Comparison Essay

Document Comparison Essay Rubric:
(100 points total). You will upload your document comparison assignment to the D2L Dropbox at the end of the semester by Saturday, May 2nd, by 11:59 pm, CST. This assignment will be at least two-full-pages of text, typed and double-spaced. This short essay will compare the perspectives shown in three documents described below. Keep in mind historical context from the textbook and PowerPoint slides. Students will draw on the respective document readings to craft a well-reasoned argument paper that addresses the prompt (see the Rubric below). The specific documents are provided on the Content folder in D2L under the tab “Comparison Essay Rubric & Documents”. This short essay is a significant part of your grade for this course; not doing the essay will seriously affect your grade.
Document Comparison Essay Due in the Dropbox by Sat., May 2nd, by 11:59 pm, CST:
Documents:

Kipling, Rudyard. “The White Man’s Burden: The United States & The Philippine Islands,
1899.” Rudyard Kipling’s Verse: Definitive Edition. Garden City, New York: Doubleday, 1929.

Beveridge, Albert. “March of the Flag – September 16, 1898.” National Humanities Center.
www.nationalhumanitiescenter.org.

Schurz, Carl. “Platform of the American Anti¬-Imperialist League.” Speeches, Correspondence,
and Political Papers of Carl Schurz. Vol. 6, Edited by Frederick Bancroft. NY: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1913.

Prompt: Each of these documents offers perspectives on how colonial powers viewed empire building and colonized peoples. Each provides an opinion about empire building. Utilizing at least one example from each document, establish how each author perceived the people they described, either positively or negatively, then argue which of the authors, if any, appeared to try to understand the perspective of those being colonized.
The following rubric will be used to evaluate the Document Comparison Assignment:
Form (1-30 points) The paper will be at least two full pages of text. Paper format includes a title, bibliographic information, introduction, body, and conclusion. Include logical organization, clarity, and structure, full paragraphs and basic formatting such as 12-point font, double space and one-inch margins. You must use parenthetical “in-text” citations. Using (Kipling), (Beveridge) and (Schurz) in parentheses at the end of a paraphrased or quoted sentence will be necessary. For block quotes four lines and over, indent left margin five space. For more information on this style, consult the Purdue University Owl Citation website at:
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_in_text_citations_the_basics.html
Content (1-50 points) Strong, descriptive thesis statement and introductory paragraph, evidence of student’s own ideas and unique insights, follow through of argument in the paper, direction rather than a loose assemblage of facts. I will expect to see description and analysis as well as at least one direct comparison between the three documents. Include a strong conclusion that restates the thesis.
Grammar (1-20 points) spelling and sentence structure, Utilize consistent verb tense throughout, namely the past tense for history papers. Avoid passive voice. For example, do not write, “They were going.” Instead, write, “They went.” This makes your writing more active and direct.