Course Offerings

Public History & Memory

Historical Museum Exhibit Review Assignment

Final Project Presentation, Written Reflection & Analysis

Web Page Project Supportive Documents

Assignments & Grade Distribution:
20%: Critical review of museum exhibit (5-7 pages)
20%: Critical review of historic site (5-7 pages)
20%: Final Research Web-Based Project (group grade)
20%: Final Project Written Reflection & Analysis (7-10 pages) and Oral Presentation (individual grade)
20% Class Participation

Writing, Researching & Webbing:
Students are expected to write two major critical analyses, one of an historical exhibit at a museum, and the other of an historic site. Students will also be expected to present a final written summary and analysis of their experience in the group web site project. Students will immerse themselves in researching Worcester's domestic history during the Second World War in order to produce a web page on the subject. Primary sources, such as newspapers, photographs, and personal correspondence collections, as well as oral interviews which the students will conduct, transcribe and analyze themselves, will form the basis of this joint effort. The idea here is that you will not only gain the vital critical skills of an historian, but also some of the technological skills that are growing increasingly central to our modern culture. This assignment will be all-consuming, but also incredibly rewarding if done well. You will receive a group grade on the web site, and individual grades on your final summary and analysis.
To complete this project successfully, you must be dedicated, timely and above all, cooperative. You will be expected to begin work on this project right away, identifying possible liens of inquiry, interview subjects, sources, you're your professor will serve as your consultant and co-learner throughout this process. We will meet often to discuss your progress. Over the course of the term, you will be expected to confer with me and provide me with written/verbal updates of your progress. A positive attitude is vital. As in everything, I expect high quality finished products.
All written assignments must be stapled, proofread, typed, double-spaced, and in Times New Roman font, size 12. Please number your pages.

Academic Honesty & Late Policy:
All direct quotations, paraphrasing and creditable ideas must be cited. To avoid difficult situations and to maintain academic honesty, please familiarize yourself with the "Research and Style Guide" and "The Statement on Plagiarism" located on the Holy Cross Department of History web page (http://sterling.holycross.edu/departments/history/website/index.html). We will discuss citation and style in class as necessary.
If, for any reason, you find yourself in trouble in terms of your assignments, please come see as soon as possible. It is always best to be proactive in situations of this nature.
Finally, all written assignments must be handed in to the professor by the end of the class on the day they are due unless otherwise stated. Late papers will be marked down one full grade for every day they are late. No exceptions.

Student Presentations and Community Gathering:
During our final class meeting, each student will discuss some aspect of their research for the web site. I envision this as a kind of mini-academic workshop during which we will reflect on both the experience of the project and the themes of the class in general. This will be not only an opportunity to showcase your scholarly findings, but to learn from each other and to gain useful public presentation skills. At the end of the term, we will invite your interviewees to campus for a breakfast gathering to thank them for their participation and to demonstrate your site. This gathering will be our grand finale - the culmination of a rigorous and hopefully rewarding term.