This is a three week long, individual project. You will design your own LIFE-ALBUM to meet criteria listed on this sheet and on an Assessment Sheet we will develop together. Work will be done as homework and in class, and drafts will be shared at school with peers and teachers. Teachers will check in with you and check your Process Journals each week. You will present these projects to each other.

I. GOALS OF THIS ALBUM

A. Show that you researched your person in depth using a variety of sources. Select a person 1) connected to Colonial America, 2) who you are interested in, 3) who lived between 1500-1783, and 4) for whom you can find the five categories of sources listed below.

B. Show that you understand 1) what the life of your person suggests about the history and culture of the colonial period of American history, 2) how your person's life compares and contrasts with the lives and values of colonial Founding Fathers, and 3) how your own life and values compare and contrast to your person's. (TL 2 for sure; maybe any of the others, too.)

C. Teach your classmates and teachers what you understand about your person and colonial history in a logically organized, aesthetic, creative, accurate, informative way through a finished album in six parts, described below.

 

II. REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PROJECT

How you organize and design your album and what media you use are up to you. Plan to do more than one draft of each page. Ask your friends for suggestions and critiques: we will have class time for this.

A. IN THE ALBUM ITSELF

1. ACCURATE LIST AND EXPLANATION of important life events of the person, in both written and visual forms.

2. A STUDY GUIDE OR QUIZ for each classmate. Emphasize what you think are the main important points of your person's life. When classmates fill it out after reading your album, you should be able to tell how well they understand your person and his or her place in colonial culture and in history.

3. AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY.

a. DRAFT this in your Process Journal as you read each source.

b. The FINAL will be in your Life-Album and needs to include the following:

• A correct bibliographical entry (see form sheet)
  
• A sentence or so saying how useful the source was, comparing it to other sources you used, and stating both strengths and weaknesses.

c. Use at least FIVE SOURCES, one each of the following types:

• Primary document (newspaper, letter, diary, legal paper, contract, writings by your person, or by someone who lived at the time who wrote about your person, art by or about your person done at that time). The primary document may be hard to find. Ask for help! Help each other! Look in libraries and get sources for each other if you can.
  
• A reference book that cannot be checked out of the library
  
• A grade-level or higher book
  
• A children's book for younger kids. If you cannot find a children's book, substitute any other type of source.
  
• A periodical, probably American Heritage

4. A ONE PAGE ESSAY saying how well your sources helped you understand your person's life and its historical significance. Did you get a complete and accurate picture? Why? Why not?

B. AN ORAL PRESENTATION of your project

This will be short (about five minutes). It should tell about your album and your process. We will develop an assessment sheet with detailed criteria.

C. A PROCESS FOLDER that includes the following:

1. NOTES in categories you decide. These notes must be in your own words and must not plagiarize.

2. A PROCESS JOURNAL, including

a) Draft Annotated Bibliography with

• which sources you used when
  
• what was helpful and what confusing about each source
  
• after using each source, raise questions and comments guided by the Questions to Consider and Throughlines.

 

b) Written Reflection each time you work on your project about how your understanding is evolving. Focus these comments on the TOPICS/PERSON and on YOURSELF. A teacher will look at these each week.

3. DRAFTS of all work with peer and teacher comments.

4. All HANDOUTS.

D. The ASSESSMENT SHEET we develop together, filled out by you