My Assigned Topic is the Seneca Falls Convention- Explore the Seneca Falls Convention as the birthplace of the women’s rights movement in America, focusing on the Declaration of Sentiments, key participants, and early feminist goals
PART 1: THE PROJECT
Step 1: SELECT A TOPIC. You may select ANY topic that is relevant to America within the timeframe
of this course. This course covers history from the coming of Columbus to 1877. That means that you are free to chose any topic that fits within that period. (For example, a project on George Washington would be acceptable, but a project on President Bill Clinton would not, since the Clinton administration occurred AFTER the timeframe covered in the class.)
Topic Suggestions:
DO NOT SELECT A TOPIC THAT IS TOO BROAD: For example, if you have an interest in music, you might choose a topic on “Music during the Civil War” rather than “Music from the colonial period through the Civil War.” If you are interested in economics, you might choose a topic on “Mercantilism in the 18th Century” rather than the too-broad topic: “The American Economy from the 17th through the mid-19th C.”
Here are some samples of topics:
A PERSON: George Washington, Robert E. Lee, Henry Clay, Abigail Adams, Sam Houston, Clara Barton. If you choose to do your project on a person, focus on the importance of this historical figure, highlights of his/her life, challenges that person faced, important events that are identified with this person, how this person affected later history, and any unusual facts about the person.
AN EVENT: Boston Tea Party, John Brown’s Raid, Paul Revere’s Ride, Bleeding Kansas, Trail of Tears. If you choose to focus on an event, your project should describe that event, include any relevant maps that locate where that event occurred, and (most importantly) highlight the significance of the event to U.S. history.
A THING: weapons during the Revolutionary War or Civil War; an innovative technology (e.g. cotton gin, mechanical loom); surgical implements during the Civil War; the Transcontinental Railroad; abolitionist newspapers. etc. If you choose to focus on a thing, your poster should describe that item or technology, tell why it was useful, and explain its significance for American history.
Please note that this is only a sampling of the topics you can choose. In the past, students have created posters on forms of entertainment or sports, methods of education, architecture styles, furniture, painters and sculptors, etc. Just make sure that your topic focuses on the TIME PERIOD covered by this class and focuses on AMERICAN history.
Step 2: RESEARCH YOUR TOPIC
Use reliable sources to find information on your topic. Go beyond the obvious. Explore not only basic facts (e.g. “George Washington was the first president”), but find out more interesting information about your topic. Your final product should not only DEFINE your topic but also explain the historical context and relevance of your topic to American history. (Remember also to make a bibliography of the source materials you used and include this with your final project.
Step 3: CREATE YOUR PROJECT
Format and Design: You will be uploading your project to the Final Project Discussion Board. The format and design is up to you. Typically, students choose to do a PowerPoint presentation (6 slides or more) that contains both graphics and text. You may also create a narrated PowerPoint presentation or even a video. If you prefer, you may create a text document with illustrations pasted in. (Do not provide simply all text). And finally, if you wish, you may create a physical poster of your topic on poster board, take detailed digital photos of it (so any captions and text can be read), and upload that to the Discussion Board.
NOTE: Projects containing ONLY images without explanation are inadequate. You MUST include some text or captions to describe the topic you have chosen, unless you do a video and can explain the images verbally.
In designing your project, it is useful to think of yourself as a museum curator who has the task of creating a museum exhibit on your topic. You should try to make your project visually interesting AND educational for a general audience. Be careful to include accurate and detailed information. You need not be a talented artist, but neither should your project look messy and disorganized. You should aim for clarity and attractiveness.
List of References: You should also include a list of references used in researching your topic. This list can be incorporated into the project itself (e.g., a separate PowerPoint slide) or can be added to the Discussion Board post you create when you upload your project. If you include a reference list as a PowerPoint slide, this slide does NOT count as one of the minimum 6 slides required. Make sure you use reliable sources for your references and also refrain from relying solely on encyclopedias. You may use any reference style you wish (APA, Chicago style, etc.)—just be consistent.
