Please read Chapter III of Rampolla's Pocket Guide to Writing In History (pp. 24-50). Comment here on that third chapter. What here strikes you as particularly important? Is there anything you hadn't thought of before? Anything you disagree with?
Please also note at least one historian or historical work that you think is a particular good example of a historian going about their task well.
An idea that seemed important to me in this chapter is asking questions about the text that I am reading. I have often found myself reading and just taking everything in without question because I always assume that someone smarter and more experienced than me should never be questioned, especially if I am reading their work for a paper that I am writing. Well, I have come to the conclusion that I should be actively asking questions about what they write, not out of disrespect for the author, but to better my understanding of what they are trying to teach me. I feel as though it helps everyone in the long run!
ReplyDeleteSomething I haven't thought of before was writing as I read. Whenever I do research and read different works by different authors, I always make a mental note to come back and quote them, but I either (1) always forget, or (2) forgot why I found that particular quote so important. I have always tried to take notes while reading so I can use them in my papers, but I feel as though I should try writing a paragraph that only makes sense to me and helps me remember what that page or paragraph or whatever it may be is about. This will help me tremendously when I go back and try to piece my thoughts and paragraphs together into a cohesive paper.
There isn't anything I really disagree with.
A historian that comes to mind that goes about their task well is Mark Kurlansky. One of his more famous books, "Cod: The Fish That Changed the World," he does an excellent job of making it feel less like reading a textbook for a class and more like reading a story on my own time. He makes it so it feels less like a chore.
I particularly liked when the author talked about reading in history you need to make sure you are doing certain tasks to accomplish. The author states that when reading a history book you need to evaluate its usefulness, analyze its significance, and synthesize all of your reading into one coherent picture of the topic you are studying. I like how she goes over tips when reading a history book as well. It's important to know how to read and understand history books.
ReplyDeleteI also liked how the author yet again gave us tips. Writing as you read tips are very important for young historians like us. These tips are on page 28 of the book if you are wanting to find them. We also get examples later in the book which is very important and helpful for us.
This chapter is very long and goes into very good detail of many different forms of history papers and gives us tips on how to read and write on them. There is nothing I disagree with in this chapter.
A historian that I like is Herodotus. This may be an easy one to choose but he is the Father of History. Without him we may not have history as we do today. He practically made what history is today.
One thing that strikes me particularly important in this chapter is having the ability to actively read a source. You can't read history passively and expect to absorb all of the information that is thrown at you. you have to analyze each sentence and remain in dialogue with the text as you go. Reading actively is a very important skill when it come to historiography.
ReplyDeleteThis chapter also touched on using secondary sources. "Books and articles in which historians analyze and interpret primary sources in order to reconstruct some aspect of the past - are also extremely valuable for studying history" (38). Often times when writing history, you always want to use primary sources, but it's also important not to forget about secondary sources because they can contain a lot of information as well.
I did not disagree with anything in this chapter. A historian that I like is Stephen Ambrose. I enjoyed reading his book that recounts D-Day.
I found important in this chapter was writing as you read. Writing as you read "can help you locate important or confusing passages that you want to return to later" (Rampolla 27). Being able to write quick notes or flag a section can help to come back to that section and pick up were you left off. I do this so when coming back to that section I can remember what I had trouble with in that section. Like what was I thinking about while reading. Another thing that was important was their section on summaries. Especially writing the summary in your own words. But also phrases should be in your own words and not from the text.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I didn't think about is writing about film. I did not consider that documentaries are secondary sources. Because they "use primary sources and commentaries on those sources by various authors to construct a narrative of historical figures or events" (Rampolla 42). Which is something that I did not think of or even thought was possible.
What strikes me as important and something I hadn’t really thought of before in Chapter III of Rampolla's Pocket Guide to Writing In History is the distinction the text makes between different sorts of historical projects. This chapter explains the differences between summaries, annotated bibliographies, an analysis of a single source, comparative papers, critiques, book reviews, and histotrophic essays. The chapter goes on to explain how summaries and annotated bibliographies are mainly used to understand the sources a writer is using while the book explains that “Whatever the specifics of your assignment, a single-source analysis asks you to examine a primary source in depth, often without reference to the work of other historians, in order to determine what it can tell you about the people and the period you are studying.” (Ramppolla pp. 31-32) In comparison, comparative essays analyze single sources then compare them against each other to see how they are related. On the other hand, when writing critiques and book reviews, the text explains that “Rather, when writing a review or critique, you not only report on the content of the text and your response to it but also assess its strengths and weaknesses. (Rampolla pp. 38-39).
ReplyDeleteFinally, I don’t know if this really counts as a historical work, but I have always found the Horrible Histories TV show to be a very entertaining and informative historical work which manages to marry historical fact and entertainment very successfully. Every episode I learn something new and I want to keep watching. However, in terms of more “serious” historical works I would say that May Watts’ “Reading of the Landscape of America” is a very informative and unique look at the history of land in America. Much like Horrible Histories, this work is both informative and entertaining and makes you want to keep reading to see what new insights Watts offers.
I think one of the more important ideas in this chapter was to identify a thesis. You really get the context of a source or document if you understand what they are trying to analyze or find. mindlessly picking out facts won’t help your research because you might find information with the wrong context. The author also states,”To do your best work in history, you need to become an active reader. In contrast to passive readers, active readers are engaged in a dialogue with the text” (Rampolla 25). Understanding context and knowing what is being discussed is crucial to finding the information you really need. I think the example of the Scopes trial was good in explaining what questions to ask and how to write a comparative essay. Focusing on a thesis rather than spitting out facts is important for writing comparative essays, as there is no takeaway without a solid argument to elaborate on.
ReplyDeleteI did not think feature films could be so useful in studying history, but the author proved me wrong. Rampolla states, “This points to an important consideration: all feature films can be viewed as primary sources for the cultural and social history of the period in which they were made” (Rampolla 43). Feature films can be useful for the ideas and perspectives people weave into film, even if the plot and story has no relevance when it comes to history. You can learn a lot about people through art and objects.
There was not anything I disagreed with in this chapter, as it was very helpful in helping me understand more about writing historical essays, examining sources, and even taking history exams.
One Historian who went about their task well was Herodotus. I read his "Histories" for a class and the fact that he provided specific sources, although not the most reliable, is just what a historian should do. Not only did he back himself up, but he visited the places he wrote about, and respected others’ culture. I think Herodotus was a historian who set the stage for many others in the future.
One thing the I found important, was how the chapter pointed out the importance of writing in the margins of a book. Even though I have taken multiple English classes and my professors have encouraged me to make notes in the margins, it’s just not something I do that often. To me it just makes the book seem cluttered and a mess, but I must admit I do see how it is very helpful to have those little notes to go along with the reading. On page 41 of the reading, it says that when approaching a historical movie or a documentary, to treat it like a written text. This is something I had really never thought of.
ReplyDeleteI historical work that I think is particularly impressive is Homer’s “The Odyssey.” I read this in high school and I remember that it stuck out to me. When it comes to secondary sources, I think that Jane Austen’s books also contain good examples. Her books show what life would have been like for women in the eighteen hundreds. Although yes, her writings are not primary historical works.
-Bridget Fuhrmann
The most important thing I read in this chapter was writing about the reading you just read. As a notetaker, I find it very important to write notes as you read, mark the page you found some important or interesting information with sticky notes, or highlight it. I hadn't thought about writing in the margins before because I do not like writing in books because in my mind, it ruins the book, so that is something I kind of disagree with as well. I feel like it is alright to do it, but I feel like you could go about writing/note taking in a better way.
ReplyDeleteSomething that was important to me in this chapter was when Rampolla talked about how to actively read. I throughly enjoyed how she went through the different aspects of active reading and broke each of them down. My favorite part was when Rampolla said, "Active readers are physically active" (27). It's also something that I need to work on. I know that when someone does critical reading, they should take notes; I never take notes and I need to work on it. Like all the other chapters, I think Rampolla does a good job and I have no disagreements.
ReplyDeleteA historical work that I think does a great job is The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East by Sandy Tolan. I think Tolan shows us in this book how he does a fantastic job with modern history. He wanted to share the story of Israel/Palestine from an inside perspective and did many interviews and searching to find the right story and when he did, he met with and talked with the people who would be subjects of his book in telling their story wholly and accurately.
After reading chapter 3 Rampolla I think the idea of reading actively as well as writing in history is so important as a history major or even a history teacher. I think the most important part of the chapter was right in the beginning. "You must also evaluate its usefulness, analyze its significance, and synthesize all of your reading into one coherent picture of the topic you are studying" (Rampolla 25). This is very important because these small things are what make effective history papers. There is nothing i disagree with in this chapter of Rampolla.
ReplyDeleteI know the topic of communism is very controversial especially in today's society. But a historian I chose is Karl Marx and his work with the "Communist Manifesto". This work was able to show important ideas as well as philosophies that. Because Rampolla has so many ideas that are shown in Karl Marx works as well as other famous peoples works
The most important thing I took away from this chapter as a reader was writing down what you read. I think this is important because putting thoughts on what one is thinking into words greatly helps remember what you read, as well as help more creative thoughts pop into the head as one is writing down the reading. It also helps with sparking new thoughts, as when I write I usually find it helpful to spark new thoughts if I write down what I am thinking. As we talked about in class, sometimes just writing down words helps with sparking thoughts as well, a similar thought.
ReplyDeleteThere were two aspects of this chapter that I found to be particularly important. The first of which is making sure to be actively reading the source material, especially when it is going to be used for one's own writing. Secondly, the reader has to be questioning everything that they're reading - whether that be for accuracy, importance, or being able to succinctly depict what the writing is trying to get across.
ReplyDeleteI very much enjoy reading Charles Dew's writings. I think he does a wonderful job of writing in a scholarly manner while not losing touch with the story that he's trying to tell. It makes reading his books infinitely easier and more enjoyable.