This is a written, out-of-class exam essay. You have been prepping this essay si

This is a written, out-of-class exam essay. You have been prepping this essay since we began Module 6 on Nov. 7. You have two weeks to write the essay; not two days. This means that you cannot simply rely on a broad knowledge of your notes on the videos and readings. You have access to all of your sources while you are writing and can utilize them as the historical primary and secondary sources that they are. There is no need for you to seek out other information on-line; this information may ultimately be extraneous. You should utilize relevant class materials and, through analytical reasoning, find a way to synthesize these sources (films, secondary, primary), integrate them into your arguments, and use them to support your THESIS. This is the basis of historical writing. For more information, see Writing Historical Essays in Brightspace.
Details:
The essay should be between 1,500 and 2,100 words. (double-spaced). Although some of you may want to write more than this, presenting a clear and concise argument is a skill. I will not ready beyond 2,100 words.
Citations – your citations should come from our course materials. You should provide citations (style is your choice but be consistent) for direct quotes, specific facts, and the ideas of others. I would advise you not to avoid using any long quotes because they will diminish the space for your own thoughts. Be very wary of using anything that is NOT YOUR OWN WORK (plagiarism is plagiarism, whether you use the work of another person or Al).
There is no need to repeat the question. This only takes away from your own writing space (and word count).
Don’t forget a TITLE. See Brightspace for more essay writing tips.
Recommended Procedure:
Read the question closely, paying particular attention to the various components of it
Identify your secondary information and think about how you might organize your paragraphs (sections);
Prepare a general outline
Come up with a tentative thesis for the essay
Identify voices and data to provide evidence and support your arguments
6. Think about how you will develop your analysis (i.e., what does your evidence support?)
Write, revise and strengthen your topic sentences. Revise and strengthen your thesis
8. Write the first section of the essay, let it rest for a day, and go back and read and revise all; repeat for each section until you get tired
Revise and strengthen your topic sentences. Revise and strengthen your thesis.
Write your conclusion. Revise your Introduction.
Proofread and edit the essay for content and grammar (polish!)
Write, revise and strengthen your topic sentences. Revise and strengthen your thesis.
Question:
In his speech at Ghana’s independence day celebration, Kwame Nkrumah stated, “Our independence is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of the African continent.” As a Pan-Africanist leader, he dreamed of a united Africa that would stake its political and economic power within world systems. By the early 1960s, most of Africa had shaken off the yolk of colonialism and yet many of those same countries struggled for decades to succeed as modern states. In the 1993 film, Afrique Je te Plumerai, the filmmaker, Jean Marie Teno, asks the question: “How can a country composed of well-structured traditional societies fail to succeed as a state?”
Focusing mainly on Ghana, Cameroon, Congo, and South Africa, how would you respond to Teno’s question?
Identify key themes, events, and individuals during the era of African independence and discuss the impediments that Africans encountered (and sometimes created) in their quest to come together to fulfill Nkrumah’s dream. In other words, what historical circumstances have fostered failure and hindered the success of African countries since independence?
You should think about your response in political, economic, and socio-cultural terms and bring in specific examples and evidence (voices) to support your arguments. To find those “voices,” you should incorporate relevant sources from THIS CLASS (mainly Mods. 6 & 7). See the Final Exam Essay Source List in Brightspace.