PEI History 621B Research Presentation
Option 1: Interview
You will
be required to interview a senior(s) and prepare a presentation based upon your
interview, additional research, and strong presentation methods. Expectations
include: depth in your interview; your
historical understanding and ability to explain terms, events, etc. that come
up; background research and context; strong presentation method;
involvement/interest gained from class; correct identification of the subject,
location, date, relations, region, etc.
Option 2: Skill Mastery
You will
learn and work towards mastering a skill that is not prevalent or common in
today’s society. Expectations include:
background information and history of the “trainer” and the skill;
explaination of the skill; demonstration of the skill to the class;
training/involvement of some or all class members in the skill; safety, set-up
and planning; hand-in all notes and information gathered.
Option 3: DIY
You have
the option of creating a different option for this researched presentation. You
must arrange to have a discussion with me, and confirm its relevance prior to
beginning your project. Your “idea” must be historical in nature, involve
learning something new, and be presented effectively to engage (and possibly
involve) the class in a signficant way.
Presentation Duration: Approximately 5- 10 minutes. If you work in
partners, please double this time and be sure that both individuals are equally
involved (in both the research and the presentation).
You will
be asked to complete a proposal as the first step in this
process. Your proposal will identify the following information:
1. Type of project
2.
Identification of yourself and your partner (if you have
one). Explain why this project merits more than one presenter.
3.
Person or persons’ name(s) (full name, relationship to you,
location) you will either interview or learn your skill from
4.
Age of person(s) you will be meeting with
5.
Presentation method (powerpoint, audio/video assistance,
oral, pictures, etc.)
6.
Methods of engagement (how you will interest and hook your
audience. Ie: interactive methods, images, artifacts, etc.)
7.
Preliminary information (what you already know, what you want
to learn more about, why you have chosen to do this project, etc.)
8. You must formulate twenty
(20) thoughtful questions to be used during your interview. Be sure that your
questions are open-ended, rather than close-ended in nature.
Format:
·
Your proposal must be typed, have a properly formatted cover
page, and headings for each category.
Presentations:
·
Presentations will be scheduled for mid-January. I will set a
due date shortly after the Christmas break.
·
Proposal Due date: December 19, 2013
Interviewing
Techniques – Oral History
Starting out:
ü Find out about where your
interviewee grew up. Read up on the local history of their home (note special
events eg: Airbase in Sherwood 1940 or
the 1947 Wood Island Ferry)
ü Ask a son or daughter for
tips on good questions or stories to ask them about
ü You are recording history à ask the “obvious”
questions first (age, parents’ names, siblings, etc.) Just get down all the
details à don’t interpret the information now.
Make notes now, interpret your findings later.
ü Start with non-threatening
questions (birth place, age, parents, etc. first)
ü Some areas to investigate:
o Childhood (were you born
in the hospital? Doctor or midwife? Pets? Bicycle? Fishing hole? Favorite
childhood activites/memories?)
o Their father’s car, his
job à Did he play sports? Relationship
with parents?
o Childhood illnesses?
(Mumps, Measles, Polio)
o Ever in the hospital?
o Their earliest memories at
home
o Description of childhood
home
o Responsibilities around
the house à chores?
o Their mother’s cooking/favorite
foods as a child
o Where was food
bought/grown?
o Did mother work outside of
the home? Other mothers?
o Christmas as a child?
Presents? Letter to Santa? Stockings? Christmas foods? Favorite present?
o Description of area where
they grew up à Relationship with neighbors?
o School – first teachers,
favorite subjects, schoolhouse description (differences between now and then)
o Leisure activities à Go-to games?
o Sports – where were they
played? Outdoor rinks? West Kent vs. Queen Square
o Summer vacation – work or
play? 1st jobs? Pay?
o Grandparents – what they
did for a living. What did they look like? Where did they live? Memories of
interacting with grandparents?
o Farm life à
horses/cows/chickens/making hay
o Home Remedies à Cod liver oil, mustard
plaster, sulpher and molasses, Epsom salts?
o Myths? Family stories
passed down from generation to generation à popular sayings?
o Entertainment:
Prohibition? 1st drink/tobacco?, dances/ popular music (songs,
fiddlers, bands), picnics, circus, Old Home Week, ghost stories, Phantom Ship
o Religion: Church? Socials,
picnics à allowed to play on Sunday?
Please
use these questions as a guideline and formulate other relevant questions that
might help you uncover interesting information regarding the person and/or
PEI’s history. In your presentation you
must interpret and critically analyze your findings. I expect you to synthesize
the information, and draw conclusions on what you have learned about the person
and the time period he/she grew up in. You must also use the information you
gather to compare the similarities and differences between the past and current
lifestyle of Islanders. Have relationships changed? Have family
responsibilities changed? Have values changed? Have attitudes toward certain
things changed?
Please
take the time to thoughtfully sift through your information and make
connections with past and present.
