Schedule of Classes
History 268
Fall 2001
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Tuesday, |
Course Introduction |
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Thursday, September 6 |
Public History, Popular History and Local History Required Reading:
During Class, we will will discuss, among other things,"Participatory Past Questions" |
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Important Assignment: Getting the School Partnerships Started It is my firm belief that students enrolled in History 268 will benefit most from the course if they choose to participate in the High School Partnership. For Fall Term 2001, students from this course will work with students in the advanced American History class at the Oberlin High School. Oberlin College students will help high school students conceptualize, shape, and research an Oberlin history topic, as discussed on the EDIT section of this syllabus. If you are unsure about this option, or have other questions, please make an appointment to see me as soon as possible. Besides enthusiasm, responsibility, and a sense of commitment, this project will require that participating students make a commitment to the project as soon as possible in the semester. I will need to have firm commitments by the drop-add deadline on September 18. Only students taking part in the high school partnership may take the class for four hours of credit. Like all Oberlin College students who volunteer or work with students in the Oberlin Public Schools, Oberlin College students participating in the History 268 public school partnership need to have TB tests. Testing will be provided for our class by Student Health BY APPOINTMENT between 1:00 and 4:00 on Tuesday, September 11, with readings of your TB test done on Thursday, September 13. At the class on the morning of September 11, you will be asked to sign up for a particular time. The cost of your test will be covered by a special grant to this course. Latecomers to the partnership and those with time conflicts will be accommodated on September 18. If you have questions, about the TB test, please call Cheryl at Student Health X8180. |
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ASSIGNMENT: |
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Tuesday, |
Getting To Oberlin: The Essential Documents Required Reading:
Optional Reading on reserve:
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Thursday, September 13 |
Doing History with the New Media: The Promise and Problems of the World Wide Web Meet in Mudd 212, the MAC Lab Our discussion will explore a variety of questions about the content, presentation, audience, depth, and usability of websites. After class,you will refer to the Questions for Evaluating A History Website to report on your exploration of a site that appears on History 268 Web Resources Browsing List and that we have not yet explored in class. You may also want to look at the "A Lexicon of Critical Questions" developed by Georgetown University Professor of American Studies Randy Bass for use by his students. Click Here to look at the webpage we used in class |
Assignment: Due Monday, September 17
Please see the Questions For Evaluating a History Website, and use these as the basis for an analysis of one of the websites listed on the History 268 Web Resources Browsing List that was NOT discussed in class on Thursday. Your analysis should be 2-3 pages in length, double-spaced. It is due in my office, Rice 313, on Monday, September 17. You may, of course, email me your paper.
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Tuesday, September 18 |
No Class; Jewish New Year |
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Thursday, September 20 |
Oberlin's Commitment to African American Equality: Individual and Collective Achievements Required Readings
You may be interested in reading my recent local history presentation, "Oberlin and the Underground Railroad: History and Memory" at
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Reminder: Apply for Your Web |
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Tuesday, |
Required Readings:
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Thursday, September 27 |
No Class; Yom Kippur |
Women at Early Oberlin: Politics and
Personalities
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Tuesday, October 2 |
Oberlin and The Civil War: Public Documents and Public Monuments Reading:
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Thursday, October 4 |
Making Our Personal Histories: Presentation of Self on the World Wide Web Meet in Mudd 212: the MAC Lab Remember: You must have your web account and password to participate in this class. For the web page creation assignment, click here. During this class, you will also be introduced to the Index to the Lorain County News and the Oberlin Weekly News, a tool you will use for the completion of the assignment due in class Tuesday, October 9 |
Assignment
Due: October 8:
Please send me the URL for your personal web page by the end of
October 8
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Tuesday, October 9 |
Oberlin's Retreat from Reconstruction Reading:
Assignment: |
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Thursday, October 11 |
Using Archival Sources: Assignment: Come with ONE WRITTEN QUESTION to ask about resources and holdings of the Archive. You will probably want to ask about some aspect of Oberlin history that you think you will be researching later in the semester. Questions will be collected after class. History 268 will meet in our usual room at 9 am, and walk together to the Archive for the 10 am presentation.
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Tuesday, |
Exhibiting History to the Public: Historians and Museums
Class will meet at the Oberlin Historical and Improvement
Association at 9 am
Reading:
Come to class prepared to consider what most visitors learn in a visit to a historic house museum. |
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Thursday, |
High School Partnership Project Meeting at Oberlin High School (OHS); sign in by 9:25 To see the website of the Oberlin Public Schools, click here. Students not doing the High School Project will be expected to use class time for project research |
| October 20-28: FALL BREAK WEEK: Try to Visit a History Museum Wherever You Go! Come back with comments about the presentations of history you have seen! |
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Tuesday, October 30 |
Doing Depression and War
Using Oral History
Readings:
In addition, each student will be assigned one of the following readings to report to the class on:
For this class, you will be asked to read two examples of oral history transcripts. You should think about some of the issues raised including:
¬… What makes for a good individual oral history? What makes for a good oral history project? In answering this question, please review at least one of the sites listed in: Oral History Resources on the Web Including: and If you intend to use oral history as a
part of your project, please check out: |
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Thursday, November 1 |
High School Partnership Project Meeting at OHS Students not doing the High School Project will be expected to use class time for project research; I will schedule conferences with students doing individual projects |
Assignment:
Due Monday, November 5
For All Students: You are to submit to me a description of their
project and a plan of work, in which you outline the sources, methods, and timetable
for your final project; your project description and plan of work should be 1-2
pages in length. This is essentially your "syllabus" for your project
work. Students participating in the High School Partnership Project will submit
a plan of work indicating sources and methods to be used with their high school
partner(s), and will also indicate goals for each of the scheduled partnership
meetings; these plans of work will be shared with Mr. Russell, our High School
teacher/partner.
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Tuesday, November 6 |
1950s and
1960s: Reading:
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Thursday, November 8 |
High School Partnership Project Meeting at OHS Students not doing the High School Project will be expected to use class time for project research; I will schedule conferences with students doing individual projects |
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Tuesday, November 13 |
High School Partnership Project Meeting at OHS; sign in by 9:25 Students not doing the High School Project will be expected to use class time for project research; I will schedule conferences with students doing individual projects |
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Thursday, November 15 |
High School Partnership Project Meeting at OHS; sign in by 9:25 Students not doing the High School Project will be expected to use class time for project research; I will schedule conferences with students doing individual projects |
Assignment:
Due Monday November 19
All students will submit to me a preliminary outline of their project
as it is taking shape. Students involved in the High School Partnership will
submit both their own project overview, and copies of the individual outlines
developed by high school student partners--which the high school students will
submit directly to Mr. Russell.
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Tuesday, November 20 |
High School Partnership Project Meeting at OHS; sign in by 9:25 or make arrangements to meet in Mudd Library Students not doing the High School Project will be expected to use class time for project research; I will schedule conferences with students doing individual projects |
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Thursday, November 22 |
No Class; Thanksgiving |
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Tuesday, November 27 |
High School Partnership Project Meeting at OHS; sign in by 9:25 Students not doing the High School Project will be expected to use class time for project research; I will schedule conferences with students doing individual projects |
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Thursday, November 29 |
High School Partnership Project Meeting at OHS; sign in by 9:25 Students not doing the High School Project will be expected to use class time for project research; I will schedule conferences with students doing individual projects |
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Tuesday, December 4 |
History on the Map:
Geography and Local History
Assignment: Please look at the 1874 Map of Oberlin. Think about what kinds of questions maps can help us formulate and address. We will focus on these questions for the first half of the class. In the second half, you will report on your work on your projects. |
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Thursday, December 6 |
High School Partnership Meeting; place TBA |
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Tuesday, December 11 |
Project Presentations |
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Thursday, December 13 |
Project Presentations |
Assignment: Due December 17
All students will submit their final work. Students involved in the
High School Partnership will submit their project evaluation, with any supporting
material. Students undertaking individual projects will submit all work. All
projects should be posted on the World Wide Web by this date.