Major Research Project (due: mid-Jan.)

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? 1^st 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? 1^st 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.

Mini-Projects (due throughout the semester)

PEI History 621B Projects

Each student will be expected to complete and present projects to a value of 30pts throughout the semester. Projects are listed with a number of options.  Read and follow all directions completely to achieve a full mark.

#1 Describe your favourite place on PEI, including when you first went there and why it is important to you.   Include a photograph or sketch of the place. Using the text, PEI Place Names, identify where the  name came from, any other names it has had, who named it, what it was named for and any other relevant information. Present your findings to the class and hand in a neat copy with your information and sources. Value 5pts.

#2 Find out about a cure or treatment for illness from the past.  Explain how the treatment was used, what materials were used to make it, what ailments it was used for and, if possible, how commonly it was used.  Provide your source, whether from a text or by word of mouth.  Present it to the class and hand in your findings in a neat copy with your source information. Value 5pts.

#3 Pick  an interesting  custom or bit of folklore(consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales, stories, tall tales, and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group) from the Island and explain it to the class.  Make sure you indicate where you learned it or who you learned it from and any information you can find out about its origins.  Hand in a written description with the source indicated. Value 5pts.

#4 Find the oldest photograph you can and create a short presentation describing the scene, date, people, place, why the photo was taken and any interesting things about the photo or subject.   You must show the photo to the class and pass in your notes with sourcing.    Value 5pts

#5  Find an historic location (place, building, etc.) on PEI and create a visual presentation explaining the historic importance of the location.  You must have a picture, photo or sketch.  Indicate the source(s) for your picture and information. Your presentation will be mounted on the wall in minimum 8.5 by 11 inch size with source(s) clearly indicated. No duplicate topics. Value 5pts

#6 Research an important event that took place on the Island and create a visual project with write-up, picture(s) and citations.  This should be minimum 8 1/2 by 11" size and be neat, attract attention and be well-presented.  It should clearly explain the event and establish the historical significance of the event. 

Value 5pts          

#7  Bring in an artifact for a  show and tell  activity.  You must be able to identify the artifact, its approximate age, how it was made and of what materials.  You should be able to explain clearly what it was used for.  Where you got the artifact and who you got the information from are also required.  If we have enough of such artifacts, we may make a lobby display of them. Value 5pts  **An additional 5pts is available if we have enough artifacts for display and you prepare your item for display according to directions I will give.

#8  Research a famous Islander , now deceased, and create a one page visual feature study on this person.  Your feature study will be an attractive display in minimum 8.5 by 11 inch size and include a picture or pictures, write-up and sources.  It should draw attention, be attractive and command interest.  It will be posted on the classroom wall.  No duplicate topics. Value 5pts          

#9 Read an article from The Island  Magazine.  Present to the class a short description of the article, including a comment on what you learned and how interesting it was.  You must include the magazine issue and year as well as title and author of the article.  Hand in your notes with sourcing.  No duplicates. Value 5pts

#10 Choose  a year between 1860 and 1910.  Look through an old newspaper for your birth date (may take a  search through a number of issues).  Identify items like the following for that date:

-- title of newspaper and date

-- the main news items (may not be on front page)

-- cost of  grocery or household items

--  medical products or remedies advertised and what they were for

--  items concerning ships, ship travel or shipping of goods

--  businesses and what they sold or what service they provided

--  other items of interest to you about the paper or published in the paper

You may find an old newspaper or use the microfilms in the classroom by arrangement with me (or at UPEI library) Present your findings to the class and hand in your notes and sourcing. Value 5pts

#11 Find out a ghost story, supernatural event or freaky tale from an unpublished source (not from a book).  Write out the story and identify who you heard it from.  Present it to the class (dramatically!) and hand in your good copy with the source.  Value 5pts

#12  Find your area, or an area you know, of the Island in the 1880 Meacham atlas.   Make a drawing, tracing or photocopy of the area.  Identify clearly any features of the area like churches, schools, mills and the like.  Compare the area then and now, noting changes in roads, key buildings and any other changes you notice.  Hand in your completed project after presenting it to the class. Show sources. Value 5 pts

#13 Speak to older members in your family and/or community. Compile a list of Island “sayings” or expressions that are unique to our province. You must explain the significance of each saying (these are not just slang terms). You must identify the source (who told you the expression), their age, community they live in, and fully explain the meaning and significance of each expression.  Ex: “When times were lean you still knew you’d get your Christmas goose”.  Value: 5 pts

#14 Using a pedigree chart which I will provide, fill it in as far back as you can on both sides of your family (based upon interviews or any sources available, including archives if needed).   I will explain the use of this chart in class.  Once completed, gather stories from family members about your family.  Collect pictures of family members and homes or places they have lived.  You might include maps to show where they immigrated from if you can go that far back. Compile your materials in a neat album or book with an index and clear labeling.  For all materials, you must provide your sources, whether word of mouth or text/map sources.  Present an interesting summary of your findings to the class, then hand in your project.

#15 Pioneer Cemetery Assignment – Please see me for hand-out Value 5 pts (may be done in groups)

Note:  If your family is not from PEI, complete the project based upon their origins.  If you can trace only one side, or if you are adopted, see me about options to deal with the project. Value 10pts

Scheduling of Presentations

In order to make it possible for all students to present their projects during the term and not all at once, I will create a class presentation schedule after you submit the attached form.  Wherever possible, I will respect the dates you choose.  Normally, due to research time needed, the Pedigree Project is done last, but that is up to you.  Use your agenda to plan and record your presentation dates.  Failure to meet your presentation date without a valid excuse supported by a note from home will result in a mark of zero on that presentation. 

See the directions attached for correct sourcing.  No project will be marked without correct sourcing.

Monday, Nov.4

• Introduced major research project (not due until mid-Jan) --> double sided sheet
• Worked on Mi'kmaq culture group assignment (due Thursday -- must present informally in groups and provide me with a hard copy)

Tuesday, Oct.29

• Finished Material Culture Introduction (notes/discussion/questions)
• Block A: Started film on Mi'kmaq spirituality (question sheet -- folder assignment)
•  Remember to bring in your PEI ghost stories for Thursday (counts as a mini-project)

Monday, Oct.28

Notes on Material Culture/History
Brainstormed in pairs what we can learn about a particular time period/culture from different material objects (discussed with the larger group)
short video clip on material culture

If you are planning on presenting a mini-project on the ghost story, please bring it to class on Thursday (Halloween)

Tuesday, Oct. 22

Engaged in Town Hall Debate in lecture theatre.
Students earned marks for their written work (arguments/counter-arguments) and their involvement in the debate.

Tomorrow is the last chance for students to present their economic initiative slideshows.

Monday, Oct.22

Town Hall Debate (rescheduled for tommorrow -- Tuesday). Please proceed directly to the Lecture Theatre

Today we finished Economic Initiative slideshows (last chance to present is on Wed)

We started introductory notes (and discussion) on Unit 2: People and Culture
Please hand in mini-projects presentation dates sheet ASAP!