United States History I
Pre-Columbian Civilization Diaries
Our first major writing project for the year will be a creative writing assignment that involves
significant research about multiple civilizations that were thrown together with the European arrival in
America in 1492 and the subsequent era of colonization and the beginning of the African slave trade. Your
assignment is…
1) Select two Native American civilizations from List A on the back of this page. Then, select one
European civilization from List B and one African civilization from List C.
2) Use your choices and research to complete the planning worksheet.
3) Pretend that you are a member of one of these ancient societies in the era before 1492, and
you have an opportunity to visit the other three ancient societies. In a diary or journal,
describe your journey to these foreign lands, detailing what you see, what you think, and
how you feel. In particular, how are these cultures similar to and/or different from your
own? What traditions and values are alike and different?
You will be given part of several class periods for research, but most of your research and writing
will be done outside of class time. You are required to have at least 4 different sources with each being cited
at least once. Your history textbook may be included in this total, but you may NOT use your class notes as
a source. Please note the following “restrictions” on the use of computer-accessed information: 1) While
you may use Internet sites, you must use at least one other source, and 2) You must complete a “Web Site
Evaluation Form” for all computer sites used.
Your papers should meet the following guidelines: a) at least 3 typed pages of text (or the
handwritten equivalent), b) double-spaced, c) typed or written neatly in blue or black ink, d) proper use of
parenthetical documentation to cite sources and reference quotes (author’s name and page number), e)
include a Works Cited page, and f) include a creative and humorous title page. In addition, please organize
your thoughts and try to write clearly and properly. Your papers should have a clear beginning and an
ending as well as various, well-organized paragraphs, and you should be very careful that ALL words used
are your own. I will use the definition of plagiarism outlined in the syllabus and will penalize any violations
accordingly, and if you have any doubts, you should cite any ideas or words from another source (whether or
not quotes are needed). In addition, please make sure that your paper includes your own thoughts and
expressions highlighted by facts and ideas from your sources. Please remember to check other sources
(books, articles, movies, etc.) besides encyclopedias and your textbook. A few other notes to remember
about good writing: try to remain consistent in verb tense, create an interesting and focused story with
enjoyable characters, and draw specific relationships. You will not be able to focus on all aspects of these
cultures so please limit your research to a few selected areas of expertise; the best papers will be ones that
not only provide facts but also examine detailed relationships (comparisons and contrasts) between them.
Please ask Mr. Shelley for any assistance or guidance that you may need like providing help with
sources for some of these topics. In addition, if you bring part or all of a draft of your paper to me in the
morning or after school, I will look over it and give you some feedback; I cannot guarantee that I will be able
to do so if you use a late day and bring it by after the original deadline.
* My planning worksheet is due at the beginning of class on ______________________!
* My final paper is due at the beginning of class on __________________________!
You may use late days for this assignment; work turned in beyond late days will be penalized as
outlined in the syllabus.
Pre-Columbian Civilization Diary Rubric
United States History I
Name:
Topic:
I. Planning Worksheet Completed
__________
(1 to 10)
II. Content – Facts, Depth of Information, and Cultural Understanding
__________
(1 to 30)
III. Comparison and Contrast – Drawing Specific Relationships
__________
(1 to 20)
IV. Quality of Writing – Number of Errors, Verb Tense, Organization, Paragraphs
__________
(1 to 30)
V. Citation of Sources and Parenthetical Documentation
__________
(0 to 10)
VI. Works Cited – Number of Sources and Proper Format
__________
(0 to 10)
VII. Overall Creativity and Humor
__________
(0 to 10)
VIII. Creative and Humorous Title Page
__________
(0 to 5)
VII. Deductions – Web Site Evaluation Forms, Typing/Handwriting Specifications, etc. __________
List A
List B
List C
Pacific Northwest
Aztecs
Hohokams
Anasazis
Mississippians
Great Plains
Cherokees
Inuit/Eskimos
Algonquians
Iroquois
Creeks
Choctaws
15th Century Spain
15th Century Portugal
15th Century France
15th Century England
Ghana
Mali
Songhai
Pre-Columbian Civilization Diary
United States History I
Directions :
1) Write the name for each civilization that you have chosen in the corresponding blocks on pages 1 and
2) Select 3 or 4 major elements of culture to research (like religion, architecture, agriculture, clothing,
economy, government, recreation, etc.), and list these in the appropriate blocks on the left. If you
choose to only focus on 3 elements, you will leave the last two rows blank on page 2.
3) List the major facts and revelations from your research for each cultural element under the various
civilizations.
4) Use the smaller blocks under each civilization to record where the evidence was found in your
research.
Civilization A #1
Cultural Element #1
Citation/Reference
for Cultural Element
#1
Cultural Element #2
Citation/Reference
for Cultural Element
#2
Civilization A #2
Civilization B
Civilization C
Civilization A #1
Cultural Element #3
Citation/Reference
for Cultural Element
#3
Cultural Element #4
Citation/Reference
for Cultural Element
#4
Civilization A #2
Civilization B
Civilization C