Family+History+Project

Follow the link below for help researching your family tree: [|Genealogy Link]

**Family History Project and Presentations**

For this class you are required to complete a Family History Project and give a presentation.

I want you to understand your own place in North America. Whenever we use the term “cultural,” it really comes down to people. This class is about all the people of North America, where they came from, why they came here, how they came here, and how they have changed this continent since their arrival. Per our course objectives, we are to trace the dynamics and ethnicity of North American Culture. We are going to do this by studying discoveries, exploration, settlement patterns, aboriginal patterns (native people), national interests, economic exploitation, agriculture, commerce, demography, and changing attitudes.

You all bring with you into this classroom connections to ALL of those things. Even if you are not aware of your connections today, I hope that you will see how we are all connected to the geography, history, and culture of North America. It is my hope that through these assignments, you will see where you fit into it all. For ALL parts of this assignment, you are encouraged to use maps and photos.

Your Family History Project will be broken into five parts:

DUE Wednesday Septermber 14, 2016
 * //Part One: Who do you think you are?// **

You will write a paper, or create a web page or web based presentation about who you think you are.

This ‘paper’ must be at least 500 words. I want you to tell me what you know about your family now without asking anyone questions. You should include: where originally did your family come from, why did they come here, where did they first come to, where have they moved since, why they have moved since first arriving, where are they now, what part of the waves of immigration is your family, and finally what do you think of all this? If you create a video it should be at least 5 minutes long, but not more than 10 minutes long. If you create a slide show, it must be at least 20 slides, but not more than 25. Digital projects must be posted on the class web page here: Projects 2016 Do not forget to include your name somewhere in your project/post.

DUE Wednesday October 10, 2016
 * //Part Two: Interview//**

You will write a paper, create a web page web based presentation, or a video (which you will post to the internet) that details an interview with a family member OR if you do not have a family member, a person you choose (this must be instructor approved.) A written interview should be about 1,000 words, a presentation should have at least 20 slides but not more than 25, and a video should be at least 5 minutes but not more than 10 minutes.

In your interview, you should ask your subject where did your family come from, why did they come here, where did they first come to, where have they moved since, how did the family originally get here, what kind of work was your family involved in, what kind of food did they eat, does religion or politics fit into your family story, if yes, how did it impact any of these things, were there things your family changed when they came here, if yes, what were they, are there traditions that your family still holds onto from where they came from, was your family affected by US wars. Digital projects must be posted on the class web page here: Projects 2016 Do not forget to include your name somewhere in your project/post.

Note about this assignment: More questions may be added as we discuss this portion of your project in class.

DUE Wednesday October 26, 2016
 * //Part Three: My links to this course.//**

You will create a paper, web page, web based presentation, or video about how you and your family connect to this class.

Once you have learned more about your family, I expect you to be able to connect your family’s activities and experiences to this course. You will write a 750 word paper describing how your family connects to the concepts discussed in this course.

What I expect of you is to write about your own experiences and the experiences of your family with the vocabulary words from this class. For example, if you interviewed your grandfather and he told you that he came to the US because there was a war in his home country, and they he was employed in a factory making cars-you would say that your grandfather was part of **the third wave of immigration** into the US, one of the **push factors** was war, and he was employed in the **secondary sector** of the economy manufacturing cars.

Basically I want you to summarize your interview and put it in the terms of the course. I expect the terms of the course (vocabulary words) to be highlighted or bolded in your paper. You should include at least 15 terms. You may create a slide show or a video as an alternative. Videos must be 5 minutes long, but not more than 10 minutes long. Slide shows should be at least 20 slides, but not more than 25. Digital projects must be posted on the class web page here: Projects 2016 Do not forget to include your name somewhere in your project/post.

Here is a link to the in-class worksheet used to help you with part three. Remember to turn your worksheet in with your part three to get your five points of credit for the worksheet. Remember to USE your worksheet to help you with this portion of the project!

Here are a list of common terms that were connected to many previous students, but may not necessarily be in the textbook, or be specific vocabulary words. These concepts/terms are covered in class and are acceptable for use in your projects:

immigration work-as it pertains to economic sectors, lifestyle, and community wars-both US and foreign immigrants ladder ports of entry ethnic neighborhoods rural to urban migration climate/weather religion transformations assimilation education-especially relocating for better quality waves of immigration political acts-like the Homestead Act environmental degradation chain migration

DUE Monday November 7, 2016
 * //Part Four: Map//**

You will create a map detailing your family’s journey through North America. Your map can be digital or hand drawn. Some maps will be larger than others, do not worry if yours is small. Your map should include all of the essentials of a map: title, legend, direction arrow, and it should show your family’s journey through time and space since their arrival here. Points on the map should be labeled as to their significance. You may create a video map, and you are encouraged to use a slide show creator for this portion of your project. Videos do not need to be long, no more than five minutes, and slide shows should be relatively short too, no more than ten slides without instructor approval. Digital projects must be posted on the class web page here: Projects 2016 Do not forget to include your name somewhere in your project/post.

[|Photoscape]- a free photo editor, useful for editing maps

DUE Monday November 14, 2016
 * //Part Five:// Written Summary of Presentation**

You will pick at least five connections from your part three (Tying your History to Vocabulary), and share them with your class for your presentation. I want you to write about this BEFORE you present. Pick your connections, then write at least one paragraph about each. You will create an introduction and a conclusion too, so your paper should be a minimum of seven paragraphs. If you choose to present in a group, your group may turn in one paper, but it should have more paragraphs, which will be dependent on the number of group members. Groups can be no larger than four, and must have instructor approval so that specifics like this can be assigned on a case by case basis.

The five (or more) items you pick to share are your choice. It is my hope that you will discover things about your family that you didn't know, and hopefully you will hear some good stories that have a connection to the course material. The good stories are the things I hope you will share.

DATES: Nov 21, Nov.23, Nov 28, Nov 30, Dec. 5, Dec 7, Dec 14 2016
 * Presentations **

You will give a presentation about your connections to Cultural Geography in North America. Your presentation should be five minutes long. If you are in a group, it should be longer depending on the number of students in the group. You will present about the connections you wrote about in part five. Your presentation must have some sort of visual aid, like PowerPoint or Prezi. You may make a video as an alternative to a presentation, but you must post it on the class web page and you must introduce it in class and play it. You may bring food as a part of your presentation.

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