Final Exam Digital Exhibit
Question this final exam seeks to address:
Using the history and digital tools we’ve covered this semester, can your design a simple digital exhibit that demonstrates a thesis?
Background
We have covered a huge period in history, from approximately 1400 CE to 1914 CE. We have also used digital history tools–such as Voyant and Historical Geographic Information Systems (GIS)– to ask different types of questions about the past than are possible using traditional books. Along the way, I’ve asked you to explore some basic concepts in history, such as how can a map tell a story, what can numbers tell us about the past, and what are the limits of social media in addressing history.
Your final exam will take the form of a digital exhibit on WordPress. You will use the same login you used to post to our Conversations II assignment.
Part of creating your final exam will involve creating an outline and bibliography of your sources. This outline and bibliography will be peer reviewed. The entire assignment looks like this.
- Exhibits Lesson 1 Assignment: Outline and bibliography for final exhibit. Due April 28th, 8 p.m., post to the Exhibits Assignment 1 discussion.
- Exhibits Lesson 2 Assignment: Complete peer review (through D2L) for one other student. Due May 5th, respond in the Exhibits Assignment 2 discussion. NOTE: This assignment is listed in the Discussion Section of D2L.
- Final Exam: Complete your WordPress exhibit: **Due May 10th at 8 p.m.(( NOTE: This is a Wednesday, not our standard Friday due date.
Learning outcomes: at the end of this assignment you will be able to-
- Identify six sources (3 primary, 3 secondary) that address a common theme and pass the PISA test.
- Analyze how your chosen six sources support a thesis of your creation.
- Create a thesis that makes an argument for the importance of a historical idea, person, place, event, or object.
- Include sources from each of the modules (time, images, maps, words, numbers, and social media) in your digital exhibit.
- Create an exhibit in WordPress.
- Create three sections of content in an WordPress exhibit.
- Write descriptive text in complete sentences to explain why you’ve chosen your sources.
- Publish a complete digital exhibit to the open web.
Assignment requirements
More important than anything else in this assignment is your proposed ****thesis**** for your exhibit. Finish this sentence: “this exhibits demonstrates that . . . .” If you can finish this sentence, you have a thesis.
To create a thesis, you need a theme, or a topic so you can look for **sources. **Here’s what you need to create a thesis.
- Six historical sources (three primary sources, three secondary sources).
- You must include one non-digital source (a physical book or historical object that you viewed in person)
- A defined topic that relates all of your sources to one another.
- A period of time less than 100 years. Your thesis can connect sources that are up to 100 years apart.
- Your sources must address these six modules: Time (a dated source), Images (a picture), Maps (a GIS map), Words (a voyant analysis of a text), Numbers (statistics about your topic), Social Media (a post about your topic), with one source for each module.
- All of your sources must pass the PISA (publication, institution, sources, author) credibility test.
- You do NOT need more than six sources to earn an “A,” and more sources are not better. It’s better to have six great sources rather and eight weak ones.
What does an “exhibit” look like?
A digital exhibit is simply a presentation of material in an organized fashion. Your presentation can be in as simple as:
Title
Subject A: source 1
Subject B: source 2,3,4
**Subject C: source 5, 6. **
WordPress gives you lots of graphical, linking, and text options for making your exhibit effective. Your exhibit should use all six of your sources in arguing for your thesis. You can link to your sources, show parts of them, or include the entire source. For example, you might write a paragraph analysis of three letters, and link and cite those three letters. Below your analysis you might post both a picture of a sculpture and a picture of a map that further support your thesis. You then might conclude with a partial screen-shot of Voyant of a word trend you’ve identified that supports your thesis.
You are free to use the full range of WordPress tools to make your exhibit presentable.
One way to think of the exhibit is to consider it an extended blog post with more sources.
Grading Criteria
Student
- Wrote a thesis that is provable, non-obvious, focussed on fewer than 100 years.
- Created a thesis that makes an argument for the importance of a historical idea, person, place, event, or object, between 1400-1914.
- Identified six sources (3 primary, 3 secondary) that address a common theme and pass the PISA test.
- Analyzed how your chosen six sources support a thesis of your creation.
- Included sources from each of the modules (time, images, maps, words, numbers, and social media) in your digital exhibit.
- Created an exhibit in WordPress.
- Created three blocks of content (sections) in an WordPress exhibit.
- Wrote descriptive text in complete sentences to explain why you’ve chosen your sources.
- Published a complete digital exhibit to the open web.
- Wrote complete sentences for the exhibit text using standard English usage.
- Included at least 500 words articulating your thesis and supporting evidence.
