SAMPLE RESPONSE
1. Thomas J. Wertenbaker represents the view of America as a European extension by describing the colonization of the Americas as the "transit of European civilization" across the Atlantic. He argues that for over four centuries, Europeans established their own "blood, languages, religions, literatures, art, [and] customs" in the New World, effectively creating a "new Europe in America". In this view, American society is a "child... of Europe" that maintained its cultural inheritance while indigenous civilizations were simply "overwhelmed or subordinated."
2) Gary Nash acknowledges the reality of "oppression and exploitation" but argues that these power dynamics did not result in a one-way cultural flow. He asserts that "acculturation" was a mutual process where the agricultural techniques, music, dress, and modes of behavior of Africans and Indians "commingled with European culture". Nash believes that because all these groups "remade" the environment and themselves in the process, the resulting American culture was a unique product of all its peoples--"whether red, white, or black"—rather than a simple European transplant.
3) Adopting the "diversity" perspective rather than the "Europeanist" perspective alters the narrative of subsequent American history by shifting the focus from inheritance to interaction. A Europeanist view focuses on how European institutions and "blood" were preserved, often treating non-Europeans as obstacles or background figures. Conversely, a diversity perspective views the American identity as a constant "cultural interchange" where the contributions of marginalized groups are central to the development of a unique national character, rather than just an expansion of a "new Europe."
EVALUATION
Wertenbaker-A view of America as the product of European culture
Nash-A view of America as the product of the meeting of Indian, European, and African cultures
This response would likely earn a 3 out of 3. It utilizes the ACE method (Answer, Cite, Explain) for each task and stays within the parameters of the provided documents.
1. (1 Point): The student correctly identifies Wertenbaker’s focus on the "transit" of culture and the "inheritance" of European traits. They successfully explain his "Europeanist" framing by citing his view that the US is a "child" of Europe.
2. (1 Point): The student accurately captures Nash’s nuance: that exploitation existed, but it did not prevent "commingling". They correctly identify that for Nash, the culture is "remade" by all three racial groups.
3. (1 Point): This is the "Analysis" portion. The student successfully compares the two perspectives, noting that one focuses on continuity (inheritance) while the other focuses on synthesis (interchange).
TEACHING TIP
When training students, remind them that for Part 3, they must do more than just summarize both authors; they must explain how the historical lens changes. In this response, the student does this by contrasting the "overwhelming" of cultures with the "remaking" of a collective identity
1. Thomas J. Wertenbaker represents the view of America as a European extension by describing the colonization of the Americas as the "transit of European civilization" across the Atlantic. He argues that for over four centuries, Europeans established their own "blood, languages, religions, literatures, art, [and] customs" in the New World, effectively creating a "new Europe in America". In this view, American society is a "child... of Europe" that maintained its cultural inheritance while indigenous civilizations were simply "overwhelmed or subordinated."
2) Gary Nash acknowledges the reality of "oppression and exploitation" but argues that these power dynamics did not result in a one-way cultural flow. He asserts that "acculturation" was a mutual process where the agricultural techniques, music, dress, and modes of behavior of Africans and Indians "commingled with European culture". Nash believes that because all these groups "remade" the environment and themselves in the process, the resulting American culture was a unique product of all its peoples--"whether red, white, or black"—rather than a simple European transplant.
3) Adopting the "diversity" perspective rather than the "Europeanist" perspective alters the narrative of subsequent American history by shifting the focus from inheritance to interaction. A Europeanist view focuses on how European institutions and "blood" were preserved, often treating non-Europeans as obstacles or background figures. Conversely, a diversity perspective views the American identity as a constant "cultural interchange" where the contributions of marginalized groups are central to the development of a unique national character, rather than just an expansion of a "new Europe."
EVALUATION
Wertenbaker-A view of America as the product of European culture
Nash-A view of America as the product of the meeting of Indian, European, and African cultures
This response would likely earn a 3 out of 3. It utilizes the ACE method (Answer, Cite, Explain) for each task and stays within the parameters of the provided documents.
1. (1 Point): The student correctly identifies Wertenbaker’s focus on the "transit" of culture and the "inheritance" of European traits. They successfully explain his "Europeanist" framing by citing his view that the US is a "child" of Europe.
2. (1 Point): The student accurately captures Nash’s nuance: that exploitation existed, but it did not prevent "commingling". They correctly identify that for Nash, the culture is "remade" by all three racial groups.
3. (1 Point): This is the "Analysis" portion. The student successfully compares the two perspectives, noting that one focuses on continuity (inheritance) while the other focuses on synthesis (interchange).
TEACHING TIP
When training students, remind them that for Part 3, they must do more than just summarize both authors; they must explain how the historical lens changes. In this response, the student does this by contrasting the "overwhelming" of cultures with the "remaking" of a collective identity