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Term Paper
Date due: 5pm on Friday December 6 (last day of undergraduate classes), via Blackboard.
Preview due: Prior to class, Thursday November 14
Length: 3,000 words
Preview
To ensure that you are set up to write a successful paper, please submit
a paragraph describing the topic you will work on and some indication of
the sources that you will use. You can email it to me ahead of class on
Thursday November 14 or bring it to class on paper.
Topic
You have a choice of topics:
"Open" You may choose to write on any aspect of Einstein's work. If you choose this option, you must clear the topic with me in advance. I recommend that you chat informally with me before the preview is due. If you would like to try this option but are unsure of just what to research, do chat with me. We will find something interesting for you.
"Default" The default project is to take one of Einstein's papers that we have not read and discussed in class. Write a commentary on it, developing its scientific, historical and philosophical aspects, according to your interests.
The goal in writing these papers is to develop a reflective understanding of the material. That is, the goal is not merely replication of the source that you have read. Rather the goal is to provide further understanding of the source. If you are writing on one of Einstein's papers, what makes that an interesting or important paper? How does it fit into his larger research agenda? Is there something puzzling about the paper? How can the puzzle be solved?
Use of Sources
Students in an upper level course should already know the right way. If
you are unsure, see here.