M3 Personalizing History Project

M3 Personalizing History Project

This module’s Personalizing History Project will be considerably more extensive than that of the previous modules, and actually involves contributions to all of the other learning activities in module 3. This is because many of the changes that occurred in the United States during World War I, the Twenties, the Great Depression, and World War II are reflected in the histories of America’s communities. It makes sense, as a result, to look at how some of the momentous events of those eras have left an imprint on the places where you live. Here’s what I’d like you to do:

• First, gather basic historical data about your hometowns between 1915 and 1945. Use the Empire State College Online Library, along with resources such as your local public libraries and/or town historical societies for this part of the project.
  • Gather information about:
    • Key businesses that operated during these decades, or perhaps ceased to due to the depression.
    • Significant social, economic and political events that occurred in your community due to national and/or international events.
    • Names of individuals who were prominent in your community.
  • After you have gathered this information, create a post to this forum of approximately 250 words that:
    • analyzes how your community changed in the time period we are studying.
• Second, we will start gathering images of your hometowns during these decades, using the ESC Library’s image databases along with resources such as your local public libraries and/or town historical societies. These images will help you complete the Public History assignment that is due at the end of the module.
  • Try to find at least 5-10 images, representing the research you did in part 1 of this activity and the decades between 1915 and 1945. The images can include maps, people, street scenes, workplaces, or notable buildings.
  • Use the research you gathered in part I of this activity and create captions of 75-125 words that help to describe each image and how it relates to your town.
  • Create a post in which you share your images and their accompanying captions.

As you are working on your posts, please continue to read your classmates’ posts and comment on them as appropriate. In your comments:

• Continue to analyze how the broader outline of American history affected smaller communities during the decades we’re studying.

Re-thinking U.S. History Timeline

Finally, after you have completed this assignment:

• Choose two or three historic detail from the material that you gathered on your hometown that interests you the most.
• Place that detail chronologically on the Re-Thinking U.S. History Timeline wiki that we are building collectively.
• Make sure to place your name and the source where you gathered this information in parentheses at the end of your entry.

One quick note: While you are welcome to share web links and images to this forum, please do not do so on the Wiki. For citations on the Wiki, you can name the website without a link.

M3 Public History Presentation

Now, please proceed to the M3 Assignment: Public History Presentation and begin working on it.  Please feel free to continue using this discussion forum to workshop and refine your public history presentation with your classmates.

Evaluation Criteria

For assistance in completing your assignment utilize the resources available to you in the Library Resources, Academic Integrity and Research Guidelines page of the Course Information documents.

Your discussion will be evaluated using the Discussion Guidelines.

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