Ancient Cultures of Middle America -- University of Minnesota Duluth

Extra Credit

The MA Extra Credit (1) bibliography and (2) promissory abstract due by Friday, 8 November 2013

The MA Extra Credit Term Paper is due no later than Friday, 6 December 2013

AVISO: Extra Credit Term Papers will not be accepted unless (1) arrangements for an alternate date have been arranged in advance, or (2) medical emergencies or similar extraordinary unexpected circumstances make it unfeasible to turn in the assignment by the announced due date.

Turn in your paper to your

folder

APA Sample Papers
Sample APA Paper: Definitions of Online Communication
Sample APA Paper: Adolescent Depression

MLA Sample Papers
MLA Undergraduate Sample Paper: Andrew Carnegie
MLA Sample Papers: Nineteenth Century Farming Handbooks

You may earn extra credit by writing one paper supplementing any topic of this course. As this is basically an introductory course in Mesoamerican prehistory, we will cover a broad spectrum of topics in a limited manner.

Extra credit papers allow you to cover one of those topics in a more comprehensive fashion
- This can be:
  - cultures
  - sites
  - regions
  - countries
  - Periods / Stages / Time Line
  - or a comparison of the individual you wrote your Case Study on with another individual from Middle America
- your extra credit paper can be:
  - comparative
  - descriptive
  - analytic
You may write on any topic related to this course, but your paper must reflect work and include materials not considered a normal part of this course

If you have not had a lot of experience writing term papers, this option provides an excellent opportunity to develop your writing skills. It also usually results in a higher grade for the course.

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Extra Credit Term Paper

This is basically an introductory course in which we will cover a broad spectrum of topics in a limited manner. Extra credit term papers allow you to cover one of those topics in a more comprehensive fashion.

You may write on any topic related to this course, but your paper must reflect work and include materials not considered a normal part of this course.

Extra credit Case Study papers can receive up to 100 points (about 8.3% of final grade*) -- if they are turned in on time.

Point guidelines . . .

A-grade papers receive up to 90 - 100 points

B-grade papers receive 83 points

C-grade papers receive 73 points

"The Curve"

(*percentages will vary a little bit depending on the final number of Forum topics for the term)

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Extra credit term papers:

Length: 10 - 12 well-written pages

including one title page (see sample title page) and
and at least one separate "Works Cited" (or "References") page (see sample)
that leaves 08-10 pages of text
Style: For the Paper, academic
Format: Any standard format and citation convention (APA, MLA, Turabian-Chicago . . . )
- doublespaced
- with one-inch margins all around
- with body type font 11 or 12
- illustrations, tables, figures, diagrams . . . may be included, but must be properly placed and cited

Papers must follow a college writing handbook such as Andrea Lunsford’s The St. Martin's Handbook, 6^th Ed., (NY: St. Martin’s, 2008), or the on-line site (the Purdue Online Writing Lab)
or Paradigm Online Writing Assistant at <http://www.powa.org/>
The Sociology-Anthropology Department also has a useful writing guide on the web at <http://www.d.umn.edu/socanth/guide/guideInd.html#title>.
Other web resources such can be found on the UMD "Writing Labs, On-Line Assisstance, and Reference Works" page.
For your footnotes, "bibliography" ("Works Cited" or "References"), and other matters like that, use either the APA (American Psychological Association) citation style, the MLA (Modern Language Association) style, the CMS (Chicago) style, or the CBE (Council of Biology Editors) style. Don't make up your own.

Criteria for Grading College Writing
When you write anything you should consider audience, purpose, and your personal style. For your case studies, your audience should be your classmates in this class. (Do not write your college papers to the professor as audience.
Turn in your paper to to your folder

Follow this schedule:

Weeks 1-5: Select a question which interests you. You do not need to know much about the subject at this point.
- If you want to do a paper, pick out a "specific question" that interests you and stop by my office sometime. I will personally go over your ideas with you.
- Have subject area okayed

Week 5: Narrow and state subject area in terms of a "problem" or assertion. Prepare a bibliography of at least four items, and state problem in one or two sentences. Have bibliography and problem statement okayed.

Weeks 6-7: Submit a one- or two-sentence statement of what you have found out and five reasons (bits of evidence) why the statement is credible.

Week 10: Complete a close-to-final draft of your extra credit paper. Write all drafts of your extra credit paper using a word processor.

Weeks 11 - 14: Work on revising your drafts.

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Extra Credit Lecture / Film Review Option

Boiled down to the essentials, the requirements for a review extra credit paper are fairly simple:

For the film/lecture review extra credit you need to watch/attend a film or a lecture
Your report should be a page and a half or so, with two parts . . .
1. a summary of the film or lecture, andyour reaction to and evaluation of it
2. additional information on style, length . . .is below

If you have other films or lectures in mind, just check in with their titles or other information.

You may do one extra credit film / lecture review
and / or one extra credit Case Study option

(Please Note: For the Film / Lecture Review Option you must choose a feature-length film or a documentary relevant to the class that is not assigned in class.)

As mentioned in the "Note on Videos and Visual Anthropology" one of the four main characteristics of American Anthropology is fieldwork, and the next best thing to hopping a bus or plane is going to places and viewing subjects by film.

Although in Ancient Middle America we view a substantial number of videos, in the area of Ancient Middle America many hundreds of quality films exist--including feature films, documentaries, "shorts," interesting YouTube vignettes.

For the Film Review Option choose a feature-length film or a documentary that is not assigned in class and review it, as you might for a column in your college newspaper.

Recommended "Optional" and "Supplementary" videos are listed on your Moodle page "Topic Presentations" sections. This same information is also available for the semester on the "Video Schedule" page.

Feature-length films and major documentaries (that qualify for Extra Credit) are listed on the "Films and Videos" page.

The information on reviewing films from the Anthropology of Food Class might be helpful.

See also the Ancient Middle America

Video Schedule

The films/videos listed as "Good supplementary video" or as "Related" would be good films for Extra Credit. If you have others you might like to review, please check.

Qualifying public lectures will be announced as opportunities arise.

The public lectures extra credit option could include approved lectures available on-line from Open University type lectures availble from some universities.

See, for e.g. . . .

Ancient Cultures of Middle America On-Line Lectures from Other Universities and Organizations

Top 10 Universities With Free Courses Online
-- Jimmy Ruska

Extra credit Film/Lecture Reviews can receive up to 30 points (about 2.5 % of final grade*) -- if they are turned in on time.

Point guidelines . . .

A-grade papers receive up to 28 - 30 points

B-grade papers receive 25 points

C-grade papers receive 20 points

"The Curve"

(*percentages will vary a little bit depending on the final number of Forum topics for the term)

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Handing in Extra Credit Papers

Include the following information on your paper:

name

course number

quarter

"Extra Credit Paper"

draft version number

Style: For the Paper, academic

Format: Any standard format and citation convention (APA, MLA, Turabian-Chicago . . . )

doublespaced

with one-inch margins all around

with body type font 11 or 12

illustrations, tables, figures, diagrams . . . may be included, but must be properly placed and cited

The MA Extra Credit Term Paper is due no later than Friday, 6 December 2013

AVISO: Extra Credit Term Papers will not be accepted unless (1) arrangements for an alternate date have been arranged in advance, or (2) medical emergencies or similar extraordinary unexpected circumstances make it unfeasible to turn in the assignment by the announced due date.

turn in paper to your folder

Your final paper should look something like this . . .

[more information on your title]

Aztec-Toltec Dualism:

The Prehistoric Roots

of Independence and Separatism

by George Bush, Jr.

Anthropology 3618

Ancient Cultures of Middle America

Professor Roufs

22 May 2013

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Aztec-Toltec Dualism 1

[more information on an Introduction]

Put your paragraph(s) summarizing your paper here.

Put a transitional statement here.

Body
[Give this section an interesting subtitle, something other than "Body"]

Describe and discuss your chosen topic(s) here. Use some form of organizational structure. The "Journalist's Questions," Who,What, When, Where, How and Why are often helpful. A time sequence is also useful.

Use the Paradigm Online Writing Assistant if you do not have much experience writing college papers.

Conclusions

Put your conclusions here.

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Aztec-Toltec Dualism Nn

Works Cited
Your "References" or "Works Cited" information should go on a separate page.

See "Documenting Electronic Sources in Specific Disciplines" from for information on how to cite items from the web.

This course is governed by the . . .

University of Minnesota Duluth Student Academic Integrity Policy
<http://www.d.umn.edu/conduct/integrity/Academic_Integrity_Policy.htm>

UMD Office of Student and Community Standards
<http://www.d.umn.edu/conduct/>

"Academic dishonesty tarnishes UMD's reputation and discredits the accomplishments of students. UMD is committed to providing students every possible opportunity to grow in mind and spirit. This pledge can only be redeemed in an environment of trust, honesty, and fairness. As a result, academic dishonesty is regarded as a serious offense by all members of the academic community. In keeping with this ideal, this course will adhere to UMD's Student Academic Integrity Policy, which can be found at [http://www.d.umn.edu/conduct/integrity/Academic_Integrity_Policy.htm]. This policy sanctions students engaging in academic dishonesty with penalties up to and including expulsion from the university for repeat offenders." — UMD Educational Policy Committee, Jill Jensen, Chair (08/16/2007)

and the UMD Student Conduct Code
<http://www.d.umn.edu/conduct/code/>

and the

Student Conduct Code Statement (students' rights)
<http://www.d.umn.edu/conduct/conduct/conduct-statement.html>

The instructor will enforce and students are expected to follow the University's Student Conduct Code [http://www1.umn.edu/regents/policies/academic/Student_Conduct_Code.html]. Appropriate classroom conduct promotes an environment of academic achievement and integrity. Disruptive classroom behavior that substantially or repeatedly interrupts either the instructor's ability to teach, or student learning, is prohibited. Disruptive behavior includes inappropriate use of technology in the classroom. Examples include ringing cell phones, text-messaging, watching videos, playing computer games, doing email, or surfing the Internet on your computer instead of note-taking or other instructor-sanctioned activities." — UMD Educational Policy Committee, Jill Jensen, Chair (08/16/2007)

AVISO!

A Note on Extra Credit Papers

Failure to comply with the above codes and standards when submitting an Extra Credit paper will result in a penalty commensurate with the lapse, up to and including an F final grade for the course, and, at a minimum, a reduction in total points no fewer than the points available for the Extra Credit project. The penalty will not simply be a zero for the project, and the incident will be reported to the UMD Academic Integrity Officer in the Office of Student and Community Standards.

A Note on "Cutting and Pasting" without the Use of Quotation Marks
(EVEN IF you have a citation to the source somewhere in your paper)

If you use others' words and/or works you MUST so indicate that with the use of quotation marks. Failure to use quotation marks to indicate that the materials are not of your authorship constitutes plagiarism—even if you have a citation to the source elsewhere in your paper/work.

Patterned failure to so indicate that the materials are not of your own authorship will result in an F grade for the course.

Other instances of improper attribution will result in a 0 (zero) for the assignment (or a reduction in points equal to the value of an Extra Credit paper), and a reduction of one grade in the final grade of the course.

All incidents will be reported to the UMD Academic Integrity Officer in the Office of Student and Community Standards as is required by University Policy.

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