History research task into alternate explanations for witches. 1500 words due tomorrow 12 noon (21 hours)
The Library Research Challenge
This task will assess how successfully you can locate resources for your witch-hunt research challenge. Can you find both primary and secondary sources? Can you find articles, ebooks or books? Can you find resources that are of appropriate academic quality, that are up-to-date and well-targeted for your topic? The library exercise will take you through questions similar to these. You will have a whole tutorial class to work through the answers during your library research training, so make sure you attend that tutorial.
iv. apply systematic research processes to select, collect, analyse, interpret and evaluate a range of source materials in an individual research project using primary and secondary sources to explore a specific aspect of life in early modern Europe.
Individual Research Challenge: The witch-hunts.
Due date: Friday 26 /4/2013 by 10pm.
Weighting: 40%
Length and/or format: 1200-1500 words plus the library exercise.
Purpose: Academics constantly argue about the past and one of the topics they are most curious about is the phenomenon of the witch-hunts in early modern Europe. Learning about this sort of discussion is part of the fascination of studying history. The first part of this assignment will require you to take part in a „split-class‟ debate about the witch-hunts in your tutorial and this will set up some of the parameters of the debates in this area of history. But there is always so much more to be discovered! Your task in the next stage of this assignment is to find, over the next week or so, some completely different theories and information about the witch-hunts and the political, religious, economic and social developments in Europe between 1500 and 1789 that might help to explain these phenomena. You will be given a number of topics to help you start your investigation. Topics and some suggested readings are listed below.
How to submit: The individual research challenge is to be submitted online through LEO. Submit the file as an attachment in the appropriate area of the „Assessments‟ section of the LEO site. Before you submit the research challenge students are required to agree to the originality declaration. Remember that the library exercise must also be submitted by this due date, and also on LEO.
Return of assignment: The individual research challenge and library exercise challenge will be marked and returned online through LEO normally within three weeks of submission.
Assessment criteria: The assessment criteria takes into account the relatively constrained time allotted to this assignment:
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Graduate skill developed: GA7 G4, GA 5 |
In the split class debate, you worked collaboratively to understand, defend and dispute an academic theory. Now you will work on your own to: 1. Outline both sides of the debate you took part in (300 words) 2. investigate, explain and assess another completely different academic theory about witch trials/hunts. (1200 words) |
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Criteria |
Needs improvement |
Satisfactory |
Well Done |
Outstanding |
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clearly outlines the arguments set up in the split-class debate (300 words) |
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Learning Outcome: GA 5, 8, 10 |
iv. apply systematic research processes to select, collect, analyse, interpret and evaluate a range of source materials in an individual research project using primary and secondary sources to explore a specific aspect of life in early modern Europe. | |||||||||||||
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Locates materials that are sufficiently specialised and relevant to your topic |
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Extracts evidence from these sources to support a theory |
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Learning Outcome: |
iii compare developing ideas based on hatred, intolerance or exploitation to those based on tolerance and rights. |
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Identifies developing ideas of hatred and intolerance in the period/place you are investigating |
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i. take a critical historical approach to [relevant] political/religious/economic and social developments in Europe between 1500 and 1789. Different topics will consider different factors and periods in more detail. You do not need to address all factors individually in this challenge. |
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Identifies and evaluates other factors that contribute to the witch-hunts/trials in the social context you are investigating. |
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Discusses indicators related to your topic that might explain the decline in prosecutions for witchcraft |
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Critically evaluates the strength of the theory you have investigated. Have you come across, and/or developed your own criticisms of this theory? |
Investigate one of the topics below: your challenge is to find scholarly books or articles on the topic and then find in them, a theory other than gender that suggests an explanation for witch-hunts/trials/belief in Early Modern Europe. The theory may apply to a wide area, or time period, or to a quite specific area or time. Look at the assessment criteria above for more details of what you need to do to complete the challenge.
Demonology: the devil in witchcraft hunts/trials.
Sharpe, James (2001) Introduction plus documents 1,9 and 14 in Witchcraft in early modern England pp. 3-10; 99-100; 108-109; 115-116.
http://ezproxy.acu.edu.au/login?url=http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/ereserve/copyright/documents/Sharpe13118
Oldridge, Darren (2008) Chapter 25: Was witch-hunting woman-hunting? In The witchcraft reader pp. 253-256
http://ezproxy.acu.edu.au/login?url=http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/ereserve/copyright/documents/Oldridge13226
Oldridge, Darren (2002) Chapter 21: Patriarchal reconstruction and witch-hunting in The witchcraft reader pp.
http://ezproxy.acu.edu.au/login?url=http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/ereserve/copyright/documents/Oldridge13246
