As stated at the beginning of the semester, a one page "proposal" for your paper is due by November 3, 2008; you are welcome to hand it in early for me to check. The five page paper on some topic in archaeoastronomy or ethnoastronomy is due December 3, 2008. An alternative to a paper is to prepare an equivalent amount of material in powerpoint or on a web site; some of this material might be used in future classes (with attribution).
The one page proposal should contain a tentative title, a paragraph describing the point of your paper, a few sources, and an indication of whether you are thinking of a web/ppt based paper. The bibliography page is a place to start for sources. While in most cases the longer paper will follow naturally from the proposal, I will not hold you to the same topic. If you change topics you should talk to me or preferably submit a brief outline for approval. Note that the proposal is important in that you can get some feedback before you invest large amounts of time on the paper. If you omit it, you can expect a lower grade on your paper.
I expect that the paper will go considerably beyond the material covered in the regular course. The primary thing I will be looking for in the papers is some evidence for critical thought. I do not recommend using just one book or source because some authors take a controversial viewpoint and make it sound convincing. What do other authors think? What do you? What are the author's credentials? I invite speculation, but it should be reasoned and supported. As Carl Sagan said, extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.
It is important that the topic chosen be narrow enough and that it have something to do with astronomy. In addition, any overlap with what is covered in class should be kept to a minimum. You can assume that the reader knows everything covered in class.
One type of paper would be to look at the evidence supporting some particular type of astronomical observation. You should investigate whether the claim is consistent with what is known about the capabilities of the culture in question. It can be an ancient culture or a recent, non-western one. For cultures with complex astronomical/calendrical systems (Maya, China, Babylonia), you can go into detail on one aspect of the system, using specialized literature. I will be happier with a paper from which I learn something new, so I recommend steering away from well-worn paths (such as overviews of the Sun Dagger, Stonehenge, or the Nazca lines) unless you have a novel approach or detailed material.
GRADES (based on material in Teaching Concerns, UVa TRC)
First consider the "B" or average paper. The topic is well chosen: the subject is appropriate for ASTR341, and it is sufficiently narrow to have required research beyond the course requirements. The source material is adequate to address the topic. Beyond a straightforward presentation of the material, there is some analysis. The paper is well organized and logically presented. There are few mechanical errors in the writing.
An "A" paper differs from a "B" paper in one or more of the following ways: Originality--- The topic, presentation, or research material show an unusual degree of originality. Research--- Material is covered in unusual depth; an exceptionally difficult topic is explored; novel source material or techniques employed. Writing--- Very few or no mechanical errors; not only is the writing clear, it is lively and perhaps inventive in vocabulary and structures.
A "C" paper differs from a "B" paper in one or more of the following ways: Topic--- Topic is too broad, does not go deeper than the standard course material, or does not relate to ASTR341. Research--- Inappropriate sources (e.g., the popular press or one controversial source); based entirely on required course reading; significant factual errors. Writing--- Many grammatical errors; poor organization and logical flow; fuzzy reasoning.
A "D" or "F" paper has the characteristics of a "C" paper but even more so. Little effort put into either research or presentation.