The Washington MILE: Essay Assignment

Description:

During our stay in Washington, we saw and experienced a number of things that spoke to the larger ‘American experience' in the world. From the monuments that we visited, to the museums, to the Canadian embassy to the United States, and the various governmental and cultural sites that we toured, you get a sense of what America regards as its natural ‘place in the world.' Now it is your turn to reflect more deeply on one of those experiences.

You are free to choose a topic that you find interesting and worthy of further exploration, but it should be relevant (if even tangentially) to our visit to Washington. Suggested topics are:

• Current issues in Canadian-American relations
• The Civil Rights Movement
• The Holocaust in history and in memory
• Consumerism in modern America
• War and memory in modern America
• George Washington and his historical legacy
• Thomas Jefferson and his historical legacy
• Architecture and American power

I am open to a creative interpretation of any of these themes, or a theme not listed here, but try as best as you can to keep it relatively on topic.

Structure, Format and Research:

I would like to see a clear thesis statement or question in the opening paragraph of your work. (This lets the reader understand what the writer will be exploring). Remember to keep the rest of the paper focused on this initial thesis statement or question.

The paper should be about 6-7 pages in length, double spaced, 12 pt. font. That is about 1600-1800 words. You should have 7 sources for the final paper. I would suggest using websites and Seneca Library's database when looking for sources. Sources should be specific and relevant to your research. Do not use general, encyclopaedic sources like Wikipedia and online encyclopaedias- they are useful for general research, but shouldn't be cited in your paper. These sources will not be counted towards your ten sources. (Wikipedia is a great place to start your research, but don't use that type of source in your citations).

You should properly cite all of the websites, and articles that you use in your research. I don't mind if a majority of your sources are websites, but I would like to see a journal article, where possible, in your mix of sources. I would also like you to footnote all of your citations as you write. Please email me or see me anytime if you have any questions on this.

Plagiarism:

DO NOT simply cut and paste material from websites into your paper. This constitutes plagiarism, which is a serious academic offense. Plagiarism will result in a ZERO on this paper, at the very least. Please see Seneca's Policy on Plagiarism which is included in the course addendum. Also, see me if you have any questions about what does, and does not, constitute plagiarism.