A CHRISTIAN/MUSLIM DEBATE OF THE 12TH CENTURY
The purpose of this assignment is to both add to your knowledge of an era of world history that

we’re covering in class and to improve your ability to think critically about and analyze historical

documents. For each of the two reports you will select an historical primary source [from the list

provided], and use the source as the basis for a written description of the society that created.

This project is required to pass the class and is worth 25% of your final grade for the course.

● Due Dates: [2/23, 4/22]

● 3-4 pages, typed and double spaced

● See sample reports on ANGEL

Instructions

Pick a source that interests you in some way .

There is a huge variety of sources to pick from.

Use the source [& only the source] to write a description of the society that created it.

Focus on things like: form of government, relationship between the sexes, religion,

inequality and social class, what they seem to value, etc… Write about anything

whatsoever you can tell about the society based solely on this historical document.

Focus on even the smallest details.

Even the use of certain terms could lead to several related conclusions. For example

just the use of the words “slave” or “king” implies many things about a society, what

it values, what it does not, and how it organizes itself.

No outside research allowed [NO GOOGLING!!!].

Assignment is primarily focused on your ability to analyze the document and draw

reasonable conclusions from it [not on whether or not your description of the

society is entirely accurate].

All prior knowledge about the society is also banned.

The assignment is to write a description of the society based only on the source, not

to write a description based on what you know [or think you know] about a society.

STICK TO THE SOURCE!

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