Description

Essential Questions: In what ways does public history accurately portray history?
Objectives:
 Research a topic of local historical importance but with large regional and national historical
significance
 Create a short 2-3 sentence introduction to the topic in the style of a historical marker
 Create a 2-3 minute Audio-Visual video show that explains the historical importance of the
topic, the relevant sites connected to the topic, and the legacy of the topic.
 Document all research through a properly formatted Chicago style annotated bibliography.
Task: Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces, Lucy Worsley argues that, “(i)f history is ‘finding what
happened in the past’, then public history is ‘telling lots of people about it’.” Public history is a collective
enterprise that involves both scholars and public resulting in books, exhibits, and other forms of display.
For this course’s four-part project, you will research and then contribute to public history by:
1. researching and writing about a historical topic of local
significance,
2. developing an annotated bibliography
3. constructing a historical marker,
4. and producing an audio-visual video-show for public presentation.
Part I: Research and Writing about a Historical Topic of Local Significance
Working individually or in groups of 2-3, students should select a local history topic of interest. The
research topic should be a person, location, institution, or event with local historical significant that may
not be well known outside the locality but has larger regional and/or national significance. Topics should
be at least 25 years old to meet the criteria to be considered historical.
Each student should write a 500-1000 word topic essay that discusses the national and local historical
context, who, what, where, when, and why of your topic, and historical significance. In addition, this
paper should address the next steps of your research by highlighting unanswered and future questions
and where you might go for answers.
If working in groups, students must vary their sources as a collaborative effort to engage in thorough
research. Each student should use a combination of five primary and secondary sources and submit a
working annotated bibliography in Chicago style format (see Part II for more details). As a group, make
a site visit and archival visit. The site visit is necessary to grasp how your topic is currently being
presented, if at all. And, the archival visit will help you develop a list of primary and secondary
resources. As a group, conduct an interview with a curator at a historical site or archive and/or
historian.
Here are general questions to help guide your research and writing:
 What is the topic?
 Why is the topic important in national and local history?
 What sites are connected to the topic?
 How is the topic relevant outside of the community?
 How and where will you find information on this topic?
 All research should be documented in an annotated bibliography completed in Chicago style
format.
Part II: Annotated Bibliography
You have already begun writing an annotated bibliography. You will use this aspect of the project to
complete a more thorough review of the research on your topic. Annotate bibliography is a list of
primary and secondary sources used in your project. You do not necessarily have to list all the
resources you read being that not all will be helpful, but if you use facts from a source or decide that a
particular primary source will be used in Part IV, then it should be listed in the annotated bibliography.
An annotated bibliography has three elements to it:
1. separated alphabetically (author’s last name) into primary and secondary sources;
2. lists the bibliographically information of each resource;
3. and under the bibliographically information is a 3-5 sentence summary of what you learned
from the source and why it is important for your project. That is, how does it help address your
research questions and other content knowledge requirements.
Here is an example:
Primary Source: Bates, Daisy. The Long Shadow of Little Rock. 1st ed. New York: David McKay Co.
Inc., 1962.
Annotation: Daisy Bates was the president of the Arkansas NAACP and the one who met and listened to the
students each day. This source helps with the understanding of who she was during the Civil Rights Movement.
She was involved in the intergration of Central High School in Little Rock. This first-hand account was very
important to my paper because it made me more aware of the feelings of the people involved.
Part III: Historical Marker
To begin synthesizing research into a digestible format for the public, you
and your group will create a historical marker. This marker might be
submitted to the governmental agency that manages the historical
markers and erects new ones upon input of the community. Your group
will be provided with a template for creating a historical marker after
writing 3-4 concise sentences that discuss what your topic is and why it is
important to local and national history. When presenting your marker to
your classmates, you will also be asked to discuss the site in which you
would like this marker placed as well as any other pertinent content
questions.
Part IV: Audio-Visual Presentation
Now that you have completed most of your research and have taken the first step in creating public
history, it is now appropriate to produce an audio-visual Presentation video that is a more thorough
representation of your group’s research. This resource will be presented first to your class, and then to
the appropriate public audiences. Such a presentation might be the foundation for the creation of a
more permanent public history site, trigger local dialogue about your topic, and/or serve as a useful
A Historical Marker
resource for others interested in your topic.
The audio-visual presentation should be 3-5 minutes in length and explore the topic in depth. In order
to complete the topic students must complete the following steps:
 gather and organize relevant photographs, video, and audio clips of interviews and relevant
sound effects;
 create a audio visual storyboard and audio script;
 construct a visual slideshow and then record voice-overs, be sure to have an introduction slide;
 edit final projects;
 and create a credit slide(s) that highlight annotated bibliography.
Completed projects should demonstrate thorough research on the topic and be able to answer the
following questions
 Who or what is the topic?
 What time period(s) are relevant to the topic
 What site(s) are relevant to the topic
 What is the significance of the topic to the community
 What is the large significance of the topic outside of the community
 What are the origins of the topic?
 What is the legacy of the topic?
Grade Requirements
A Thoroughly researched
Exceptionally well written and edited
Demonstrates total knowledge of the topic
No grammatical, editing, or research mistakes
B Well researched and demonstrates above average knowledge of the topic
Well written, edited and executed
Minor grammatical, editing, and research errors
C Average research and executed
Demonstrates fundamental knowledge of topic
Some grammatical, editing, and research errors
D Below average research and execution
Demonstrates below average knowledge of topic
Grammatical, editing, and research errors
F Poor research and execution
Project is incomplete and did not adhere to guidelines
Major grammatical, editing, and research errors.

Get Homework Help Now