Instructions:
-Read How to Read a Primary Source by Patrick Rael in Reading, Writing, and Researching for History: A Guide for College Students (Brunswick, ME: Bowdoin College, 2004).
https://courses.bowdoin.edu/writing-guides/reading/how-to-read-a-primary-source/
-Read the primary source from this weeks reading (ATTACHED)
-Write a short 2-3 page paper (double-spaced with 12-inch margins) that includes:
1. An Introduction: The introduction situates the source in the historical context in which it was produced. It ends with a thesis statement that succinctly summarizes what we can learn from the source. For example, the thesis might say something like, This document reveals three things about the Assyrian Empire: 1.) (name the first thing), 2.) (name the second thing), and 3.) (name the third thing).
2.Body: Provide your analysis of the source, identifying the main take-away points and justifying them with evidence from the primary source as well as logical reasoning.
3. Conclusion: Summarize your main points. Next, consider the potential limitations of your interpretation. Circumscribe your claims by identifying possible areas of overinterpretation, speculation, or alternative interpretations. You do not have to claim to know everything about the past based on one source. It is wiser to hedge your claims by explaining what the source CAN tell us AND what it cannot tell us. Finally, suggest avenues for future research that would address these doubts. For example, perhaps a memoir from a king could shed light on the events described by his general.
4. References: You do not need footnotes or a bibliography provided that your introduction clearly identifies the primary source you have selected to analyze. For example, you might begin a sentence with In the Mesopotamian Omens . . . .
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