HIS 117 Final Project Guidelines and Rubric
Overview
Throughout this course, you examined the development of human civilization from the late Neolithic Era to about 1500 CE. You should now be acquainted with
major trends and developments in world history from the many perspectives with which historians view the past. The course began with the emergence of the
earliest civilizations at approximately 5000 BCE and proceeded through a survey of key societies and states around the globe, both in Afro-Eurasia and in the
Americas. It devoted attention not only to the characteristics of individual civilizations, but also to the interactions among civilizations and the ways they can be
compared and contrasted. As you examine the ancient, classical, and medieval periods, you will offer your ideas about the development of connections between
peoples and the trend toward larger political states and empires.
For the final project, you will examine three separate states or empires in Africa, Asia, Europe, or the Americas to finish the statement, “Humans created
societies, states, and empires from the late Neolithic period to 1500 CE in order to…” You will critically analyze ideas and information from both primary and
secondary sources, develop arguments based on those materials, and communicate your ideas and arguments in a thesis-driven essay. You will complete
milestone assignments that will result in submitting a polished research paper that demonstrates your understanding of the reasons humans created societies,
states, and empires.
The project is divided into two milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final
submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Three and Five. The final product will be submitted in Module Seven.
This assessment addresses the following course outcomes:
•
•
•
•
Articulate the origins, development, and participants of major historical civilizations from prehistory to 1500 in terms of continuity, change, and
causation
Determine the significance of major historical events from prehistory to 1500 and their relationship to prominent historical trends
Incorporate relevant evidence from primary and secondary sources to logically support historical claims about civilizations from prehistory to 1500
Draw basic conclusions about the local and global impact of civilizations from prehistory to 1500 by interpreting historical evidence
Prompt
For the final project, you will write a thesis-driven essay to answer finish the statement, “Humans created societies, states, and empires from the late Neolithic
period to 1500 CE in order to…” Choose three specific states or empires from Africa, Asia, Europe, or the Americas to complete this statement. In order to
support your thesis and fully complete the statement, you must provide a detailed analysis of social, political, and economic structures that relate to your topic.
You will use primary and secondary sources from the collections listed in the Shapiro Library’s Research Guide for HIS 117
(http://libguides.snhu.edu/worldcivilizations) to support your claims.
Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:
I.
Introduction
In this section, you will provide a general overview of what this essay will accomplish. This section includes your thesis statement, which clearly states
your completion of the statement, “Humans created societies, states, and empires from prehistory to 1500 in order to…” and introduces the three states
or empires you will use as examples to prove your thesis. This section sets up the argument you will try to prove in the research and analysis section of
the essay through the use of research-based examples, specific details, and careful analysis.
A. Briefly introduce your topic related to the why humans created societies, states, and empires in the premodern world, including an introduction
to the civilizations selected as examples.
B. Create a thesis statement that clearly states your argument and your answer to the question posed and that draws on research from primary
and secondary sources.
II.
Research and Analysis
In this section you will use both primary and secondary sources to research and analyze the reasons humans created societies, states, and empires and
how they did so from the late Neolithic period to 1500 CE. You should use the three societies, states, and empires you have chosen as examples to
illustrate your points. This is the body of your essay, and it should be made up of sections that analyze each of the forces listed below. Each section
should relate directly back to your thesis statement.
A. The Structure of Complex Societies
i.
Explain the ways that environment drove humans to organize themselves into complex societies.
ii.
What structures did humans create to facilitate this organization into societies?
iii.
What benefits did the societies derive from this organization and these structures?
iv.
Incorporate evidence from both primary and secondary sources to support your claims about the ways that the structure of human
organization contributed to the rise of societies, states, and empires.
B. Class and Gender Structures
i.
Explain how the states or empires developed and organized class and gender structures.
ii.
What effect did these class and gender structures have on the states or empires during the period 500 BCE–1500 CE?
iii.
Analyze how class and gender affected a person’s ability to participate in his or her state or empire.
iv.
Incorporate evidence from both primary and secondary sources to support your claims about the ways that class and gender structures
contributed to the rise of states and empires.
C. Intellectual and Religious Structures
i.
Explain what forces spurred the development of intellectual and religious structures in these states or empires.
ii.
What factors caused these intellectual and religious structures to differ across states and empires? What commonalities and differences
did intellectual and religious structures share across states and empires?
iii.
iv.
Explain what tools and machines developed in these different societies, states, and empires. How were these different according to the
needs of the given society, state, or empire?
Incorporate evidence from both primary and secondary sources to support your claims about the ways that intellectual and religious
structures contributed to the rise of societies, states, and empires.
D. Economic and Political Structures
i.
Explain how the economies of the emerging states or empires interacted with their neighbors and the broader world.
ii.
Analyze at least three political events or trends in neighboring areas or other world regions that may have affected the development of
these interactions.
iii.
How might the development of these interactions in turn have affected both neighboring and distant societies?
iv.
Incorporate evidence from both primary and secondary sources to support your claims about the ways that economic and political
structures contributed to the rise of societies, states, and empires.
E. Historical Perspective
i.
Summarize the role played by increasing global networks in the development of states and empires between 3000 BCE and 1500 CE.
F. Primary and Secondary Sources
i.
Ensure that you have utilized primary sources purposefully and effectively throughout your paper to support your argument and claims.
ii.
Ensure that you have utilized secondary sources purposefully and effectively throughout your paper to support your argument and
claims.
III.
Conclusion
In this section, you will restate your thesis statement and reference the broader significance of your topic.
A. Provide a conclusion for your essay in which you restate your thesis statement and summarize the overall historical significance of the rise of
states and empires as a global form of individual and group identity during the period from the late Neolithic Era to 1500 CE.
Milestones
Milestone One: Introduction and Thesis Statement
In Module Three, you will submit a general overview of your topic related to why humans created societies, states, and empires. You will also include a thesis
statement, the three states, empires, or societies you chose as examples to illustrate your main points, and a bibliography. This milestone will be graded with
the Milestone One Rubric.
Milestone Two: Rough Draft
In Module Five, you will submit a rough draft of the body of your final paper, covering the key points regarding the social, political, and economic structures that
relate to your topic as well a conclusion. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone Two Rubric.
Final Submission: Historical Analysis Essay
In Module Seven, you will submit your final project. It should be a complete, polished artifact that demonstrates your understanding of the reasons humans
created societies, states, and empires. It should contain all of the critical elements of the final product. It should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained
throughout the course. This submission will be graded with the Final Project Rubric.
Final Project Rubric
Guidelines for Submission: Your historical analysis essay should be 6 to 8 pages in length (plus a cover page and references) and must be written in
Chicago/Turabian format. Use double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, and one-inch margins. Include at least six references cited in Chicago/Turabian
format. If you choose to use endnotes instead of footnotes, those do not count toward your page total.
Critical Elements
Introduction: Topic
Exemplary (100%)
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
introduction is exceptionally
clear and concise
Proficient (85%)
Introduces the topic related to
why humans created societies,
states, and empires, including
an introduction to the examples
that will be used
Introduction:
Thesis Statement
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
thesis statement exceptionally
articulates the argument and
main points of the essay
Creates a thesis statement that
clearly states the argument and
answers to the question posed
and draws on research from
outside sources
The Structure of
Complex Societies:
Environment
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
demonstrates a sophisticated
understanding of the ways that
environment drove humans to
organize themselves into
complex societies
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
demonstrates a sophisticated
understanding of structures
humans created to facilitate the
organization into societies
Explains the ways that
environment drove humans to
organize themselves into
complex societies
The Structure of
Complex Societies:
Structures
Determines what structures
humans created to facilitate the
organization into societies
Needs Improvement (55%)
Introduces the topic related to
why humans created societies,
states, and empires, including
an introduction to the examples
that will be used, but
introduction is too wordy or
contains inaccuracies
Creates a thesis statement but
thesis statement is too wordy or
does not clearly state the
argument and answer to the
question posed or draw on
research from outside sources
Explains the ways that
environment drove humans to
organize themselves into
complex societies but
explanation is illogical or
contains inaccuracies
Determines what structures
humans created to facilitate the
organization into societies but
determination contains
inaccuracies
Not Evident (0%)
Does not introduce the topic
related to why humans created
societies, states, and empires
Value
4.75
Does not create a thesis
statement
4.75
Does not explain the ways that
environment drove humans to
organize themselves into
complex societies
4.75
Does not determine what
structures humans created to
facilitate the organization into
societies
4.75
The Structure of
Complex Societies:
Benefits
The Structure of
Complex Societies:
Support Claims
Class and Gender
Structures: Class
and Gender
Structures
Class and Gender
Structures: Effect
Class and Gender
Structures: Ability
to Participate
Class and Gender
Structures: Support
Claims
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
provides unique insight into
benefits the societies derived
from this organization and
these structures
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
usage of primary and secondary
sources is executed
purposefully and consistently
throughout the section
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
demonstrates a sophisticated
understanding of how the
states or empires developed
and organized class and gender
structures
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
demonstrates a sophisticated
understanding of the effect
these class and gender
structures had on the states or
empires
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
provides unique insight into
how class and gender affected a
person’s ability to participate in
his or her state or empire
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
usage of primary and secondary
sources is executed
purposefully and consistently
throughout the section
Analyzes what benefits the
societies derived from this
organization and these
structures
Analyzes what benefits the
societies derived from this
organization and these
structures but analysis is
cursory or contains inaccuracies
Supports claims about the ways
that the structure of human
organization contributed to the
rise of societies, states, and
empires but primary and
secondary sources are not used
consistently throughout the
section
Explains how the states or
empires developed and
organized class and gender
structures but explanation is
illogical or contains inaccuracies
Does not analyze what benefits
the societies derived from this
organization and these
structures
3.96
Does not incorporate evidence
from primary and secondary
sources to support claims about
the ways in which the structure
of human organization
contributed to the rise of
societies, states, and empires
3.96
Does not explain how the states
or empires developed and
organized class and gender
structures
4.75
Determines what effect these
class and gender structures had
on the states or empires
Determines what effect these
class and gender structures had
on the states or empires but
determination contains
inaccuracies
Does not determine what effect
these class and gender
structures had on the states or
empires
4.75
Analyzes how class and gender
affected a person’s ability to
participate in his or her state or
empire
Analyzes how class and gender
affected a person’s ability to
participate in his or her state or
empire but analysis is cursory or
contains inaccuracies
Supports claims about the ways
that class and gender structures
contributed to the rise of states
and empires but primary and
secondary sources are not used
consistently throughout the
section
Does not analyze how class and
gender affected a person’s
ability to participate in his or
her state or empire
3.96
Does not incorporate evidence
from primary and secondary
sources to support claims about
the ways that class and gender
structures contributed to the
rise of states and empires
4.75
Incorporates logical and
relevant evidence from both
primary and secondary sources
to support claims about the
ways that the structure of
human organization contributed
to the rise of societies, states,
and empires
Explains how the states or
empires developed and
organized class and gender
structures
Incorporates logical and
relevant evidence from both
primary and secondary sources
to support claims about the
ways that class and gender
structures contributed to the
rise of states and empires
Intellectual and
Religious
Structures:
Intellectual and
Religious Structures
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
demonstrates sophisticated
understanding of what forces
spurred the development of
intellectual and religious
structures in these states or
empires
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
provides unique insight into the
commonalities and differences
shared in intellectual and
religious structures
Explains what forces spurred
the development of intellectual
and religious structures in these
states or empires
Explains what forces spurred
the development of intellectual
and religious structures in these
states or empires but
explanation is illogical or
contains inaccuracies
Does not explain what forces
spurred the development of
intellectual and religious
structures in these states or
empires
4.75
Analyzes the factors that caused
intellectual and religious
structures to differ across states
and empires and the
commonalities and differences
shared
Does not analyze the factors
that caused intellectual and
religious structures to differ
across states and empires or the
commonalities and differences
shared
4.75
Intellectual and
Religious
Structures: Tools
and Machines
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
demonstrates sophisticated
understanding of why tools and
machines developed differently
according to the needs of the
given society, state, or empire
Explains what tools and
machines developed and how
they were different according to
the needs of the given society,
state, or empire
Does not explain what tools and
machines developed or how
they were different according to
the needs of the given society,
state, or empire
3.96
Intellectual and
Religious
Structures: Support
Claims
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
usage of primary and secondary
sources is executed
purposefully and consistently
throughout the section
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
demonstrates sophisticated
understanding of how the
economies of the emerging
states or empires interacted
with their neighbors and the
broader world
Does not incorporate evidence
from both primary and
secondary sources to support
claims about the ways that
intellectual and religious
structures contributed to the
rise of societies, states, and
empires
Does not explain how the
economies of the emerging
states or empires interacted
with their neighbors and the
broader world
3.96
Economic and
Political Structures:
Economies
Incorporates logical and
relevant evidence from both
primary and secondary sources
to support claims about the
ways that intellectual and
religious structures contributed
to the rise of societies, states,
and empires
Explains how the economies of
the emerging states or empires
interacted with their neighbors
and the broader world
Analyzes the factors that caused
intellectual and religious
structures to differ across states
and empires and the
commonalities and differences
shared but analysis is cursory or
contains inaccuracies
Explains what tools and
machines developed and how
they were different according to
the needs of the given society,
state, or empire, but
explanation is illogical or
contains inaccuracies
Supports claims about the ways
that intellectual and religious
structures contributed to the
rise of societies, states, and
empires, but primary and
secondary sources are not
consistently used throughout
the section
Explains how the economies of
the emerging states or empires
interacted with their neighbors
and the broader world but
explanation is illogical or
contains inaccuracies
Intellectual and
Religious
Structures:
Commonalities and
Differences
4.75
Economic and
Political Structures:
Political Events or
Trends in
Neighboring Areas
Economic and
Political Structures:
Development of
These Interactions
Economic and
Political Structures:
Support Claims
Historical
Perspective:
Increasing Global
Networks
Primary and
Secondary Sources:
Primary Sources
Primary and
Secondary Sources:
Secondary Sources
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
provides unique insight into
political events or trends in
neighboring areas or other
world regions that may have
affected the development of
these interactions
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
provides unique insight into
how the development of these
interactions might in turn have
affected both neighboring and
distant societies, states, and
empires
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
usage of primary and secondary
sources is executed
purposefully and consistently
throughout the section
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
demonstrates sophisticated
understanding of the role
played by increasing global
networks in the development of
states and empires
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
demonstrates an astute ability
to integrate germane citations
from primary and secondary
sources
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
demonstrates an astute ability
to integrate germane citations
from primary and secondary
sources
Analyzes political events or
trends in neighboring areas or
other world regions that may
have affected the development
of these interactions
Analyzes how the development
of these interactions might in
turn have affected both
neighboring and distant
societies, states, and empires
Incorporates logical and
relevant evidence from both
primary and secondary sources
to support claims about the
ways that economic and
political structures contributed
to the rise of societies, states,
and empires
Summarizes the role played by
increasing global networks in
the development of states and
empires
Ensures that primary sources
were utilized purposefully and
effectively throughout the
paper to support argument and
claims
Ensures that secondary sources
were utilized purposefully and
effectively throughout the
paper to support argument and
claims
Analyzes political events or
trends in neighboring areas or
other world regions that may
have affected the development
of these interactions but
analysis is cursory or contains
inaccuracies
Analyzes how the development
of these interactions might in
turn have affected both
neighboring and distant
societies, states, and empires,
but analysis is cursory or
contains inaccuracies
Supports claims about the ways
that economic and political
structures contributed to the
rise of societies, states, and
empires, but primary and
secondary sources are not used
consistently throughout the
section
Summarizes the role played by
increasing global networks in
the development of states and
empires but summary is
unclear, contains inaccuracies,
or is missing key elements
Primary sources were used
throughout the paper in an
attempt to support argument
and claims, but not all sources
were applied or utilized
successfully
Secondary sources were used
throughout the paper in an
attempt to support argument
and claims, but not all sources
were applied or utilized
successfully
Does not analyze political
events or trends in neighboring
areas or other world regions
that may have affected the
development of these
interactions
4.75
Does not analyze how the
development of these
interactions might in turn have
affected both neighboring and
distant societies, states, and
empires
3.96
Does not incorporate evidence
from both primary and
secondary sources to support
claims about the ways that
economic and political
structures contributed to the
rise of societies, states, and
empires
Does not summarize the role
played by increasing global
networks in the development of
states and empires
3.96
Did not ensure that all primary
sources were utilized
purposefully and effectively
throughout the paper
3.96
Did not ensure that all
secondary sources were utilized
purposefully and effectively
throughout the paper
3.96
3.96
Conclusion
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
demonstrates nuanced
understanding of the overall
historical significance of the rise
of states and empires as a
global form of individual and
group identity
Provides a conclusion that
restates the thesis statement
and summarizes the overall
historical significance of the rise
of states and empires as a
global form of individual and
group identity
Articulation of
Response
Submission is free of errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, and
organization and is presented in
a professional and easy-to-read
format
Submission has no major errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
Provides a conclusion that
restates the thesis statement
and summarizes the overall
historical significance of the rise
of states and empires as a
global form of individual and
group identity but conclusion is
illogical or contains inaccuracies
Submission has major errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
that negatively impact
readability and articulation of
main ideas
Does not provide a conclusion
that restates the thesis
statement or summarizes the
overall historical significance of
the rise of states and empires as
a global form of individual and
group identity
3.96
Submission has critical errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
that prevent understanding of
ideas
4.19
Total
100%
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