Welcome to HIST300A – Historical Thinking. This course is meant to provide students with an introduction to the professional study of history. It will be taught as a series of paired historical methods case studies, each of which focus on a particularly destructive, expensive and deadly American disaster. This approach introduces students to the history of particular kinds of disaster events. It also provides opportunities to discuss the different approaches that historians have taken to similar topics.
Much of this course will be student-driven. Class participation and written work constitute its most important elements. We will move deliberately through the various stages of historical thinking and writing, from the identification of a topic through the assembling of sources to the framing of historical questions and formal presentation to the public (in this case, the class).
While readings will be housed and assignments will be turned in via Titanium, this site will be the portal for the course. Here you will find a link to the syllabus, class schedule, deadlines and the course blog.