Free Downloads

A Student's Guide To History

A Student’s Guide to History provides the practical help students need to be effective in their history courses. In addition to introducing students to the nature of the discipline, it teaches a wide range of skills from preparing for exams to approaching common writing assignments, and it explains the research and documentation process using numerous examples throughout. With clear and accessible advice, A Student’s Guide to History is an indispensable resource for history students. New, easy-to-reference chapter organization. Shorter, more manageable chapters now focus on more specific concepts, such as building a history essay and documenting sources, so students can more easily find the information they need. Expanded coverage of working with sources. A new chapter explains how to examine any source of historical evidence — primary or secondary, written or nonwritten, print or digital. New Guidelines boxes for evaluating primary sources, a new section on sound and video recordings, new warnings about Wikipedia, and more on finding primary sources online equip students to engage in a wide range of historical work. More attention to analysis and argument. New sample writing assignments demonstrate how to analyze and compare primary and secondary sources and present theses with supporting evidence. The research chapters now offer more advice on developing a thesis, using evidence, formulating worthwhile research questions, and writing more persuasive papers. New visual citation guidelines boxes annotate sample pages from books, published letters, print articles, database articles, and Web sites, and key them to model notes and bibliographic entries to show students how to find publication information and properly cite these common sources.

Paperback: 336 pages

Publisher: Bedford/St. Martin's; 11th edition (August 19, 2009)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0312535023

ISBN-13: 978-0312535025

Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 0.5 x 8.6 inches

Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces

Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #193,164 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #95 in Books > History > Historical Study & Educational Resources > Study & Teaching #3402 in Books > Textbooks > Humanities > History #3429 in Books > Reference > Writing, Research & Publishing Guides

I use this book in my "Learning Strategies for History" college course that I have taught now for 4 semesters. I replaced the Pugh&Pace book with this one for several reasons but Benjamin's book is not perfect and should be used along with a program that introduces and challenges to practice the skills he discusses.The book has 5 chapters. The first is a description of history as as subject and how it is used in every day life. The examples of primary and secondary materials is especially useful and this continues throughout the book.The second chapter covers what I call the "nuts and bolts" of history classes. First the different types of reading you will have to do and briefly how you should approach each type whether it be a legal code, a personal letter, a photograph or a map. Second he too briefly discusses note taking and this is where students will need a lot of very solid examples of the various techniques as well as repeated practice. Finally he discusses exam preparation and taking.The third chapter looks at different types of writing assignments and how to approach them. Again students will need guides to grammar and practice with each type of assignment.Chapter four gets into the heart of any upper level history course: research. His end book guide to various books and online resources is very valuable as a starting place. This chapter also illustrates a few ways to take notes from what you are reading and there is a solid guide to citation and bibliography construction.The final chapter not only discusses how to write a research paper,and to a degree any paper, but also walks the reader through a sample paper. I'm not thrille with endnotes myself nor with including images in one's college paper but still it is better than no example at all. By listing the major points the author is making in the sample paper in the margins I think it is a good guide for students attempting to organize their own writing. Again though students will require practice and feedback.

I like its clear organization which makes the book easy to understand. Its headings are focused and consistent with teaching the important academic skills necessary for college students to be successful in the study of college history. The sections on the net and databases are invaluable. If students wish to do well in their history courses, this is the book for them.

I wish I had this book back in high school. I would have used it in every college history course. I'm glad I discovered it during my senior year. I can't recommend this book enough. If you are reading this, you are most likely a history student or teacher. Stop reading and add it to your inbox.

How do you research and write about history? This is always a good question for history students. At what point do you put away the MLA methods and begin to work with historical style in order to conduct research within this discipline? Benjamin has compiled a good book on what students should be doing in order to become historians. One of the tasks instructors face in college is transforming students into historians. That is what they are doing in those classes. They are learning to think like a historian in order to find and use facts in developing interpretations of the past. There are many books on the market concerning how to be a historian. This book is one of the better ones. It is used on college campuses for students. Everything a beginning student of history needs is in this book. Good attention is paid to the research and writing elements of history which are critical for a historian. Sections on what historians do and why are included which is wonderful because some instructors do not bother to explain these things. Two appendices are included with sources for beginning historians which is worth the price of the book alone. So often budding historians are hesitant to start because they have no idea where to look for information. As Benjamin points out, often it is right under our nose. All in all this is a good book for students of history to have. When coupled with the latest edition of Turabian’s A Manual for Writers, the pair become a highly effective duo for all historians.

If you are pursuing a degree is history this book is for you. It gives you everything you need to know about how to write a proper history paper. I used this book for a class and I know I will be using it in my future history classes.

this is probably the funniest book ever had to buy it as posted on the syllabus and once I saw what its about its a laugh who ever needs this book as a senior in college this is for absolute beginners who have no clue how to write

Purchased as a required material for class, but I will definitely be using this for future reference. Provides very good guidelines for a historical research paper, from finding sources to final formatting. Wish I would have purchased this years ago.

Concise directions on conducting research and writing research papers. Also writing book and film reviews, analytic essays and oral presentations. I found the information on citing in the Chicago Style (Turabian) very helpful. Also helpful were the sample comparative analysis, book review, and research papers after clear instructions on how to do each.

American Immigration: A Student Companion (Student Companions to American History) Student Laboratory Manual for Seidel's Guide to Physical Examination, 8e (MOSBY'S GUIDE TO PHYSICAL EXAMINATION STUDENT WORKBOOK) Student Instrumental Course Trombone Student: Level I Student Instrumental Course Cornet Student: Level I Student Instrumental Course Trombone Student: Level II Teaching Student-Centered Mathematics: Developmentally Appropriate Instruction for Grades 3-5 (Volume II) (2nd Edition) (Teaching Student-Centered Mathematics Series) What Every Student Should Know About Citing Sources with APA Documentation (What Every Student Should Know About...) Student Instrumental Course Oboe Student: Level I Student Instrumental Course Bassoon Student: Level I Student Instrumental Course Oboe Student: Level II Student Instrumental Course: Oboe Student, Level 1 Student Instrumental Course French Horn Student: Level I Student Instrumental Course French Horn Student: Level III Student Instrumental Course Clarinet Student: Level I Student Instrumental Course Flute Student: Level I Student Instrumental Course Flute Student: Level II Student Instrumental Course Alto Saxophone Student: Level I Double Agent! Piano Duets: Hal Leonard Student Piano Library Popular Songs Series Intermediate 1 Piano, 4 Hands (Popular Songs, Hal Leonard Student Piano Library) Student Instrumental Course Tuba Student: Level I Student Instrumental Course Clarinet Student: Level II