A Close Look at Two Native American Societies
An APUSH Period One ChatGPT-Using Assignment
In my APUSH class next week, the students, in groups of up to five, will take a close look at two Native American societies, with this work to be conducted outside of school and, if the students wish, in collaboration with ChatGPT.
This assignment was created after hearing various teachers express a desire to provide their students with a chance to use ChatGPT but who work in schools where the bot has been banned on all school-purchased platforms and devices.
Overview:
This assignment calls on the students to produce the following:
- An Analysis Paper.
- A Post-1850 History Paper.
- Fifteen Multiple Choice Questions including the answers to each MCQ.
- Seven Short Answer Questions including the answers to each SAQ.
- Two Long Essay Questions including the answers to each LEQ.
- A Cover Page, a Table of Contents, a Bibliography, and a Reflective Page.
The Analysis Paper
Choose two of the following:
- The Northeast Native American Societies
- The Mississippi River Valley Native American Societies,
- The Atlantic Seaboard Native American Societies,
- The Northwest Native American Societies,
- The Present-day California Native American Societies.
- The Great Plains Native American Societies
Produce a paper no longer than five pages comparing and contrasting the societies selected before 1492. Use of ChatGPT permitted.
All societies listed above, except for The Great Plains Native American Societies, are expressly mentioned in the APUSH Period 1 Key Concepts.
The Post-1850 History Paper
Produce a paper (no longer than two pages) describing a captivating story relating to one of your chosen societies but that took place after 1850. Use of ChatGPT permitted.
The Multiple Choice Questions
Develop 15 MCQs related to both the Analysis Paper and the Post-1850 History Paper. Provide a separate answer key. Use of ChatGPT permitted.
The Short Answer Questions
Create 7 SAQs. One of the questions should start with: “Briefly describe ONE major difference between…”
A second question should begin with: “Briefly describe ONE major similarity between…”
A third question should start with: “Briefly describe a SECOND major difference between…”
A fourth question should begin with: “Briefly describe a SECOND major similarity between…”
Also, craft three additional short answer questions related to the societies mentioned in your Analysis Paper and Post 1850 Paper.
For each question, provide an answer in 3–4 sentences.
The Long Essay Questions (LEQs)
Formulate two LEQs relating to The Comparative Analysis Paper and the Post-1850 History paper. One should be phrased as “Evaluate the extent to which…” and the other as “Evaluate the relative importance of…”. Students should also provide the answer to each LEQ, with each answer ranging between 300 to 600 words in length. Use of ChatGPT permitted.
The Cover Page:
Display the title, student names, date, and class details.
The Table of Contents
List the different sections and their respective page numbers.
The Bibliography
Cite all sources used.
The Reflection Page (No more than 1 page)
Detail the process used to produce the work. Use of ChatGPT permitted.
Grading:
- Completion Grade (10 points): All groups that successfully complete all required written work.
- Presentation Grade (50 points): On the due date, a randomly selected member from each group will be called upon to answer several reasonably anticipatable follow-up questions based on the submitted written work. The depth of understanding and clarity of these answers will determine the group's grade.
