Major Assignments
Reading Responses (3)
Description: Reading responses to key theoretical readings
Points: 15 (5 points each)
Due Date: By 12pm on January 12, 2020; January 22, 2020; and March 8, 2020
Historical Data Project
The Historical Data Project is the major product for the semester. Given its size and complexity, I have broken it down into several component parts that are spread throughout the semester to help ensure your success.
All of our Project Materials will be located in this Google Drive folder.
Project Proposal
Description: Craft a 300-500 word project proposal that specifies the data set which which you would like to work. That data set should be directly related to the history surrounding Reconstruction era, Black lawmakers. Once you have introduced the data, you should explain the digital methods you would like to use to make that data legible to an educated audience. You should be specific about the digital history methods you woule like to use, and the larger historical context and questions in which you will have to situate your work. Finally, you should make an argument for the scholarly significance of you proposed work. How will a visitor understand the history of Reconstruction better by interacting with your work?
Points: 5
Due Date: February 28, 2020
Instructor Meeting
Description: Sign up to meet with Dr. Leon one-on-one to discuss your project.
Points: Pass/Fail
Due Date: March 16, 2020
Work Plan
Description: Develop a schedule of work that provides a due date for the key milestones in your project, and that articulates the component work necessary to achieve those milestones. Start with the final project due date and reverse-engineer your workplan. Don’t for get to include the due dates for the Annotated Bibliography and for your Final Presentation. Complete your work by making a copy of the template in the Work Plans folder.
Points: 5
Due Date: March 20, 2020
Annotated Bibliography
Description: Create an annotated bibliography that represents the ten most important scholarly works (monographs or journal articles) that provide context for your project. For each work, write an annotation that 1) summarizes the argument of the work; 2) situates the work in relationship to other scholarly works (in your bibliography and also those that we have read for class); and 3) explains how the text will be beneficial to your project. Use the Annotated Bibliography Template to format your work and save/upload your work in the Annotated Bibliography folder.
Points: 10
Due Date: March 27, 2020
Final Project Presentation
Description: Construct a 5 minute screencasts or video presentation that introduces your data set, the visualization you made with it, its historical context, and its historical significance. Upload your work in the Presentation folder.
Points: 10
Due Date: April 24, 2020
Final Data Set, Documentation, and Framing Essay
Description: Complete your section of the Freedom’s Lawmakers biographical work. Then, work with that data set or some portion of it to pursue one of three tracks:
- I will export the data from the Omeka S site so that you can use it to build something of your choosing related to the Black Reconstruction lawmakers: a map or a chart or a graph, using Flourish, to post to the site.
- Alternatively, you could select a set of lawmakers to research and write longer biography pieces about them for their individual item pages.
- Finally, you could do some research to write a contextual piece related to the topic of your choice that engages our shared data set (literacy, military occupation, etc.) for the website.
Points: 40
Due Date: April 29, 2020
Participation
Description: Come to class. Participate in discussion.
Points: 15
Reflective Essay
Description: In a 1,000-1,200 word essay (3-4 pages), reflect on your working process for the semester. How did your work meet your expectations? What did you want to accomplish that you didn’t? What would you do differently if you had the chance? What was the most important thing you learned? What methods and skills will you take away from this course that you can use in another context? Upload your essays to the Reflective Essay folder.
Points: 10
Final Grade Breakdown
60 pts Final Project
- 5 pts Project proposal
- 5 pts Work plan
- 10 pts Annotated bibliography
10 pts Final presentation- 15 pts Data set work
- 25 pts Data-driven product/biographical shorts/topical essay
15 pts Three Reading Responses (5pts each)
15 pts Participation
10 pts Final Reflection
Grading Scale
4.0 — above 92 pts
3.5 — above 84 pts
3.0 — above 76 pts
2.5 — above 68 pts
2.0 — above 60 pts
1.5 — above 52 pts
1.0 — above 44 pts