How Economic Factors Shape History of Fascism
Assessment Task 1:
How Economic Factors Shape History of Fascism. Primary Source Analysis (10%) Brief summary of task: Primary sources provide the raw materials for the writing of history. The goal of this task is to use your interpretative skills to draw meaning as much as possible out of a particular source. Then use it to say something interesting about the Russian Revolution, the Weimar Republic, the rise of Fascism, the interwar or the Spanish Civil War.
This task requires you to:
1. Select one piece of primary evidence relating to changes underway in Europe between the Russian Revolution and World War Two. You are encourage to draw from the databases discussed in weeks 1-4. 2. Analyse the source in 500 words. 3. Follow the steps below to produce a response in essay format (i.e. doublespaced, 12 point font, pages numbered, introductory, thesis statement and paragraphs, and a very brief bibliography) and submit to FLO.
Word limit: 500 words (references and other bibliographic details not counted) (note: for the major essay you will be penalised for writing more than 10% over or under. For this task students will not be penalise-d for going over and those writing about sources that require more extensive description may go as high as 800 words)
Summary:
Tips for approaching the task: Briefly describe the source in order to build up context. Consider the following questions: What do we know about the source? What can it tell us? Remember to think about and include details about the title of your source (if any). Also the creator of your source (if known),
when and where it was create-d, who was its intended audience, and what was its main purpose? Articulate the importance/ significance of the source – what question/s about your selected theme or event might this source help to answer? Be sure to provide concrete examples that show why it is useful for this purpose. (note: don’t waste your time talking about questions it does not help us answer). •
Consider limitations of the source. This might mean acknowledging elements that require critical reading on our part to avoid misinterpretation of the source’s meaning or value. On the other hand, it might simply mean recognising that certain details are missing or unclear and our understanding is limited by their absence. Keep in mind that historians seldom rely on just one source.
We try to bring them into conversation with one another to develop our understanding of a context. You might make reference to other sources and secondary reading we have looked at in the first four weeks, identifying common themes and divergences. You also might signal the kinds of further research that would be necessary to develop understanding. Explain to your reader how the material can be drawn together to develop historical understanding of your selected topic.
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