues within the scope of your research, etc.). A main objective is to demonstrate your ability to combine citations found in a References List or Works Cited page in APA format with useful annotations (summary explanations) about each of the sources you are using.

Assignment Expectations and Requirements: In a series of clearly written entries on a minimum of three (3) sources, make sure to address the following: • Selectively choose the sources you have determined are most relevant to your topic. • Cite the sources in proper APA format. The citations should be organized in alphabetical order by author just as in an APA References page. • Include a brief summary of the source in your own words (approximately 5-6 sentences), so the reader has a clear idea of the purpose, content, and usefulness of the text. Do not simply copy and paste the article’s abstract (if it has one). • Include a short quotation (no more than one paragraph) from within the source that you are considering using in your paper. • After the summary and quotation, offer a one or two-paragraph explanation of how the source is relevant to your research. This evaluation should be specific. Do not simply say “I think this source is good,” but describe why (“… because it highlights key issue “x”). See the “Useful Prompts” section below for examples of questions you could answer.

Useful Prompts: Consider answering some or all of the following questions to help you write a focused annotation: • Content: What is the resource about? Is it relevant to your research? • Purpose: What is it for? Why was the article or book written? • Usefulness: What does it do for your research (i.e. helps evidence your argument)? • Reliability: Is the information accurate? Do other sources support the conclusions? • Authority: Is it written by someone who has the expertise to author the information? • Currency: Is it new? Is it up-to-date for the topic?

Evaluation Criteria: As you prepare the bibliography for submission, keep in mind the following: Make sure the sources reflect the focus you have developed for your topic/line of inquiry. Utilizing the “Useful Prompts” suggestions, offer thoughtful and complete annotations that address the

“Assignment Expectations and Requirements” listed above. Citations must adhere to APA format. See also the grading rubric on the next page. Length and Formatting: You need at least three (3) sources of various types (articles found on the databases, reputable websites or blogs, etc.), so a minimum of 3-4 pages is necessary. APA format. Typed double-spaced; default 1-inch margins; Times New Roman, font size 12. Include your name, class, and date on the upper left-hand side of the first page. Include page numbers on the lower right-hand side of all pages.