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.