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Find two public history projects on the same or similar topics (e.g. slavery or plantations, mining, architecture of American homes, the atom bomb, history of Central Park) that use different methods/media (e.g. iPhone app, driving tour, museum exhibition or interpretive outdoor site, living history or reenactment, game) and determine for each one its:
- motives/impetus
- learning objectives
- creator
- intended audience
- actual audience
- philosophy of history
- scalability and replicability (could it grow, or serve as a template for other projects?)
- nature and extent of participation by the public in the design of the project
Compare and contrast the projects’ approaches to subject, method, and audience, and make an argument for which of the projects you have chosen takes the best approach for the subject matter and audience (intended and/or actual). In considering which project takes the best approach, be sure to address each project’s method(s) as well as the appropriateness and interestingness of its content.
Finally, in a concluding paragraph or two, address what parts of the projects—particularly in terms of methods or media—might be useful to bring to public history projects in Boise or other specific areas of Idaho.
Note: It is best if you can experience these public history projects yourself—that is, play the game, use the iPhone app, take the walking tour, etc. However, because we are somewhat geographically isolated, this isn’t always possible. If you can find sufficient information about a public history project that provides objective descriptions of the project (instead of merely someone’s interpretation or critique of it), you may use those sources instead of first-hand experience.
Length: 4-5 pages, double-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font, standard margins (1 or 1.5” on the left, 1” on every other side)
Citations: Cite all your sources, including the public history projects themselves. Use The Chicago Manual of Style: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html
Due date: Friday, September 3 at the beginning of class
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