HIST 390-002: The Digital Past

Blog assignment (35%) — weekly by Monday morning

Each week we will assign several readings (where “readings” includes videos and sometimes other material). By Monday at 10:30am (in other words, 24 hours before class), you must post a response to the readings that will be discussed in class the following Tuesday. In this response, please pick what you think is the single most important or most interesting sentence, image, or other aspect of the assigned material and explain why you think that part is the most important or interesting. You will occasionally be asked to add other things to your blog post as well. These posts should be at least two full paragraphs long if they are in written form, but other forms (video, audio, even web comics) are welcome as long as the content and argument is substantive.

Midterm exam (25%) — in class Thursday, October 11

The midterm exam will consist of several questions on the assigned readings and skills to which you will be asked to give a short answer, plus one longer essay question.

Final project (30%) — due via email by 2pm Tuesday, December 18

Although a great deal of class is structured around learning technology skills and discussing broad issues about doing history with technology, you’ll also be doing research on a historical topic of your choosing. You will need to frame a good question by Week 3 (September 13). Throughout the semester,

The goal of the final project is to explain a historical event, topic, or person through a portfolio of digital products (such as maps, charts, and visualizations). Every final project should have each of the following:

• Two or more interactive maps showing substantive geographical data or other geospatial elements related to your topic.
• Two or more graphs, charts, or other visualizations that tell a story with data about your topic.
• Two or more analyses of texts related to your topic using text mining tools.
• A synthetic, cohesive presentation of the first three elements of the assignments using presentation software.
• The equivalent of 3 double-spaced pages of text. This text should consist of a historical argument supported by or commenting on your digital materials and putting them into historical context, as well as a plan for the security and preservation of your project over time. At least this written portion of the project must be posted on your blog.

All these materials should make a clear argument about the causes or meaning of your historical event, topic, or person. All your claims should be supported with properly attributed evidence.

If possible, you should post all items on your blog and email me the link when the project is posted. However, you may not be able to post some items to your blog, either for technical reasons or because some items are governed by copyright. If that is the case, just be sure to get me your project in the form that makes the most sense by 2pm on December 18th. You must post at least the written portion of your project on your blog.

Class participation (10%) — ongoing

Participating well in class consists of not simply doing the assignments, but doing them with energy and originality; not simply speaking in class, but speaking with enthusiasm and curiosity.