History of Judicial Punishments in the West from c.1400-2000

Exhibit on a Western Judicial Punishment

PowerPoint Slide with a Written Report You will produce an exhibit on the history of a judicial punishment used in the West during the period that this module covers (c. 1400–2000). This will take the form of a PowerPoint comprised of two slides:

1) the exhibit with a written report of the research that supports the content on the slide – this report will be in the notes section beneath the slide and will include your references;

2) bibliography. The target word count for the written report is 550–650 words (excluding the bibliography and words on the slides). Your assignment will be submitted as a single PDF document – instructions on how to convert from PowerPoint to a PDF with the notes displayed are at the end of this document. You should decide which judicial punishment you wish to focus on.

 

1 Possibilities include: beheading; branding; burning; drowning; hanging; imprisonment; the pillory; whipping. Think of the main PowerPoint slide as a poster in a museum, which seeks to explain an artefact. Look at the sample assignment provided in Moodle for a suggestion as to what this might look like. You are encouraged to use your own creativity, but must research the information you provide on the slide thoroughly.

 

The written report will deliver a mixture of reflective and analytical points which provide answers to the following four questions:

1. What is the historical significance of your chosen punishment?

2. How did you research and verify the authenticity of the primary sources used to create your slide?

3. Who are the key historians you consulted in understanding the history of the use of this punishment; and what did they have to say about it, in summary?

4. What academic skills did you learn from undertaking this task? You must include references and a bibliography.

 

The bibliography should contain a minimum of three secondary sources. Include your word count at the end of the report (bottom of the notes section, slide 1). Save your PowerPoint (remember, you will have two slides) as a PDF.Your assignment will be marked according to the general History marking criteria (see Moodle) and the following specific criteria: ? The knowledge of the selected punishment demonstrated by the slide and answers to the four essential questions ? Correct use of referencing and a bibliography that demonstrates evidence of wider reading and research preparation for the assignment (you should consult academic books and articles) ? The inclusion of written or visual primary sources ? Creativity in organising and presenting your slide Preparation: While the seminar in Week 2 will be devoted to this assignment, you are strongly encouraged to discuss your plan for it in a tutorial with your seminar leader.

 

1 Do not choose any method used solely as a form of torture (infliction of physical suffering in order to extract information or a confession) or popular justice. A judicial punishment is a penalty awarded by a legal authority (law court / judge) for an offence 2 Referencing: don’t forget to use Chicago Style! You can download a detailed style guide from Moodle (look for it under the pink Assignments tab). NB: if the references or bibliography are missing, your assignment will receive a mark of 39%, unless it merits a lower mark on academic grounds, in which case it will receive the lower.