Film Review Paper DR.ROCAL

Each student will write a historical review of a movie based on historical events that occurred during the time period covered by the class (1492-1877).  Students have 900 to 1,100 words to complete this assignment.  Each paper will be submitted electronically (via blackboard and TurnItIn) and will be in MS Word document format.  All papers will be in Times New Roman, 12 font, double spaced with 1 inch margins.  Failure to comply with these regulations will result in reductions to the grade. **Due June 21st at 11:59pm **

Film Choice:

• The film must cover American History as defined by the class from 1492 to 1877.
• The film must be made in the 20th century (ie. The year 2000 and before).

Paper Goals:

The primary goal of this paper is to get the student to begin thinking and writing like a historian.  Students will need to watch their respective films multiple times.  Students will also have to briefly engage in the history of the era in which the film was written and produced, requiring them to consider the backgrounds of the writers, producers, director, and possibly the actors.  Doing this will require students not only to research the history of the events depicted in the film, but they will also have to examine the history of the era in which the film was created, and further engage with the history of the history being portrayed in the film, known as the Historiography.

Basic Paper Criteria:

• The paper will be 900 to 1,100 words
• The paper will be submitted as a MS Word Document
  • Font: Times New Roman
  • Font Size: 12 point
  • Margins: 1 inch on all sides
  • Double spaced
  • Page numbers centered at bottom of each page.
• The paper will use the Chicago or Turabian writing manuals
• The paper will have a title page (not included in word count) and will consist of:
  • Title
  • Student’s Name
  • The date it is handed in
  • Word count
• The paper will have a properly formatted Bibliography (not included in the word count)
• The paper must be based on at least four factual sources: One will be the film itself.  Therefore students will have to find three additional factual sources to use in writing their papers.

Basic paper layout:

• Introduction paragraph(s)
  • State your thesis
  • Introduce the title of the film being reviewed
  • Lay out the structure of your argument
• Body (Minimum 3 Paragraphs)
  • Make your argument
  • Be sure to support your argument with facts and references
  • The instructor is not interested in your ‘opinion’, but rather in an argument based in fact
• Conclusion
  • Briefly restate your argument
  • State your fact based conclusion clearly

Grading Criteria: