GEO 330: Geography of the United States May 2022
Application Assignment Guide: Hot off the press!
Introduction
In the Expansion module, you were asked to choose one episode of the PBS documentary series The West, based on an associated historical topic that is of interest to you. In this assignment, you will take on the role of an early American journalist and pen an article for a newspaper that reports on the topic you selected.
*Tip*
While Wikipedia is not generally considered a credible source in academic writing, it can be a good starting point, particularly when collecting some basic information such as what newspapers were in publication for the time period / year that you are writing about. Check out History of American newspapers to learn more about America’s earliest publications. The MSU library also has some historical newspaper collections, take a look at: MSU Libraries: Electronic Resources: Newspapers.
This assignment satisfies the following module objectives [Note: this is so that you understand why you are being asked to complete the assignment, not the assignment itself.]:
Discuss how the culture of European colonizers shaped early settlement and tell what European customs and beliefs made an impression on the early landscape.
Describe variations in the cultural landscapes of regions in the United States and explain how those variations are revealed in the prominent urban centers and populations of regions historically and today.
Describe variations in the physical landscapes of regions in the United States and explain how those natural variations have shaped land use and land use patterns, and are revealed on the cultural landscape historically and today.
The Assignment
Rhetoric is the art of effective writing, and no profession displays that art better than journalism. To be effective, a journalist must understand their purpose and audience. A weekly column written by a food critic for The New York Times to inform readers about a new, upscale restaurant in Manhattan is likely to be much different that an article penned by an investigative reporter informing readers about unsavory labor practices in that same restaurant–and they will use a different tone, language, and style of writing to convey their information. Clearly these two authors, while writing about the same restaurant, will have a different purpose, and there is also a good chance that the two pieces will attract some different sets of eyes, although written for the same publication. They will also provide readers with a different set of facts, one might include the finer points of a delicious bouillabaisse and the other might report on the finer points of the New York Public Employee Safety and Health Act. Keep the following in mind while reporting on your topic: all journalists should be well-informed (an expert) on their topic and write for their given purpose and audience.
The requirements for your piece are as follows.
A clever title and an opening sentence that captures the reader’s attention.
An introduction that provides the context for your topic. In your introduction be sure to include the following:
Your purpose for writing (essentially a thesis). What do you want to tell your reader?
The geography of the event, including any conflict, policy, or politics involved — what is happening in the country from a geopolitical standpoint?
Your writing should be supported by a minimum of three key facts about your event or the circumstances surrounding your event, aggregated from and supported by credible sources.
Lastly, a concluding paragraph that continues to engage your reader, while providing a summary of your writing.
*Tip*
Remember you are writing a piece as a journalist living in that time period. Consider what life was like at that time; there were no modern phones, radios, and certainly not televisions or computers. News of the world traveled slowly and, even in the United States, it sometimes did not even travel outside of its region of origin. The population was incredibly small, many states were not states, but rather part of a territory, and travel was incredibly slow. Be creative and let your writing fit into its place in history.
Expansion Module Connection
Whether America knew it or not, these four events would shape America in ways that could not have been predicted. Consider how America would be different had Jefferson thought the country was large enough or the railroads followed different routes. Or, what if gold had been discovered in Georgia and not on the west coast or fur fashion never been in style? The impact of these events did not end when the gold was gone or silk replaced fur. Railroads did not just move goods and people from point A to point B and the free land of the Homestead Act set the stage for one of the country’s greatest disasters.
Technicalities
Crafting a short paper is often harder than a long paper! Papers should be between 600 and 800 words of text (do not include your references, title, and so on). At the very beginning of your entry, please type your word count in parentheses, for example: (Word count: 679). The entry should be written using tight, clear and concise prose that addresses all requirements of the assignment.
Along with the word count, include your name, class, and date at the top of your submitted file (on the page). For example, write “Jane Doe, Geo330v, Jan. 1, 2025” at the top of the first page of your file. Failure to provide this information can result in a deduction of points from your assignment grade.
Any and all outside sources (including the online lessons) used to develop your response must have an accompanying in-text citation. Be sure to also include a works cited page that is consistent with the citation style used to write your paper.
Academic dishonesty (including plagiarism, in any form), will not be tolerated and will result in a ZERO for the paper and/or the course (see syllabus for details about academic dishonesty). We use Turnitin originality-checking software. You have access to the report created (automatically) by Turnitin when you upload a file to the dropbox. Your instructor also sees this report, and can (and do) use Turnitin to identify potential violations of academic integrity. Violations of academic integrity will be reported to the University through the Academic Dishonesty Report system.
*Tip*
Recommended sources of information newspapers (New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, International Herald Tribune), news aggregators (Google News, Global Voices), news magazines (like The Economist), as well as BBC Online. The newspapers and news magazines are all available online and through the MSU electronic-resource library portal.
Note: Do NOT use Wikipedia. If it is used, you will not receive full points for this assignment.
Be sure to use correct spelling and grammar, and fully answer the question to gain maximum points on this assignment. Papers will be graded based on how well you answer the question and meet the criteria provided for you on the Grading Rubric. Writing quality, including cohesion, organization, and logical flow,, are extremely important and will weigh significantly in determining your grade. LATE submissions will NOT be accepted for full credit (see the course syllabus for the late submission policy).