Final Project Options

You have two basic options for your final project:

 

High School Project Partnership

Teams of Oberlin College students enrolled in History 268 will work with 2-4 high school students from the class of Mr. Kurt Russell on a topic, usually chosen and/or negotiated from among those on a list to be distributed in class by September 12.

The Partnership projects will involve college students working with high school students to:

• create a bibliography of resources to be used
• identify and use primary sources
• identify and use secondary sources
• develop their writing abilities
• develop a website on which to present their work.

Each project will culminate in an integrated project website, with both text and nontext materials. The website include:

• one or more introductory essay(s) by the college student(s)
• individual papers, 4-6 pages in length written by each high school student.

Further contributions by the college student(s) which may include primary sources and/or additional analytic material.

Each website must include at least one contribution in which each college student has participated BEYOND the introductory essay.

The following table may help conceptualize the various responsibilities of the college student(s) and the high school students:The partnership groups will meet on the following days:

Check List of High School Student Responsibilities: 1. High school students will turn in to Mr. Russell notes on at least four sources (at least one of which must be a primary source and one of which must be a secondary source) with at least one set of notes submitted on each of the following dates: October 31 November 5 November 12 November 19 Mr .Russell will provide further information on his expectations for note-taking. 2. High school students are expected to write down some ideas about the topic of their research for their meeting with college students on October 17. 3.High school students are expected turn in an outline and opening paragraph for their individual papers to Mr. Russell by November 18. 4 . High school students will complete rough drafts of their papers by November 25, and will discuss their drafts with college students on November 26. 4. High school students will provide college students with electronic files of their work no later than December 5. 5. All high school students will cite at least one primary and one secondary source in their paper. Each paper will also make use of at least one properly attributed source from the Internet. 6. All papers will also make use of at least one nontextual source (art, digital photo, oral history,map, etc.)

 

The Chart that follows is intended to help clarify some of the responsibilities on both sides for the College-High School Oberlin History Partnership

Stage	College Student Responsibilities	High School Student Responsibilities
1	With assistance from Ms. Lasser and Mr. Russell, college student will help define topics, and will investigate possible primary and secondary sources in Oberlin College Library, on the Internet, and perhaps at the Oberlin Public Library; the college student will also think about nontext sources: photos, artwork, oral histories, material object, that may be useful in the project. The college student will bring examples of materials to class for discussion. The college student will help high school students to * differentiate primary and secondary materials *learn how to access these materials *understand how to take notes on the materials *discuss,interpret, and evaluate some of the sources	High school students will develop a list of at least four sources relevant to their topic, including at least one primary source and one secondary source. They will submit to Mr. Russell at least 2 paragraphs of notes on each source,with at least one submission on each of the following days:October 31, November 5, November 12. November 19 High school students are expected by Mr. Russell to spend at least two hours independent work time per week for the project, reading, tracking down sources, doing research, taking notes, etc., in addition to time with their college student partners.
2	College students will collaborate with high school students to shape a plan of work for the project. The project meeting of October 31 should be used in part to discuss a plan of work with the high school students. This plan of work is due to me on October 28, for review before class.	High School students should discuss and contribute their ideas to the plan of work at the project meetings. They will come to class on October 17 with some ideas.
3	College students will help develop an overview of the group's project, and will offer consultation to high school students working on their paper outlines.	High school students are expected to turn in an outline and opening paragraph for their individual papers on November 18. They will discuss their outlines and opening paragraphs with college students on november 19.
4	College students will write the overview of their group's project; in writing the overview, they will refer to the primary and secondary sources that they have located during the semester. College students will also assist the high school students, but the high school students are expected to do their own writing.	High school students will complete rough drafts of their papers by November 25, and may discuss their drafts with college students on November 26. College Students will assist the high school students, but the actual writing is to be done by the high school students.
5	Throughout the project, college students will collect images will collect images, create digital photographs, and use various strategies to add nontext content to their websites. On Thursday, December 5, they will work with high school students to post at least a start to their websites.	Throughout the project,high school students will collect images, create digital photographs, and use various strategies to add nontext content to their websites. On Thursday, December 5, they will work with college students to post at least a start to their websites.
6	College students and high school students will present their work in class on December 10 and December 12	College students and high school students will present their work in class on December 10 and December 12

 

 

 

 

2. 1. Individual Research Project

If you choose NOT to work on a high school collaboration, your final project will involve primary research on an aspect of Oberlin history--preferably focusing on the town, not the College. Your project will take shape in the following stages:

You must submit your Research Project Proposal for approval by October 18. You should write a brief "prospectus" for your project specifying the question around which you will shape your research, your preliminary sense of the background information you will need to gather and the methods of history and the kinds of materials you will use. Be sure to schedule an appointment with the instructor to talk through your proposal.

You must submit a revised project proposal and a plan of work for your project on November 4. This revision should take into account the results of your meeting with the instructor. It should also specify how the remaining weeks of the semester will be used for research.

You should be prepared to present your project on December 10, although you may be asked to present either December 10 or December 12.

Your final project is due December 20.

Your final project should present materials in a format that is both traditional and suitable for presentation on the World Wide Web; that is, you will make a website as a part of your project, and the website may include a paper, graphics and other nontextual materials, as well as some primary sources that you have scanned or transcribed for posting on the web.

Link to Student Projects for Fall 2001

Link to student projects for Fall 2000

Grading

Grading is an art, not a science. You will be graded on your overall performance in the class, including class participation and appropriate collaboration with public school teachers on your project, if applicable. For purposes of calculating your grade, you can expect the following proportions to apply:

20%	Class Participation
10%	Your home page (timeliness and effort; not aesthetics!)
10%	Website review
10%	Newspaper project
5%	Archive Question
5%	Oral History contributions
10%	Project Prospectus
5%	Project Progress Report/Preliminary Outline
25%	Final Project and Evaluation

 

 

General Information

Schedule of Classes

Assignment Due Dates

Final Project Options

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