WRIT 1133 Human Rights / Humans Write Essay 2 assignment

WRITING INTO HISTORY

the assignment
History writing involves telling very particular, very specific stories that reveal insights of broader
social, political, and cultural significance. In this essay, you will write just such a story, drawing
upon your own experience or that of someone close to you to tell a story that reveals a
broader historical insight.
What kind of story are you looking for? Stories are driven by conflict; so begin by thinking about
personal experiences of conflict that you or someone close to you has had. The conflict may have been
dramatic — as in the case of, say, a grandparent who took part in a protest movement or ran for public
office. Or the conflict may have been subtler — say, an argument about religion with a relative, or the
experience of a student struggling to pay for her education. But conflict is key. So start by finding a
compelling story of the personal experience of conflict.
The next step will be to connect that “small” experience to the “bigger” historical picture. The
connection between the big picture and the small is typically most interesting when the big picture
involves large-scale change. So after you’ve drafted your “small” picture story, you’ll ask: What larger,
historical change can I connect this “small” picture story to?
To flesh out the connection between the “big” and the “small” will require library research. We’ll do
some of this in class. But each of you will include with your essay a Works Cited list (in MLA format) of the
several sources you’ll draw upon to tell your story.

audience
Imagine that you’re writing for Heritage, a magazine published by the History Colorado Center.
Your audience, then, ranges from professional historians, who will be principally interested in the large-
scale significance of the story you tell to non-academics who are reading your story because of a personal
interest in the place and time period in which your small picture story takes place.

due dates, etc.

Your first draft will be a 750-word draft of your “small picture” story, due on Google Drive by the
start of class on Thursday, April 18. (Name the doc “WRIT 1133 – your name - Essay 2.”) An annotated
bibliography of at least four sources is due by the start of class on Tuesday, April 23. A complete draft is
due by the start of class on Thursday, April 25. The final revised draft is due on Friday, June 14.