Primary Source Extracts: Purpose and Expectations

In the medieval period a “gobbet” was a piece of meat thrown to dogs for them to tear up into pieces and devour. Based on that, a “gobbet" in historical and literary terms became an extract from a primary source that would be given to students in the expectation that they would do something similar, if only figuratively.

Accordingly, in this course you will be studying primary source extracts each week. Your study will include research on the extracts by means of the textbooks, the online sources provided, and any other materials you wish to examine. Your familiarity with the extracts will be tested in weekly exams. Your research will also be shared in weekly discussion boards and it will further contribute to the development of the historical portfolios assigned throughout the course.

The extracts may be in the form of a quote from a book or document, an extract of a sermon or letter, or statement from a speech or similar medium. When you are looking for information about the extracts, use several different sources. A number of online sources are listed in the course, but there are many more that would have information you could use. Once the information has been located, it is simply a matter of determining what you believe to be most valuable in your response. This is not unlike how you would develop a research paper, though in a much more limited form. When studying the extracts, you should consider the following questions: Who is the author or speaker? What have you discovered about his life, achievements, and place in history? What is significant about his contribution to history? What can be said about the specific extract? What is its context? What have you discovered about its wider context? What other details, such as people, places, or events are referred to in the extract? What is significant about these people, places, or events in relation to the extract?

One approach when considering the extracts, is to think of a stone being thrown into a pond. It creates a central splash with ripples emanating from the point of impact. Similarly, the extract will have a central point of impact which in turn will influence other people, events, or movements. You will need to identify the main point of the extract and demonstrate that you understand it. The next ripple would be who said or wrote that extract. Who is the individual? What do you know about him and his significance (e.g., other writings or events related to him)? The next ripple would be why is that writing or extract significant? What is the extract's historical context? Is it related to any other similar or relevant writings? Another ripple could be any other details you have discovered which you believe are relevant to the whole response. At this level you should include insights that demonstrate that you have done more than just a cursory review of the extract and that you indeed grasp the extract's importance.

In keeping with these expectations, you will be graded primarily on how well your work demonstrates an understanding of the extract's content, historical context, and significance.