Senior Seminar: Medieval Outlaws
Tuesdays 1:30-3:20 in 109 Raitt
Professor Charity Urbanski (urbanski@uw.edu)
Office: 106 Smith (in the east stairwell between the 1st and 2nd floors)
Office Hours: Mondays 11-12 in person, Thursdays 11-12 on zoom (https://washington.zoom.us/j/91220586269), or by appointment
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Welcome to Medieval Outlaws!
Course Description
The purpose of this course is to introduce undergraduate students to the transition from being consumers of history to producers of history. It will emphasize critical reading and analysis of primary and secondary literature, the theoretical and methodological problems of historical research, and involve students in doing original primary research. Its focus is on the process of historical reading, research, and writing. Our theme is medieval outlaws. While our primary sources are literary works, we will be concerned with determining what these legends and the mythology of the outlaw can tell us about social organization, values, and the limits of the legal system in medieval England. We will also address the changing legal status of the outlaw, as well as the evolution and historical context of outlaw legends.
Learning Objectives
Introduce students to strategies for reading and evaluating secondary sources by identifying the main question, argument, approach, method, and evidence
Help students develop an ability to see connections and distinctions among different authors and varied approaches to the study of history.
Introduce students to research techniques, databases, and other resources and allow them to conduct original research.
Help students hone their skills with regard to various styles of reading, diverse forms of writing, oral presentation, time management, and collaboration.
Required Books
There are no required books for this course.
All of our primary source readings will come from Medieval Outlaws: Twelve Tales in Modern English Translation, ed. Thomas Ohlgren (West Lafayette Indiana: Parlor Press, 2005) and are PDFs embedded in the syllabus below.
Recommended Books
Mary Lynn Rampolla, A Pocket Guide to Writing in History
Martha Howell and Walter Prevenier, From Reliable Sources: An Introduction to Historical Methods
These are both available new and used on Amazon.
Assignments
This is a reading, writing, and discussion intensive course. It requires weekly reading of 100-150 pages; regular participation in discussion; weekly 1 page reaction papers; a 5 minute presentation on one of our readings; an annotated bibliography (2-3 pages); a detailed outline of your final paper (2-3 pages); a draft of your final paper (at least 10 pages); peer reviewing of outlines and drafts; and a revised final paper (12-15 pages).
Grading
10% – Active class participation (including peer reviews of outlines and drafts)
10% - Weekly Reaction Papers
10% – Presentation
0% – Research Question (this is ungraded, but required) due Tuesday, 10/21
10% – Annotated Bibliography (2-3 pages) due Tuesday, 11/4
15% – Detailed Outline of Final Paper (2-3 pages) due Tuesday, 11/18
20% – Full Draft of Final Paper due Monday, 12/1
25% – Revised Final Research Paper (12-15 pages) due Tuesday, 12/9
You must complete the annotated bibliography, outline, draft, and final paper in order to pass the course.
Grades will be assigned as percentages on individual assignments and exams and converted to the 4.0 scale for the final course grade.
4.0 95-100%
3.5 90%
2.5 80%
1.5 70%
0.7 62% (lowest passing grade)
Seminar Rules
The structure of this class assumes that everyone will attend our weekly meetings and turn their assignments in on time. Some features of the course, such as the peer reviewing and presentations, really depend on your presence, participation, and timeliness in submitting assignments. I expect everyone to come to class and submit assignments on time. If you need to miss a class, let me me know (urbanski@uw.edu) as soon as possible.
Reading
You should complete the reading before class each week and bring it with you to class in some form.
Reaction Papers
Each week students will submit a brief (1 page; double-spaced, 12 point font) critical reaction to at least one of the secondary readings for this week. Include the main argument of the article, briefly discuss its strengths and weaknesses, and explain why you found it persuasive or unpersuasive.
Reaction papers will be graded as follows:
0 = no assignment submitted or an assignment that demonstrates no familiarity with the reading
70% = paper discusses the primary source, but does not engage with the secondary sources
80% = paper summarizes the argument of at least one of our secondary sources, but does not address its strengths or weaknesses
90% = paper discusses the strengths and/or weaknesses of the argument in at least one of our secondary sources, and shows a very good understanding of the argument and the issues at stake
100% = paper discusses the strengths and/or weaknesses of the argument in at least one of our secondary sources, and shows an excellent understanding of the argument and the issues at stake
*Every student will be allowed to miss one reaction paper without penalty during the quarter. You do not need to submit a reaction paper the week you give your presentation.
Participation
Because this seminar is driven by in-class student discussion, participation represents a vital portion of your grade. Your participation grade will be based on your active contribution to in class discussion and participation in peer-reviewing sessions.
*Everyone will be allowed to miss one class without penalty, as long as it isn’t a peer-reviewing day.
Presentations
Every class meeting one or more students will be in charge of presenting on one of the assigned readings and starting discussion. Everyone will present once during the quarter, and I will circulate a sign up sheet during the first week of class. Students will be responsible for:
- Giving a 5 minute presentation that coherently articulates the main point(s) discussed in the selected reading; and addresses the following questions: Who is the author? What is the argument(s)? What evidence does the author use to support their argument(s)? Do you find the argument(s) convincing? Feel free to point out passages that you found to be particularly important, compelling, or problematic.
- Posing one or two questions to the class to stimulate further in-class discussion.
- You do not have to submit a response paper during the week you deliver your presentation.
Peer reviewing
You will be responsible for peer-reviewing the outlines and drafts of two of your fellow students. I will assign groups in Canvas and issue instructions for the peer-reviewing once everyone has submitted their research questions.
Academic Standards and Conduct
Honesty, ethical conduct, and academic integrity are expected in this course. Academic integrity includes a commitment to not engage in or tolerate acts of falsification, misrepresentation, or deception. Acts of dishonesty include cheating or copying, plagiarizing, submitting another persons’ work as one’s own, using Internet sources without citation, having another student take your exam or working together with other students on your exam, tampering with the work of another student, facilitating other students’ acts of academic dishonesty, etc.
Unless I specify otherwise, all assignments and exams are to be completed by the student alone, without inappropriate assistance of any kind, including the use of AI programs such as ChatGPT.
Artificial Intelligence (AI):
Two of the main goals of this course are to hone your critical thinking skills and your argumentative writing skills. These skills are incredibly important for getting through life. In fact, they're far more important than your ability to recall things like what year the Norman Conquest happened. Relying on AI to produce assignments for you not only deprives you of valuable opportunities to practice these skills, the technology tends to turn out papers that are lacking in specific detail and slightly off-topic. In other words, using AI deprives you of the chance to think for yourself, and it doesn't even do a good job. It is also important to remember that text generators like ChatGPT are sometimes wrong. If an AI tool gives you incorrect information and you use it on an assignment, you will be held accountable for it.
You should never use AI as a substitute for your own thought or your own writing, but there are two circumstances in which you are allowed to use AI in this class (your other professors will likely have very different policies, so do not assume that my policies will apply in your other classes).
The use of AI is allowed in this class under the following circumstances only (any other use is prohibited):
1. You may use AI to provide you with explanations of concepts or to organize your notes. I would much prefer that you ask me for clarification if you are having trouble with any of the material in this course, and I am happy to answer questions after class or during my office hours, but I recognize that some of you will want to use AI for this. However, if the AI gives you incorrect information and you use that information on an assignment or exam, you will be held accountable for it.
2. You are allowed to use tools like Grammarly or Quillbot to proofread or edit writing that you have produced yourself. Just be aware that using these tools to edit your work comes with the risk that it may change your original writing so much that it no longer reflects your original thought, so make sure you are using it for simple grammar and spelling checks, not to substantially rewrite your work.
The unauthorized use of artificial intelligence (AI) can be a form of academic misconduct at UW. Tools that use AI and large language models to generate text or images, such as ChatGPT, GPT4, Bing Chat, and "Write with AI" in Google Docs (the "help me write" feature now in beta testing in Workspace Labs), are usually prohibited by instructors in Department of History courses. Unless your instructor has expressly permitted the use of such tools, check with your instructor before using them. The unauthorized use of such tools may constitute academic misconduct and could result in serious disciplinary action.
- All assignments containing suspected plagiarism or AI use will be sent to the Office of Community Standards and Student Conduct for investigation and the enforcement of appropriate sanctions. If the Office of Student Conduct determines that plagiarism or AI use took place, the student will receive a 0 on that assignment.
- Any student found to have committed a second instance of plagiarism or AI use by the Office of Community Standards and Student Conduct will fail the course.
I will not use AI to grade your work or provide you with feedback. I will personally grade your work and provide feedback, so please do me the courtesy of writing your own papers.
Accommodations
Please let me know as early as possible if you require religious accommodations or DRS accommodations, or if there is anything I can do to support your learning style.
Information on UW policies regarding Religious Accommodations, Student Conduct, Disability Resources, Academic Integrity, and Campus Safety can be found at https://registrar.washington.edu/staffandfaculty/syllabi-guidelines
History department syllabus attachment
Schedule of Classes
The syllabus is subject to change at the instructor’s discretion.
9/30
Week 1 - Introduction
“How to Read a Primary Source”
“How to Read a Secondary Source”
10/7
Week 2 – Exile and Outlawry in the Middle Ages
Complete the reading and the writing assignment before class
Primary Source: “Introduction” and “The Outlawry of Earl Godwin,” in Medieval Outlaws, pp. xv-xxxv and 3-27
Secondary Sources:
Presenter: Ruby
Conor McCarthy, "Outside the Law in the Middle Ages," in Outlaws and Spies (Edinburgh University Press, 2020), pp. 21-54
Presenter: Clio
UK National Archives site explaining the legal process and history of outlawry (read parts 1-3)
10/14
Week 3 - Hereward the Wake
Complete the reading and the writing assignment before class
Primary Source: “The Deeds of Hereward” in Medieval Outlaws, pp. 28-99
Secondary Sources:
Cyril Hart, “Hereward the Wake,” in The Danelaw (London, 1992), pp. 625-648
Presenter: Zoe
Presenter: Henry
TASK: work on defining a topic for your research paper and thinking about potential research questions (research topic/question due 10/21)
10/21
Week 4 - Research Trip to Suzzallo Library
*RESEARCH QUESTIONS DUE BEFORE CLASS
We will meet in the Open Scholarship Commons on the first floor of Suzzallo Library
Enter Suzzallo from Red Square, go past the Starbucks and up the small set of stairs. The Open Scholarship Commons will be on your left.
TASK: start identifying primary and secondary sources for your Annotated Bibliography (due 11/4); define your research question
10/28
Week 5 - Eustache the Monk
Complete the reading and the writing assignment before class
Primary Source: “Eustache the Monk,” in Medieval Outlaws, pp. 100-150
Secondary Sources:
Presenter: Aaron
Presenter: Alec
TASK: work on your Annotated Bibliography (due 11/4) and continue your research
11/4
Week 6 - Fouke fitz Waryn
*ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY (2-3 PAGES) DUE BEFORE CLASS
Complete the reading and the writing assignment before class
Primary Source: “Fouke fitz Waryn,” in Medieval Outlaws, pp. 165-247
Secondary Sources:
Presenter: Rylie
Presenter: Sydney
TASK: continue your research and begin thinking about organizing your paper for the Outline due 11/18
11/11
Week 7 - NO CLASS - VETERAN'S DAY HOLIDAY
TASK: continue your research and work on the Outline due 11/18
11/18
Week 8 - Outlaws and Criminal Gangs in Late Medieval England
*OUTLINES OF FINAL PAPERS (2-3 PAGES) DUE BEFORE CLASS (PEER REVIEWS DUE, THURSDAY, 11/20 BY 11:59 PM)
Complete the reading and the writing assignment before class
Primary Source: “The Outlaw’s Song of Trailbaston,” in Medieval Outlaws, pp. 151-164
Secondary Sources:
Presenter: Andrew
translations for Stones article
Presenter: Josh
TASK: peer review the outlines of your two partners by Thursday 11/20 at 11:59 pm; begin drafting your paper by filling in your outline (10 page drafts are due Monday 12/1 by 5 pm)
11/25
Week 9 - Robin Hood
Complete the reading and the writing assignment before class
Primary Source: “A Gest of Robyn Hood,” in Medieval Outlaws, pp. 356-396
Secondary Sources:
Presenter: Adeline
Barbara Hanawalt, “Ballads and Bandits,” in Robin Hood: An Anthology (Brewer, 1999), pp. 263-284
Presenter: Matthew
TASK: work on the 10 page draft due Monday 12/1 by 5 pm; comment on the drafts of your two partners BEFORE class on 12/2
12/2
Week 10 - Workshop on Drafts
FULL DRAFTS OF FINAL PAPER DUE MONDAY, 12/1 BY 5 PM; READ AND PEER REVIEW YOUR ASSIGNED DRAFTS BEFORE CLASS ON TUESDAY
TASK: complete your full 12-15 page paper due Tuesday 12/9 by 5 pm
REVISED FINAL PAPERS DUE TUESDAY 12/9 BY 11:59 PM