Assignment:
Purpose:
This check-in will prepare you for next week's project submission! Since we are moving quickly through a five-week term, this check-in is crucial for getting your ideas out of your head and laying down a solid foundation. Need Assignment Help?
In the digital humanities and public history landscapes, our job isn't just to study the past; it's to translate complex historical realities into engaging, accessible, and accurate narratives for the public. Your final deliverable in Week 5 will reflect this: you will be submitting a digital project, which can be a social media-style video (like a TikTok, Instagram Reel, or YouTube Short), a brief podcast episode, or a structured visual carousel. This check-in ensures your thesis is sharp, your platform fits your goals, and your initial source research is heading in the right direction.
How to Pick a Topic: Start with the present. Look at a current event, an international human rights issue, a cultural phenomenon, or a socio-political movement that genuinely matters to you. Then, ask yourself: How did we get here? Or, you could do the reverse, start with a moment in the past that interests you and figure out where it went (up to the present).
Pick a subject you actually want to spend time with. If you care about the narrative, your audience will too.
Instructions: You may complete this check-in by submitting a written blueprint (Word/PDF)
Topic & Working Thesis: What modern phenomenon or issue are you investigating? State your topic and write a preliminary, argument-driven thesis sentence (argument) explaining how it is directly rooted in twentieth-century historical foundations. Your argument is that this moment in the present connects to the past (or vice versa) through x, y, z.
Platform & Format Choice: Which digital medium are you choosing for your Week 5 final deliverable? Explicitly state your format (e.g., a podcast episode, a TikTok video script, an Instagram carousel series) and briefly explain why this medium is the best fit for your specific historical narrative. These will be short. No more than five minutes and/or 250-500 words.
Preliminary Source Bibliography: List at least three sources (including one that is a primary source, e.g. one that speaks to us directly from the past) that you plan to use. These can include course materials.
The Storyboard / Script Blueprint: Outline the narrative arc of your project.
If written: Provide a rough text outline, storyboard, or draft script for at least one of your planned segments, slides, or podcast talking points. Show exactly what historical evidence or visual aid will go into each part.