This assignment is a “think piece,” which is an essay that requires you to interact with a subject and develop your own interpretation based on that experience.  After your initial analysis of

 This assignment is a “think piece,” which is an essay that requires you to interact with a subject and develop your own interpretation based on that experience.  After your initial analysis of a specific topic, you should synthesize that with other outside research to support your ideas.  You should use a minimum of two other scholarly, peer-reviewed resources.

 Specifically for this assignment we will use an interactive map of westward expansion from 1860 to 1890. (See Attached pptx.)

  At the bottom of the map, you will notice the decades 1860, 1870, 1880, and 1890.  Click on each of these decades in succession and you will see the ways in which the country changed. The goal of this assignment is for you to interpret, synthesize, and analyze what you are seeing on the map. You will make a well-organized argument, support that through research, and then write a conclusion for your findings. 

Analysis is the process whereby the researcher separates something into its component parts.  In an analytical essay, the writer examines a subject relative to its own terms, and explains the problem by studying the individual parts.  In contrast, synthesis requires that the researcher examine individual unrelated parts in an effort to discover something new.  A good essay will utilize both analysis and synthesis.  Instead of examining the simple facts of a problem, the writer will go beyond the obvious, making connections between different pieces of evidence to discover something new.

 This essay should be at least three double-spaced pages of text (Times New Roman, font size 12) and you must consult a minimum of two academically credible sources. Bibliographies and citations  be in  APA format. 

 The short paper must include a cover page with your name, course number and course title, instructor's name, and date. You must also include a bibliography at the end of your paper. While composing your paper, use proper English. Do not use abbreviations, contractions, informal language, passive voice, or first/ second person (I, you, we, our, etc). Before submitting your paper, check your grammar and use spell check. Remember, the way you talk is not the way you write a paper.