Response Paper Guidelines - Essay Example

Article Analysis: Why Writing History Term Papers is Vital In his notable article “Why Writing History Term Papers is Vital”, William Fitzhugh, the founder and editor of The Concord Review, establishes the great significance of writing history term papers in order to achieve or meet higher expectations of education today. All through the article, the author emphasizes the role of term papers in developing the skills of the learners in history. Based on his personal experience with the students’ history term papers, the author makes a remarkable statement that such papers help not only the high school students of history who write them, but also other students who get a “chance to read some history and to see what some of their diligent peers have been able to do” (Fitzhugh).

In the opening section of the article, Fitzhugh maintains that he established a quarterly journal in 1987 in order to help other students and teachers measure the outcomes of education. Thus, the journal, The Concord Review, offers the students a chance to publish the exemplary high school history essays. Another forum founded by Fitzhugh, the National Writing Board was concerned with providing an independent assessment of high school research papers and he maintains that the students of history have made good use of it.

In the following sections of the article, the author recounts the nature of students’ term papers, and the significance and consequences of writing such papers, etc. He also suggests the various ‘forces’ or hazards that dumb down writing and nonfiction reading in the high schools. According to Fitzhugh, the encouragement and publicity given to serious nonfiction academic writing are not sufficient and the endeavors such as The Concord Review are not able to survive due to ‘very little money and few subscribers’.

In the concluding section of the article, the author highlights the significance of exemplary papers by high school students of history in improving the learning skills of the students as well as measuring the outcomes of education. While McWhorter's argument is not entirely defensible, it is definitely true that writing is an effective means of measuring the education outcomes of students. I grant that an individual’s competence is reflected in his/her writing ability, though I maintain that writing upon history or nonfiction writing is just as effective in enhancing the students’ writing ability as any other subject.

History is just another subject that enlists all other subjects, including geography, literature and comics. In terms of my own experience writing essays I recognize that while history is an important concept that can enrich an individual’s appreciation of society, in terms of writing there is a linguistic entity that is not directly effected by the content area. Writing is essentially a mental exercise that is engrossed in every subject that is written about. Fizhugh rightly depicts the lack of emphasis upon non-fiction academic writing in the contemporary schools.

Inclusion of non-fiction academic writing in the curriculum would add to its richness. In a reflective exploration of the article by William Fitzhugh, it becomes lucid that the author makes several vital arguments about the relevance of history term papers. It is an incontestable fact that the exemplary papers by high school students of history can help these students improve their learning skills, especially with regard to writing upon history. The author rightly argues that it offers other students an important opportunity to read some history and understand the contribution of their peers in the world of academia.

I absolutely agree with the arguments made by Fitzhugh regarding the value and importance of history term papers. Indeed, it is pertinent to establish that William Fitzhugh is clear about the great role of history papers and the need for offering history students to express the outcomes of their education. In writing about history students can develop a deeper appreciation for the flow of society over time and analyze the elements of the contemporary world. Through his article, Fitzhugh corrects the general notion that there is no value for the high school student academic work, especially in history.

He makes his opinion loud and clear when he remarks: “I started The Concord Review in 1987 not only to recognize exemplary papers by high school students of history, but also to distribute them as widely as possible to give lots of other students a chance to read some history and to see what some of their diligent peers have been able to do” (Fitzhugh). One of the essential factors that have helped the persuasive presentation of the topic is the author’s account of his personal experiences with student writing.

Fitzhugh has done a lot to encourage students to write. Personally, he has published several exemplary high school history research papers from various countries. However, it remains to be justified why writing upon history is more effective in enhancing the students’ writing ability than fiction writing. Indeed, individuals have noted the central aspect of research to fiction writing methods (Marschalk). Fizhugh has been able to identify the general drawbacks of students’ term papers e.g.

“They are all too long, too concerned with historical accuracy, and not personal enough” (Fizhugh) as well as the qualities of their writing e.g. “Some of the best have come from students in New York City, including one of the first two Ralph Waldo Emerson Prize winners in 1995, a paper by Aaron Einbond, then a Sophomore at Hunter College High School, on the degree of originality in John Maynard Keynes’ The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money” (Fitzhugh). The author has offered sufficient opinions and comments in support of his arguments, though they have not been sufficiently backed up with numeric statistics, facts and figures.

In conclusion, it is significant to maintain that many arguments made by William Fitzhugh in his article “Why Writing History Term Papers is Vital” are convincing and effective, though a reader who reads the article carefully is not adequately convinced about the significance of history term papers in measuring the overall outcomes of education. There is no doubt in the fact that history has conventionally been underestimated as a suitable subject for writing. Fitzhugh has been quite effective in systematically presenting the issue at hand and in convincing the readers on the relevance of providing opportunity for the high school students of history to publish their term papers; yet he could have improved the objectivity of his argument by telling the particular ways writing upon history improves the students’ writing ability more than creative writing or fiction writing.

Nevertheless, the author has made an effort to persuasively present his arguments supported by his personal remarks, examples from his experience as the editor of The Concord Review, facts and figures, and comments by experts in the field. References Marschalk, Lacy. On the Importance of Research to Fiction Writing. http://lacymarschalk.blogspot.com/2010/06/on-importance-of-research-to- fiction.html