California History Musical

"The greatest question musical dramatists must answer is: does the story I am telling sing? Is the subject sufficiently off the ground to compel the heightened emotion of bursting into song? Will a song add a deeper understanding of character or situation?" - Stuart Ostrow, A Producer's Broadway Journey

Helpful link: Making Sense of American Popular Song
 

PURPOSE:  Why produce a "California History Musical?"  The overall objectives are to 1) develop your own premise (overall "greater truth") on a required subject (California History) that you might well be asked to teach one day while 2) making use of evidence (primary sources in these songs--a portion of one song from each of the seven historical eras in the book) to sustain your argument as you 3) do this in a creative fashion by telling your story as a musical to bring history alive.  Then an added bonus is yours will be so good that soon it will be produced on Broadway!

When Jerome Robbins agreed to direct the original Fiddler On The Roof, he asked the authors a crucial question: "What is your show about?" They answered that it was about a Russian Jewish milkman and his family, and Robbins told them to think again. He wanted to know what the emotional core of the show was, the internal force that would drive the action and touch audiences both intellectually and emotionally. (Many academics call this core the premise.) Eventually, the authors realized that the show was really about family and tradition, and about what happens when a way of life disappears. This not only gave them the idea for a magnificent opening number ("Tradition") -- it also gave what could have been a very parochial show irresistible universal appeal.  Using that as our basis, what's your premise for your California History Musical? 

When writing a musical, you must eventually figure out your premise, what your show is really about. Then you must make sure that every element of your material (the portions of the seven songs--one from each era in the songbook) fits in with and serves that premise.  You have a slew of songs provided you in the California Songbook, but there is no overall unifying theme or premise besides a relation to California.  Your task--as is the task of the historian--is to make sense of these disparate facts and forge an overall meaning--and tell a great story with song!

PAPER TITLE: 
Option I: "California History Musical"
Option II: your preferred title

ASSIGNMENT.  You are to write what is called a "treatment" for a musical about California History.  Your treatment will include a part of one song from each of the seven historical eras in the California Songbook (so it's not the whole song but a key portion and your story will be comprehensive and not just focus on one moment in CA history).  The songs for this are provided you in the California Songbook, but you have to select one from each of the seven historical eras to make for a comprehensive overview of California history. 
   Your treatment is not the complete musical nor the complete songs.  The treatment is just trying to provide the key elements of the story that could later be more fully developed.
   It's up to you how you want to structure the story; e.g., with a person traveling through time; a person having a series of dreams; etc.

DUE DATE:  A hard-copy is submitted the day you take the final exam.  Late paper penalty is less one letter grade for each 24 hours after the end of the scheduled exam time.  NOTE:  This paper will not be returned to you; instead it will be kept on file to prevent the re-using of papers in the future.  Keep a copy for yourself.   

FORMAT: A 6-8 page (typed, doubled-spaced; regular margins) argumentative essay with at least ten (10) footnotes (see below) that are in part derived from at least TWO outside sources (i.e., besides reading material assigned in this course).

TUTOR.  Tutor is not a bad word.  We can all benefit from having someone read our writing.  Since form will be a portion of the grade, take the time to present your work correctly; i.e;  spelling, grammar, punctuation, paragraphs, organization etc.  Take advantage of the pre-paid tutors available to you.

ASSIGNMENT OBJECTIVES

ASSIGNMENT ASSUMPTIONS.  This assignment is based upon several assumptions that include: INSPIRING TEACHERS.  One of the reasons that you are pondering a career in teaching likely includes the inspiration one of your former teachers gave you.  The core of this inspiration derives from that person's ability to communicate something genuine or of value to you.  Thus is follows that inspirational teachers are people who are genuine; i.e., they are people who know what they believe and they can clearly articulate it. GOOD TEACHING.  Good teachers find a way to communicate their message both directly and indirectly.  They have developed tactics that allow them to get students "hooked" by the material.  They have mastered the science & art of persuasion. SUBJECTIVE V. OBJECTIVE.  The goal of the historian is to seek objectivity, but as human beings we all possess degrees of subjectivity (i.e., bias, pre-formed beliefs, working assumptions).  Thus what is essential to the practice of history is self-awareness of our subjective assumptions that might impede our pursuit of an objective view. LIBERAL ARTS EDUCATION.  The ideal of a Liberal Arts education is to provide students an opportunity to broaden their horizons.  Your college years are thus not just about preparing yourself for a career.  That in contrast would be a trade-school (e.g., culinary/cooking school where you go to learn/specialize in one thing).  Instead, these years are also a time to explore what they think about yourself and the world around you. CALIFORNIA HISTORY.  This assignment assumes you have a degree of knowledge regarding California history.  There are many outlets for this by either checking out sources as the library or going online.  Click here for a brief overview of California history.

ASSIGNMENT OBJECTIVES.  This final writing assignment aims to accomplish multiple objectives that include: TAKE-HOME.  To demonstrate that the student can craft a coherent, well argued thesis that follows the guidelines of an argumentative essay.  This allows students an opportunity to demonstrate their abilities with a take-home assignment free from the time-constraints of an in-class examination.  STAND-ALONE.  To demonstrate that the student can work independently to apply their skills.  You have all term to prepare this paper and need not wait for a specific moment in class because the assignment is self-contained; i.e., you can start on this paper during the first week because it runs independent from the other course content. SELECTION.  To demonstrate the student's ability to make judgments/selections of material.  The McNeil text includes dozens of songs.  It is not feasible to address all of them, so you will be called upon to concentrate on one song from each section that you find most engaging--you pick what you want to write about. PRIMARY SOURCE ANALYSIS.  To demonstrate the student's ability to analyze and interpret primary sources.  Historians are called upon to analyze and interpret what are termed primary source documents.  In this assignment, the primary sources are collected for you in the McNeil text.  See the box below for guidelines for analyzing documents. APPLICATION.  To weave a coherent narrative that blends seven songs as a comprehensive overview of California history.  Most of our evaluations of historical issues are derived from our value system, so the History Thinking Machine must be cognizant of his/her views. FOOTNOTES / CITATIONS.  To demonstrate the ability to utilize and cite sources for the purposes of making an argument.  The historian's craft is dependent upon providing the reader the opportunity to verify specific points of the argument.  A minimum of ten footnotes is required for this assignment (see below for guidelines). OUTSIDE SOURCES.  To demonstrate the ability to independently locate relevant sources.  The course material is drawn from the assigned texts and is self-contained in that sense.  This assignment, meanwhile, will require you to locate a minimum of two outside sources (i.e., two sources besides those assigned for this class though you can use them as an additional source). CREATIVITY.  To demonstrate that student's have the ability to be creative in the presentation of their material.  Note that part of the scoring is based upon not only your analysis but your creativity.

CA Click here for on overview / review of California history

CONTENT REQUIREMENTS

PART  1.  Introduction.  Here in one or more paragraphs, you state your thesis.  What story of California will you be telling?  What would you like the reader to know/believe about California?  Is the story of California one of oppression or opportunity?  Is it the land of dreams or nightmares? etc. DO NOT assume that Dr. Y is the reader; assume the reader is a fellow college student not familiar with California history and explain things accordingly. What value[s] / vision are you basing your judgment on?  Show responsible judgment by clearly articulating your standards of judgment.  Here for example is an introduction that makes clear what is being discussed and the value of judgment being used highlighted below: Christmas calls for good will toward men, kissing under mistletoe and gift-giving.  Thanksgiving requires a family gathering, delicious turkey and pumpkin pie for dessert.  All Halloween asks of us, is that we eat lots of brain-damaging candy, dress up like a bunch of deranged freaks and watch movies in which people have sex and are butchered into bloody bits.  Santa can keep his bag of toys, and I'll pass on the cranberry sauce; for my money, Halloween is where the fun is. --Aaron Mento, Daily Aztec 2004

PART 2:  Argumentative Essay--your position and how the seven songs make the case for you  What do you believe and why?  Here you will elaborate on your position regarding these issues using sources to back up your argument.  Verification.  Include at least TWO outside sources (two not assigned for this course).  What can you find on websites or in books, newspapers, etc. that substantiates your thesis?  Include direct, select portions of these in your paper.  These selections (and keep them concise) need to be well introduced and linked to your thesis statement. Here you will use concise portions of the song to make your case; do not assume that you must reproduce every word from each song. Note that these selections are about what you believe and want to communicate--not what you think others will allow or disallow. Analyzing/Using Evidence

PART 3:  CONCLUSION.  Restatement of thesis, the issues discussed, and how you have made your case to the reader.  What have these seven songs taught us about California history?

See also the History Department's The Three Parts of a History Paper

CA Click here for on overview / review of California history

FOOTNOTE GUIDELINES

Source: http://www.princeton.edu/pr/pub/integrity/pages/citing.html Chicago Format for Citations WHY CITATIONS? • To acknowledge your dependence on another person's ideas or words, and to distinguish clearly your own work from that of your sources. • To receive credit for the research you have done on a project, whether or not you directly quote or borrow from your sources. • To establish the credibility and authority of your knowledge and ideas. • To place your own ideas in context, locating your work in the larger intellectual conversation about your topic. • To permit your reader to pursue your topic further by reading more about it. • To permit your reader to check on your use of the source material. WHY FOOTNOTES?  There are various styles of citations.  Historians usually make use of the Chicago Style (see below for samples).  We use this style because of: quick access (the information is there at the bottom of the page vs. endnotes where you have to keep flipping to the end) elaboration (allows you to further develop select points that would take you away from the main narrative). The MLA style, for example, does not allow for this tangential discussion. WHAT NOT TO FOOTNOTE.  It is not necessary to footnote what is referred to as "common knowledge."  Succinctly, if you can find it in the World Book Encyclopedia, then it is common knowledge. WHAT SHOULD YOU FOOTNOTE.  There are five basic rules that apply to all disciplines and should guide your own citation practice. Even more fundamental, however, is this general rule: when in doubt whether or not to cite a source, do it. You will certainly never find yourself in trouble if you acknowledge a source when it is not absolutely necessary; it is always preferable to err on the side of caution and completeness. Better still, if you are unsure about whether or not to cite a source, ask your professor or preceptor for guidance before submitting the paper. 1. Direct Quotation. Any verbatim use of the text of a source, no matter how large or small the quotation, must be clearly acknowledged. Direct quotations must be placed in quotation marks or, if longer than three lines, clearly indented beyond the regular margin. The quotation must be accompanied, either within the text or in a footnote, by a precise indication of the source, identifying the author, title, and page numbers. Even if you use only a short phrase, or even one key word, you must use quotation marks in order to set off the borrowed language from your own, and cite the source. 2. Paraphrase. If you restate another person’s thoughts or ideas in your own words, you are paraphrasing. Paraphrasing does not relieve you of the responsibility to cite your source. You should never paraphrase in the effort to disguise someone else’s ideas as your own. If another author’s idea is particularly well put, quote it verbatim and use quotation marks to distinguish his or her words from your own. Paraphrase your source if you can restate the idea more clearly or simply, or if you want to place the idea in the flow of your own thoughts. If you paraphrase your source, you do not need to use quotation marks. However, you still do need to cite the source, either in your text or a footnote. You may even want to acknowledge your source in your own text ("Albert Einstein believed that…"). In such cases, you still need a footnote. 3. Summary. Summarizing is a looser form of paraphrasing. Typically, you may not follow your source as closely, rephrasing the actual sentences, but instead you may condense and rearrange the ideas in your source. Summarizing the ideas, arguments, or conclusions you find in your sources is perfectly acceptable; in fact, summary is an important tool of the scholar. Once again, however, it is vital to acknowledge your source -- perhaps with a footnote at the end of your paragraph. Taking good notes while doing your research will help you keep straight which ideas belong to which author, which is especially important if you are reviewing a series of interpretations or ideas on your subject. 4. Facts, Information, and Data. Often you will want to use facts or information you have found in your sources to support your own argument. Certainly, if the information can be found exclusively in the source you use, you must clearly acknowledge that source. For example, if you use data from a particular scientific experiment conducted and reported by a researcher, you must cite your source, probably a scientific journal or a Web site. Or if you use a piece of information discovered by another scholar in the course of his or her own research, you must acknowledge your source. Or perhaps you may find two conflicting pieces of information in your reading -- for example, two different estimates of the casualties in a natural catastrophe. Again, in such cases, be sure to cite your sources. Information, however, is different from an idea. Whereas you must always acknowledge use of other people’s ideas (their conclusions or interpretations based on available information), you may not always have to acknowledge the source of information itself. You do not have to cite a source for a fact or a piece of information that is generally known and accepted -- for example, that Woodrow Wilson served as president of both Princeton University and the United States, or that Avogadro’s number is 6.02 x 1023. Often, however, deciding which information requires citation and which does not is not so straightforward. Refer to the later section in this booklet, Not-So-Common Knowledge, for more discussion of this question. 5. Supplementary Information. Occasionally, especially in a longer research paper, you may not be able to include all of the information or ideas from your research in the body of your own paper. In such cases, you may want to insert a note offering supplementary information rather than simply providing basic bibliographic information (author, title, date and place of publication, and page numbers). In such footnotes or endnotes, you might provide additional data to bolster your argument, or briefly present a alternative idea that you found in one of your sources, or even list two of three additional articles on some topic that your reader might find of interest. Such notes demonstrate the breadth and depth of your research, and permit you to include germane, but not essential, information or concepts without interrupting the flow of your own paper. In all of these cases, proper citation requires that you indicate the source of any material immediately after its use in your paper. For direct quotations, the footnote (which may be a traditional footnote or the author’s name and page number in parenthesis) immediately follows the closing quotation marks; for a specific piece of information, the footnote should be placed as close as possible; for a paraphrase or a summary, the footnote may come at the end of the sentence or paragraph. Simply listing a source in your bibliography is not adequate acknowledgment for specific use of that source in your paper. For international students, it is especially important to review and understand the citation standards and expectations for institutions of higher learning in the United States. AUTOMATIC FOOTNOTE INSERTION.  Inserting footnotes is quite easy using current computer software programs.  For example, in Microsoft Word you click on the "Insert" link on the top menu bar and then in the pop-up menu you have "footnote" as a selection and you click there.  Type footnote in your program's help section for specifics.  The number automatically comes up and now you just type in the data following the examples below and the program automatically inserts it at the bottom of your page.   QUALITY OF RESEARCH.  You will be evaluated on the quality of your selected sources.  A batch of websites is not very impressive; traditional books and articles [on the shelves in libraries] are recommended.  Again, DO NOT simply rely on Internet sources.  Note that the minimum number of footnotes does not mean that you need that many different sources; some of course can be repeated and others used.     FOOTNOTE SAMPLES.  There are various ways that your work can be documented/cited and you probably learned one or more ways of doing this for another class.  Historians prefer the Chicago style and we will utilize that format in this paper assignment.  A footnote number should come at the end of the sentence.  Sometimes, you might want to combine several footnotes together at the end of a paragraph.  Please follow these guidelines as you reference your sources at the bottom of the page: IF A BOOK:  author, title, city and publisher, page number.  For example: Ronald T. Takaki, Iron Cages:  Race and Culture in Nineteenth-Century America (New York:  Alfred Knopf Publ., 1979): 2.     IF AN ARTICLE:  author, title, journal title, volume and page number.  For example: Ronald T. Takaki, “Within the ‘Bowels’ of the Republic,” Journal of History Vol XX, No. 5: 4.     IF AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OR DICTIONARY:  Title, edition and term.  For example: Encyclopedia Britannica, 15th ed., s.v. “Evolution.”     IF A SONG:  Author and then song title (title in quotation marks), followed by book author, title, city and publisher, page number.  For example: Paul Johnson, "Singing the Blues" in Bob Jones, The Blues Songbook (New York:  Alfred Knopf Publ., 1979): 2.   FOR A WEBSITE:  Title of site, website address.  For example: “Thomas Jefferson on Slavery” in Afro-American Almanac, http://www.toptags.com/aama/voices/commentary/jeff.htm (25 March 2001).   SAMPLE PAGE THAT USES FOOTNOTES Here is a sample page that uses footnotes.  The regular text of your essay should be double-spaced.  At the bottom if there are footnotes, the text will appear single-spaced [note that this is automatically inserted this way].  Note that with the automatic insertion feature of your software program that footnote numbers go forward from 1 and that you need not adjust the footnote numbers.  If you repeat a footnote source it should have a different number. Chicago Format for Citations

A citation is the part of your paper that tells your reader where your source information came from. This is one of the most important elements to your paper. In order to evaluate your argument, your reader must be able to consult the same sources you used. Proper citing is crucial to making a credible and persuasive argument, and to conforming to professional standards of proof. Citations in history papers can take the form of footnotes or endnotes. History papers should not use the parenthetic citation style common to literature and social science papers. SDSU’s Department of History uses what is commonly called the Chicago Manual of Style. Below are a few links to web sites that the department encourages its students to consult when writing a history paper. SDSU History Department Writing Guides: The Three Parts of a History Paper Chicago Format for Citations   Other Recommended Guides for Writing History Papers: Bowdoin University History Writing Guide UNC History Writing Guide Other Recommended Citation Guides: SDSU Library Chicago Manual of Style Guide Diana Hacker Chicago Manual of Style Guide FINAL NOTE.  Avoiding Logical Fallacies