HIST 118: History of Mexico         Paper 1 Prompt Fall 2016- Essay writing

Prompt: How did rivalries among indigenous groups in Mexico facilitate the fall of Tenochtitlán? How did these groups attempt to benefit from the fall of Tenochtitlán?

Guidelines

• Your paper must use documents in Mesoamerican Voices. You may use lecture notes for context (no need to cite lecture). Do not use any other sources (books, internet, etc.). Your assignment is to read, interpret, and analyze these documents.
• Submit paper to Blackboard on Monday, September 12^th by 11:00 AM.
• NO LATE PAPERS ACCEPTED. Reminder: Failure to submit paper on time will result in an F for the class.

Format

• Paper needs to be four full pages. Take maximum advantage of these four pages by observing the following instructions.
• Double space, one-inch margins all around, 11 or 12-point font.
• Put your name and the date (single-spaced) in the top left-hand corner of the first page only.
• Place your paper’s title in 14-point font on the top of the first page. Think of a title that reflects your paper’s argument.
• Eliminate the extra space between paragraphs (in “Format,” choose “paragraph,” and check box that says “Don’t add space between paragraphs of same style.”
• No cover sheet.
• Number every page on upper right-hand corner.

Spelling and Grammar: One point will be deducted for each spelling and grammar mistake.

• In Spelling and Grammar Preferences in Micro Soft Word set “writing style” to “formal.” For PCs, set to “check style” and place checkmarks in all of the stylistic features. Make sure to fix problems indicated by red or green lines.

Writing: Observing these tips will significantly improve your paper and grade.

• Write a clear introduction that catches the reader’s attention, previews your entire paper, and gives an indication of your particular argument or focus. It is often easiest to write your introduction after writing the rest of the paper.
• Jump write into the topic at hand. Don’t begin with a broad, universal generalization (“From the dawn of time… struggle between good and evil has shaped human nature”).
• Use concrete examples to support your points.
• Keep quotations to a minimum. No quote should exceed a single line.
• Write paragraphs around a single, specific idea, clearly expressed in a topic sentence.

• Concluding paragraph should tie the paper together. Restate argument and

show how the evidence in paper supports argument.
Essay writing

Citations

• Be sure to cite direct quotations as well as ideas and points you draw from the sources, even when you do not use their exact words. NOT CITING WILL DRASTICALLY LOWER YOUR GRADE.
• When discussing the documents, make clear in paper which one you are referring to. For example: “When the leaders of Mexicapan, Oaxaca wrote to the king, they insisted they deserved certain rights.” After discussing that document, cite as follows: “Since they had aided the Spanish, they insisted on an exemption from tribute (Mesoamerican Voices, 47-51).”

Essay writing