Create a Discussion Instructions
The purpose of the Create a Discussion (CAD) assignmentis to select and interpret primary sources, to contextualize them with secondary sources, to write a historical narrative, and to initiate a thoughtful discussion with fellow classmates and the professor.
Each Discussion Must Include:
At least 1 primary source
At least 3 scholarly secondary sources
Historical narrative and historical context
A question set comprised of at least 2 open-ended question that ties directly to the featured primary source document/s.
Note: the number of questions posed depends on the complexity and depth of the questions. For some discussions, 2 hearty questions will suffice, while others may require 3 to 4 questions. What matters most is that you pose thoughtful, open-ended questions. Think in terms of “how” and “why or why not.” Think about the issues involved in your topic and ask what impact said topic had on history, how different groups may have reacted to your topic, and the other issues your topic raised.
List all primary and secondary sources in a bibliography in the MLA Citation Style, 8th ed. For help, refer to the Research & Writing Support Module.
Subject & Content:
Select any historical event or idea that played a role in shaping U.S. History between the 1870s and early 1990s.
Suggested Topics
Primary vs. Secondary Sources:
In the field of history, a primary source is a document, AKA an artifact, which was created at the time of the event you are examining. Examples of primary sources include personal correspondence (letters), reports, diaries, photographs, documentary films, oral histories, speeches, maps, broadsides, and postcards.
For help, refer to the Research & Writing Support Module
A secondary source is a published work created afteran event took place. The author of a secondary source interprets the event based on primary source evidence as well as the published works, i.e., secondary sources, of scholars. Examples of secondary sources include monographs (scholarly books), peer reviewed journal articles, scholarly dictionaries, and scholarly encyclopedias.
Historical Narrative:
Writing a historical narrative differs from writing a regular narrative in that you are writing about a past event, and should 1) select and address an event that happened in the past, and 2) write in past tense. Your goal should be to craft an engaging, dynamic narrative that will capture your readers’ attention. While writing your historical narrative, ask yourself the following questions about the historical phenomenon/issue under study: What event are you investigating? What caused the event in question? Who were the key players? Who was affected, why, and how? Where did the event take place, and when? What were the short-term and long-term effects of said event?
Historical Context:
Providing context is simply giving your readers the basic who, what, where, when, and a little bit of why and how information about the historical topic under investigation.
Helpful Tips:
For the last few weeks, you have answered discussion post prompts created by historians and professors at FSW. For this assignment, you are essentially creating your own discussion post prompt. If you need guidelines on what your discussion should look like or what format to use, you can use any of the discussion assignments from this course as a model.
When selecting a topic, the more narrow and less broad the topic, the better. You want to make sure you can narrow in on something specific that can be discussed and answered in a short period of time. So, if you are interested on WWII, you could pick a sub-topic within WWII history, rather than covering the entire war. You could select women defense industry workers or the the decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan. Make your topic feasible by making it smaller and more manageable. Interested in women’s rights? Pick a time period to study, instead of examining the entire history of women’s rights in the US.
When collecting secondary sources, make sure you use academic ones. You do not want to rely on the History channel or college study websites. Instead, use databases through FSW like Jstor and films on demand, or google scholar, or journalistic publications that frequently feature historians such as National Geographic, Smithsonian, the Atlantic, Vox, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Slate, Bill of Rights Institute, Facing History and Ourselves, Politico, etc.
When collecting primary sources, make sure you use ones posted by academic and or civic institutions or journalistic outlets. To find readily available primary sources look at UH digital history, American Yawp’s primary source reader, Smithsonian Museum, the National Archives, Presidential libraries, university and college websites or libraries, the Library of Congress, official museum websites, etc.
When writing the narrative, you need to explain the topic. You should consider yourself an expert on the topic at hand. Hopefully, you’ve researched it thoroughly and read your primary and secondary sources carefully. You will then synthesize the information you learned on your topic from all the different sources and write your own narrative to educate the reader on the subject. The writing component should be clear, include specific dates, names, people, etc.
When creating the discussion questions, be specific. Do not ask, “why do you think this happened?” or “what if this event did not occur”? Instead, as analytical, open-ended questions. Re-read the types of questions asked in the course discussion posts. Notice how they ask students to think critically about the issues raised in the discussion post. Notice also that more than one answer can often be acceptable for such questions.
You may and should include images and or primary sources in your discussion post too.
Unlike the discussion board posts assigned each week in this course, you are not required to respond to a classmate or write a weekly wrap up.
Grading:
Primary & Secondary Sources: Did you select and incorporate primary and scholarly secondary sources into the narrative using reliable search methods and tools? Is your information credible and authoritative?
Writing Style, Organization, Grammar, & Syntax: Is your discussion clearly written? Is the information well organized? Is your writing free from spelling, grammatical, and syntactical errors.
Historical Narrative, Context, & Wrap Up: Did you identify a historical topic, provide relevant context, and create an engaging and meaningful historical narrative?
Bibliography & Citations:Did you correctly cite sources and format discussion post using the MLA Citation Style, 8th edition?
Historical Questions:Did you pose thought-provoking, open-ended questions that will elicit critical thinking? Is at least one of your questions tied to at least one selected primary source? Did you evaluate the historical impact of the historical topic, and draw meaningful conclusions about the discussion you generated?
The correct answer and explanation is:
Here’s a structured response to your prompt with an example topic and explanation.
Discussion Topic: The Impact of the Harlem Renaissance on U.S. Society (1918–1937)
Primary Source:
- Langston Hughes’ poem, The Negro Speaks of Rivers (1921)
Secondary Sources:
- Gates, Henry Louis Jr., The Signifying Monkey: A Theory of African-American Literary Criticism. Oxford University Press, 1988.
- Lewis, David Levering, When Harlem Was in Vogue. Oxford University Press, 1997.
- Wright, Michelle M., Becoming Black: Creating Identity in the African Diaspora. Duke University Press, 2004.
Historical Narrative: The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural, social, and artistic explosion centered in Harlem, New York, during the 1920s and 1930s. This period marked the first time African American culture gained mainstream recognition, redefining the identity of Black Americans within the broader context of U.S. history. Writers like Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston, artists such as Aaron Douglas, and musicians like Duke Ellington and Bessie Smith contributed to this vibrant era.
Born out of the Great Migration, when African Americans moved from the rural South to northern urban centers, the Harlem Renaissance was both a reaction to systemic racism and a celebration of African American heritage. Leaders of the movement sought to counter negative stereotypes by showcasing the intellectual and creative capabilities of Black Americans. The movement had a lasting impact on American culture, influencing future civil rights activism and fostering a sense of pride and unity within the African American community.
Discussion Questions:
- How does Langston Hughes’ The Negro Speaks of Rivers symbolize the connection between African heritage and the African American experience during the Harlem Renaissance?
- In what ways did the Harlem Renaissance challenge prevailing stereotypes about African Americans, and how did it contribute to future civil rights movements?
Bibliography (MLA 8th Edition):
- Hughes, Langston. The Negro Speaks of Rivers. 1921.
- Gates, Henry Louis Jr. The Signifying Monkey: A Theory of African-American Literary Criticism. Oxford University Press, 1988.
- Lewis, David Levering. When Harlem Was in Vogue. Oxford University Press, 1997.
- Wright, Michelle M. Becoming Black: Creating Identity in the African Diaspora. Duke University Press, 2004.
Explanation (300 words)
This discussion centers on the Harlem Renaissance, a pivotal movement in U.S. history that reshaped African American cultural identity. The selected primary source, Langston Hughes’ The Negro Speaks of Rivers, is emblematic of the Renaissance’s emphasis on connecting African American experiences with ancestral heritage. Hughes’ poem weaves historical and spiritual connections between the African continent and the struggles of African Americans in the United States.
The secondary sources deepen the discussion by providing context and scholarly analysis. Henry Louis Gates Jr.’s work explores the literary and cultural strategies employed by Harlem Renaissance writers to challenge racial stereotypes. David Levering Lewis offers a broader historical perspective on the era’s societal impact, while Michelle M. Wright examines identity formation within the African diaspora. These sources collectively enable a nuanced exploration of the Harlem Renaissance’s legacy.
The posed questions encourage critical thinking by inviting participants to analyze both the symbolic and practical implications of the Renaissance. The first question focuses on the literary and historical elements of Hughes’ poem, encouraging an examination of its deeper meanings. The second question ties the movement to broader societal changes, prompting a discussion of its influence on civil rights and cultural perceptions.
By exploring these dimensions, this discussion provides a comprehensive understanding of the Harlem Renaissance’s historical significance. It invites participants to consider how art and culture can drive social change, challenge injustices, and redefine national identities.