ASSIGNMENT ONE                                                                                                            

E. Michael Young                                                                                                           TVCC

Historical Marker Project

History 1302

There are over 13,000 official Texas Historical Markers in Texas, commemorating local history.  If you go to www.9key.com/markers/index.asp or http://atlas.thc.state.tx.us/ , you will search for all the markers in Anderson County, or any other local county.

Assignment: Find three separate historical markers in a local county. For each marker, write a one page paper, 12 font, double spaced, with one inch margins. Write a very brief introduction. In the second paragraph, write about the historical facts of the marker. You will get this information from the marker itself. In your concluding paragraph, write about the impression the marker made on you. How did the historical site make you feel? What reflections did you have while standing at the site? If possible, take a picture and attach it to the paper.

Points: This assignment is worth 20 points.

Due Date: This paper is due at the end of Week 10, either on a Wednesday or Thursday, depending if you have a M/W or a T/TH course.

When the papers are due we will discuss your findings in class.

Good luck and have fun!!!

E. Michael Young                                                                                                         TVCC

ORAL HISTORY PROJECT GUIDELINES

Objectives: This assignment provides you with the opportunity to explore an important event in history by conducting an in-depth interview. You will research the topic, interview a person about his or her memories, think about and organizing the material, and write an essay in a clear and cogent manner. Success in this assignment will require good research, analytical, writing, and people skills. My hope is that this experience will help you learn about history in a more personal way than you would by reading a textbook. 

Description: The Oral History Project consists of four tasks.

            1) Selecting a Subject: Find a person over 65 years of age to interview about an historical event. A friend, a relative, a co-worker, a neighbor, anyone over 65 years old will be a suitable subject. If you cannot find a subject I encourage you to go to a local retirement home and ask the staff if they know someone who would be good to interview. Many large facilities have a social services manager or an activities manager who should be able to help you with this.

            2) Research Your Topic: Before you conduct your interview, research the topic you think the subject will talk about so that you can ask intelligent questions and know the significance of certain events. For example, if you know the subject was a fighter pilot in the Koran War, read the section on the Koran War in the Foner textbook. Knowledge will enhance your ability to be an active listener. Also, you can do research after an initial interview, then go back and ask the subject more questions if you think you missed something important.

            3) The Interview: During the interview either use a tape recorder or take notes during the conversation so that you will not forget important facts. Ask questions in order to guide the interviewee or to spark memories, but do not dominate the conversation. Also, remain non-judgmental in the tone of your voice, the words you choose, and your body language. Remember, times have changed and certain things which were commonplace then are now looked down upon. You want the person to feel comfortable and not to self edit.

            4) Writing the paper: Your must submit a 4 to 5 page paper. The oral history will demonstrate the student’s ability to write in Standard English, using good grammar, and organized thoughts in a coherent manner. The oral history essay will have five parts:

A) Introduction: In this paragraph briefly describe your subject and outline the historical event he or she lived through.  

B) Biographical Background: Provide an outline of the person’s life you interviewed: Where and when were they born, what kind of family did they come from, what work did they do, were they married, etc.

C) Historical Experience: Now describe in a few paragraphs the experiences of this person.  Tell their story in a concise and focused manner. You will need to substantially edit and organize your interview notes for this part of the assignment

            D) Foner Textbook Comparison: In this paragraph, summarize the way the Foner book describes the events your subject lived through and compare this to his or her experience. How were they the same; how were they different? What new facts or perspective does your subject offer? Cite page numbers from Foner.

E) Personal Reaction: Here you can describe your personal thoughts and feelings about the interview. What surprised you and why? How have times and values changed? Did your subject express partisan or racist or sexist views? How would you have behaved in similar circumstances? How has this oral history project helped you better understand this historical event? These are the types of questions you may want to answer in your conclusion.

Format: The paper will be 4 to 5 pages in length, double spaces, in 12 font, with 1 inch margins.

Due Date: This paper is due at the end of the 13^th week, either a Wednesday or a Thursday, depending if you have a M/W or a T/TH class.