Overview
Essays and Reflections
Please do Parts I and II. At the bottom you will notice “keys to success” for how to do great essays. Part I. Two Short Essays. Write essays of four or five paragraphs each on two topics below. Include at least one picture with each essay; explain how the pictures add to our understanding. Essays will need to be about 1.5 pages each, double-spaced. It is OK to write more. 1. Afro-Eurasia. Discuss how Africa and Eurasia developed in the 1300s and 1400s. Discuss three countries or regions where you see important changes. Why do historians say this was a time of collapse and revival? (Chapter 14) 2. Societies of the Americas. Discuss what you find notable about North and South America in the years leading up to the time when they came in contact with Europeans. Compare two or three societies that you see in Chapter 15. 3. The Atlantic World. Discuss developments in Africa, Europe, and the Americas as these three areas came into regular contact in the 1400s-1600s. Give examples to show how each of these three “worlds” was changed. What lessons can we learn from this era? (Chapters 16-17) 4. Western Africa. What do you find remarkable about the societies of West Africa and West Central Africa? Discuss three specific things you learned in Chapter 17. How have you gained a better understanding of African societies in the era of the slave trade? Part II. Reflections (three paragraphs). Each chapter includes special features, such as Reading the Past and Seeing the Past, where you see material from earlier eras. Discuss what you see in at least two of the special features, and note how they relate to the changing societies we see in Chapters 14-17. Please put the names of documents or artifacts in bold. For example, on page 607 we have a Reading the Past feature titled Tlatelocan Elders Recall the Conquest of Mexico. Address these questions in your reflections: ? What do you see in the documents or artifacts you examined? ? How do the items you saw relate to broach changes in the societies? ? How do you think these people saw their own lives? Keys for Success: 1. Explain your points simply, like you would to another student. 2. Write in short to medium-sized, well-focused paragraphs. 3. Use specific examples from our reading handouts and discussion forums. 4. Relate your answers to major concepts and trends you see covered in the chapters. 5. When you use pictures, tell how each picture helps us understand the topic.