Essay on Guns Germs and Steel
This essay is worth 25% of your grade.
Instructions:
Diamond says that the overall argument of Guns Germs and Steel is:
“My main conclusion [is] that societies developed differently on different continenets because of differences in continental environments, not [because of differences] in human biology.”[1]
The challenge of your essay is to 1) fit specific arguments in a chosen chapter into the arguments in that chapter’s section or part, 2) relate the arguments in your chapter and part to the arguments in a second chapter and part, and 3) tie all of these arguments into the overall argument of the book. You then must present a critical evaluation of Guns Germs and Steel indicating what problems there might be with the specific or general argument.
In your essay, you will work with a partner. Each of you will select a different chapter in Guns Germs in Steel to summarize and analyze. You must each choose a chapter from a different “part” or section of the book. So if you choose (say) chapter one, your partner must choose a chapter from chap[ter four to chapter 19—that is a chapter from Parts Two through Four of Guns Germs and Steel.
In your essay, you must first summarzie what was argued in the chapter you chose. Then you must explain how the arguments in that chapter relate to the overall arguments in the “Part” of the book that your chapter is found. You do this by identifying what the overall argument in your chapter fits into and supports the overall argument in the Part.
With these tasks completed, you now begin to work with your partner. Show your partner your summary and read your partner’s summary. Now, together, write a section that explains how your chapter and your part relate to your partner’s chapter and your partner’s part in supporting the overall argument of Guns Germs and Steel. This part of your essay can be done jointly. Or you can just share ideas and write this part of your essay(s) seperately. Finally, you write a section of your essay that ties your chapter and part and your partner’s chapter and part to the overall argument of the book summarized above. That overall argument really ahs two pieces to it. The first piece is the assertion that differences in societies developed because of differences in geographic environments. The second part says that differences in societies developed not because of differences in human biology. If you reject the second argument, you reject the first. But you can accept the second argument without accepting the first. In other words, it is conceivable that differences in societal development are not biologically rooted but also not rooted in differences in geography. Maybe there is a third explanation.
Schedule.
By Monday, January 22, you must have written the summary of your chapter and explain how your chapter fits into your part. Bring this to class and provide a copy to your partnet and a copy to me. (Late submissions will have one grade deduction from their final grade.)
By Wednesday, January 23, you must have written the section that compares, contrasts and relates your chapter and part to your partner’s chapter and part. Bring your now-extended essay to class and povide me with a copy. (Late submissions will have one grade deduction from their final grade.)
By Monday, January 29, you must complete your essay and hand it in. The essay should be between 2000 and 3000 words. (You can do a word count in Microsoft Word by going to “tools” and then choosing “word count”). The essay needs to be in five sections: 1) summary of your chapter (20% of grade) ; 2) relating your chapter to your part (20% of grade), 3) relating your chapter and part to your partner’s chapter and part (20% of grade), 4) relating both chapters and parts to the overall book (10% of grade), and 5) critical evaluation (30% of grade). (Late submissions will have one grade deduction from their final grade.)