Hopefully your copy of the textbook has a Foreword at the beginning by Lacey Baldwin Smith.  As my textbook is the 5th edition and yours is the 8th, there may be some discrepancies in page numbers, but I think the basic write-up is the same.  At any rate, please do the following before we meet in class on Monday:

1.  Read Foreword by Lacey Baldwin Smith.  If it is not there, please let me know so that I can photocopy the one out of my book.
2.  Before Monday I would like for you to write a 5-paragraph essay about one aspect of English history that you find interesting.  It can be a famous historical personage; a war or battle; a period in the history of the country...any subject having to do with British History is fair game.  Here are the requirements:

• Your paper must be a minimum of 5 paragraphs.
• You must use the 5-paragraph essay format that I've always had you use! :)
• Your thesis for this paper needs to explain why you chose this aspect of English history.
• You must cite your sources.  Don't worry about a precise format at this point - we'll learn more about that this year.  Just be sure you include a list of sources.
• If you quote from a source, use quotes - do NOT plagiarize!
• It must be legibly handwritten or typed.

Let me know if you have any questions!