The Agent of Change Social Studies Analysis Project (Due: January 15th)(75 pts.)
“Until lions have historians, tales of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.” - Anonymous
You’ve studied the evolution of revolution. You’ve grappled with the cycle of revolution during the French Revolution and Napoleonic Eras. You’ve also pondered the revolutions of 1917 in Russia, and the rise of totalitarianism under Joseph Stalin. Now it’s your turn to do the work of a history. Your final project for World History 9 is to evaluate a selected historical person or document as an “agent of historical change.” How has this person or document impacted the way we live today? The way we see the world? The way we study the past? What did he or she do that was historically “meaningful?” What were his or her accomplishments? What were his or her failures? How should historians, like us, see him or her? Does it matter how an individual tried to make change, or just that he or she did it? Did he or she try to impact their community/world in a political way? Economic way? Social way? Musical way? Technological way? Artistic way? Culinary way? Etc. Did s/he achieve his or her goals? Ultimately, how have their lives impacted the way we live today? The way we see the world? The way we study the past? The way we undestand what it means to be a person in the world today?
That’s right. You are going to get to know a historical figure, determine what kind of change he or she made, and the degree to which he or she was successful in making that change and if their lives were important historically.
How do you do it? First, you will need to get to know your person … not only the who, what, where, when, why and how of this person, but also the time period and geographic location in which he or she lived. If you don’t know your person well, you can’t possibly argue effectively about this person. You will have some class time to do this, but you will also need to do some work at home as well.
What will the final product look like? You will create poster board that includes pertinent information about your person as well as an evaluation of your research. Poster Project Requirements:
-Title (name of individual)
-Images (printed images or hand-drawn) (Min: 4, Max: 6)
- Written Quotes from Sources (Either from “Agent” or about “Agent”) (Min: 2 Quotes, Max: 4 Quotes)
-Written Background on “Agent of Change” and Context (Min: 1 Paragraph, Max: 3 Paragraphs)
Must include the following Frame the Event/Issue Guidelines:
o Define and clarify an issue so that its features are well understood.
o Identify and provide an exploration of the significance of an event, issue, or problem with in-depth justification
o Introduce and define the critical components of the event, issue, or problem (who, what, when, where, and why).
o Connect the purpose of your answer throughout the analysis of your paper
-Explanation as to why your person in an “Agent of Change” (Min: 1 Paragraph, Max: 3 Paragraphs)
Must include the following Research Guidelines:
o Use and evaluate research information to support your analysis and conclusion.
o Present the most significant information from various primary and secondary sources.
o Use and connect complete information from your sources throughout your analysis with the appropriate acknowledgement (attributes, proclaims, quotes, cites, refers, etc.).
- Chicago-Style Annotated Citations (Min: 5 Sources, Max: 7 Sources)
Each citation MUST include the following Research Guidelines:
o Note and respond to your research material. Is the information you’ve collected credible, supported, biased, stereotyping, or a misrepresentation?
How will you present your findings to the rest of the class? This will take place over the course of three days.
· First, you will share your poster board with all the components of the project with your classmates. DO NOT READ YOUR POSTER! Only present the main ideas about your person and why they were an agent of change.
· Second, you will participate in a group/class discussion from the perspective, or point of view, of your historical person.
How will this project be scored? Your final project, including the poster board, presentation, and in-class discussion, will be scored using the following Oregon State Department of Education Social Science Analysis criteria:
§ Frame the Event, Issue or Problem (Question)
o Define and clarify an issue so that its features are well understood.
o Identify and provide an exploration of the significance of an event, issue, or problem with in-depth justification
o Introduce and define the critical components of the event, issue, or problem (who, what, when, where, and why).
o Connect the purpose of your answer throughout the analysis of your paper (establish or reframe the questions or thesis and keep on track).
§ Research (Collect and Compare)
o Use and evaluate research information to support your analysis and conclusion.
o Present the most significant information from various primary and secondary sources.
o Use and connect complete information from your sources throughout your analysis with the appropriate acknowledgement (attributes, proclaims, quotes, cites, refers, etc.).
o Note and respond to your research material. Is the information you’ve collected credible, supported, biased, stereotyping, or a misrepresentation? If appropriate respond to the information
How many points are possible for this project?
75 points (55 for the poster board and presentation, 20 for the class discussion)
Due: January 15th (Thursday)