Middle Ages Video Projects

This project assignment is designed to reinforce and demonstrate the content and concepts learned during our World History unit covering the Middle Ages.

Over the course of this project, students will work in assigned teams of 3-4, to create a short video, mimicking John Green’s “Crash Course” history series.  Our classes have watched several of these insightful and often humorous videos as introductions to new units.  Now is your chance to recreate this style of educational video in order to reflect your deepest understanding of the time period.

Requirements:

1.  Minimum of one topic per team member, which they will present on screen.

2.  Fully written script to be followed precisely.

3.  Must include: Feudal System, Crusades, and Plague

Carefully Consider:

·      Set, setting, or background

·      Graphics, maps, text – “in camera” or through editing software.

·      Microphone sound – loud or close.

·      Sound effects

·      Multi-camera views, with editing.

·      Pace and clarity of voice.

·      Pace and clarity of ideas.

Keep in Mind:

·      Your team can utilize any knowledge, software, or hardware available to you.  Be creative.  Think outside the box.  Think big.   Follow John’s “formula”.   Watch/ learn.

·      A portion of the assessment is teamwork as well as independence.

·      Collaboration outside of class is sometimes encouraged, sometimes necessary.

Schedule

Wed 30          Project Lesson                

Thu 1              Research/idea development

Fri 2                Scripting  (HW: Script writing)

Tue 6              Scripting

Wed 7             Filming

Thu 8              Filming

Fri 9                Filming / Editing

Tue 13            Editing

Wed 14          Editing / Final touches

Thu 15           Presentation of films

Fri 16             Presentation of films

Illuminated Manuscripts Project

This creative project is intended to reinforce the importance of the written word and growing influence of books during the middle ages.  Each student will create one page that stylistically mimics one from a historical illuminated manuscript.

In order to do this, each student must come prepared on Wednesday with a poem.  This can be one that you have written prior to or specifically for this project.  Or, this can be one by another poet.  However, it MUST BE A POEM.

ATTENTION 1ST PERIOD:  We simplified this option for clarity.  Your text MUST BE A POEM.

The poem text should be reflective of the importance and seriousness of a project like this. In other words, your chosen poem should not be of a joking manner.  How you write the text is up to your style.  Calligraphy is not required but some of you may want to try this.

Consider imagery that will be a part of this page.  Keep in mind that imagery from manuscripts most often thematically reflected the topics in the text.  Although it was not always an exact depiction of the text, it was clearly related.  For instance, poems about nature, might include flora and fauna.  Marine life might decorate a page about living near Puget Sound.  Although I will have reference books and images, I highly encourage you to do a brief image search online tonight to get an idea of what your page might look like.

We will begin Wednesday with time to create a rough draft version.  The rest of the day will be for beginning the official draft.

I will provide each student with one piece of "parchment" for the final copy.  I also have available for sharing, a few calligraphy markers and water colors.

I encourage you to consider other materials that you are free to bring from home.  This might include, paints, colored pencils, markers, pastels, "gold" markers, calligraphy pens, etc.

Schedule:
Tuesday - Lesson
Wednesday - Preliminary Design / Begin Official Copy
Thursday - Full day to work
Friday - Full day to work (Substitute Mr. T.)

Due Date:  Tuesday, April 15th.

Weekend Work

Ok folks, I have a few things to remind you of for next week so I hope you're checking this blog.

1.  If you have been absent at all this week, we have been watching "Guns Germs and Steel - Jared Diamond".  You can cut and past the following link in order to watch the video and take notes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojU31yHDqiM

2.  Starting on Tuesday, we will be having assessments on a few different topics.  Look over your notes on the following:
a) Empires
b) Guns Germs and Steel
c) Revisiting the "Cultural Terms Review"

Pass the word to anyone that may not see this blog post.

Mr. Sieling

Population Growth & Networks of Exchange

Today we continued our exploration of Population Growth and Networks of Exchange.  You should have two handouts going home with you for the weekend.  Your first task is to finish watching the rest of the power point presentation on the subjects (link below).  Then you need to complete both handouts.  You do not need to use full sentences but you do want to show me your deepest understanding and critical thinking.

Mr. Sieling

Power Point
http://worldhistoryforusall.sdsu.edu/units/four/panorama/slides/BE4_pan.ppt

Research Schedule Update

Okay everyone, after reflecting on our progress and approach to the work on our Comparison Essays, I have decided to alter our work schedule.  Full Rough Drafts, double spaced (including bibliographies) are now due on Thursday.  You MUST have this printed out and ready for Peer Edits on that day.  Please do not try to print it at school that day.  Print you papers on Wednesday night, at the latest.

Tuesday 28th          Lesson: Introductions, Conclusions, Images.  Write
Wednesday 29th     Write
Thursday 30th        Rough Draft Due.  Peer Edit
Friday 31st             Write

Tuesday 4th            Final Draft Due.

Essay Conclusions

Conclusions

About conclusions

Your conclusion is your chance to have the last word on the subject. The conclusion allows you to have the final say on the issues you have raised in your paper, to summarize your thoughts, to demonstrate the importance of your ideas, and to propel your reader to a new view of the subject. It is also your opportunity to make a good final impression and to end on a positive note.
The conclusion pushes beyond the boundaries of the prompt and allows you to consider broader issues, make new connections, and elaborate on the significance of your findings.
Your conclusion should make your readers glad they read your paper. Your conclusion gives your reader something to take away that will help them see things differently or appreciate your topic in personally relevant ways. It can suggest broader implications that will not only interest your reader, but also enrich your reader’s life in some way. It is your gift to the reader.

Strategies for writing an effective conclusion

One or more of the following strategies may help you write an effective conclusion.

• Play the “So What” Game. If you’re stuck and feel like your conclusion isn’t saying anything new or interesting, ask a friend to read it with you. Whenever you make a statement from your conclusion, ask the friend to say, “So what?” or “Why should anybody care?” Then ponder that question and answer it. Here’s how it might go:
  
  You: Basically, I’m just saying that education was important to Douglass.
  Friend: So what?
  You: Well, it was important because it was a key to him feeling like a free and equal citizen.
  Friend: Why should anybody care?
  You: That’s important because plantation owners tried to keep slaves from being educated so that they could maintain control. When Douglass obtained an education, he undermined that control personally.
  You can also use this strategy on your own, asking yourself “So What?” as you develop your ideas or your draft.
  
• Return to the theme or themes in the introduction. This strategy brings the reader full circle. For example, if you begin by describing a scenario, you can end with the same scenario as proof that your essay is helpful in creating a new understanding. You may also refer to the introductory paragraph by using key words or parallel concepts and images that you also used in the introduction.
  
• Synthesize, don’t summarize: Include a brief summary of the paper’s main points, but don’t simply repeat things that were in your paper. Instead, show your reader how the points you made and the support and examples you used fit together. Pull it all together.
  
• Include a provocative insight or quotation from the research or reading you did for your paper.
  
• Propose a course of action, a solution to an issue, or questions for further study. This can redirect your reader’s thought process and help her to apply your info and ideas to her own life or to see the broader implications.
  
• Point to broader implications. For example, if your paper examines the Greensboro sit-ins or another event in the Civil Rights Movement, you could point out its impact on the Civil Rights Movement as a whole. A paper about the style of writer Virginia Woolf could point to her influence on other writers or on later feminists.
  

Strategies to avoid

• Beginning with an unnecessary, overused phrase such as “in conclusion,” “in summary,” or “in closing.” Although these phrases can work in speeches, they come across as wooden and trite in writing.
  
• Introducing a new idea or subtopic in your conclusion.
  
• Ending with a rephrased thesis statement without any substantive changes.
  
• Making sentimental, emotional appeals that are out of character with the rest of an analytical paper.
  
• Including evidence (quotations, statistics, etc.) that should be in the body of the paper.
  

Four kinds of ineffective conclusions

1. The “That’s My Story and I’m Sticking to It” Conclusion. This conclusion just restates the thesis and is usually painfully short. It does not push the ideas forward. People write this kind of conclusion when they can’t think of anything else to say. Example: In conclusion, Frederick Douglass was, as we have seen, a pioneer in American education, proving that education was a major force for social change with regard to slavery.
   
2. The “Sherlock Holmes” Conclusion. Sometimes writers will state the thesis for the very first time in the conclusion. You might be tempted to use this strategy if you don’t want to give everything away too early in your paper. You may think it would be more dramatic to keep the reader in the dark until the end and then “wow” him with your main idea, as in a Sherlock Holmes mystery. The reader, however, does not expect a mystery, but an analytical discussion of your topic in an academic style, with the main argument (thesis) stated up front. Example: (After a paper that lists numerous incidents from the book but never says what these incidents reveal about Douglass and his views on education): So, as the evidence above demonstrates, Douglass saw education as a way to undermine the slaveholders’ power and also an important step toward freedom.
   
3. The “America the Beautiful”/”I Am Woman”/”We Shall Overcome” Conclusion. This kind of conclusion usually draws on emotion to make its appeal, but while this emotion and even sentimentality may be very heartfelt, it is usually out of character with the rest of an analytical paper. A more sophisticated commentary, rather than emotional praise, would be a more fitting tribute to the topic. Example: Because of the efforts of fine Americans like Frederick Douglass, countless others have seen the shining beacon of light that is education. His example was a torch that lit the way for others. Frederick Douglass was truly an American hero.
   
4. The “Grab Bag” Conclusion. This kind of conclusion includes extra information that the writer found or thought of but couldn’t integrate into the main paper. You may find it hard to leave out details that you discovered after hours of research and thought, but adding random facts and bits of evidence at the end of an otherwise-well-organized essay can just create confusion. Example: In addition to being an educational pioneer, Frederick Douglass provides an interesting case study for masculinity in the American South. He also offers historians an interesting glimpse into slave resistance when he confronts Covey, the overseer. His relationships with female relatives reveal the importance of family in the slave community.
   

In Simpler terms, consider these simple steps.
Effective conclusions

• Reflect on how your topic relates to larger issues (in the novel, in society, in history)
  
• Show how your topic affects the reader’s life
  
• Evaluate the concepts you have presented
  
• Issue a call for action on the part of your audience
  
• Ask questions generated by your findings
  
• Make predictions
  
• Recommend a solution
  
• Connect back to introduction, esp. if you used a metaphor, anecdote, or vivid image
  
• Give a personal statement about the topic
  

Essay Introductions

How to Write a Research Introduction

The introduction to a research paper can be the most challenging part of the paper to write. Introductions are generally half a page in length, though they can run longer if the topic requires additional information. They usually begin with supporting statements, and end with a description of your hypothesis. They offer a theoretical context to a paper, allowing readers to understand the reasoning behind your work. Well-written introductions set the tone for the paper, catch the reader's interest, and communicate the hypothesis or thesis statement.

Steps

Begin the opening paragraph with a few sentences containing supporting information about your topic. Give the reader an idea of what issue you will be discussing, such as, "Just a few years ago, the term "virtual reference" had little meaning to many librarians." Immediately opening with your main argument can be too abrupt.
• For a scientific research paper, you can begin with a discussion of the significance of your study, and then lead into the rationale behind your experimental model and how it met your objectives.
• A Humanities based paper is best suited by the "funnel" or "inverted pyramid" technique. To use this approach, start with some general background information on your subject, becoming more narrow and specific in focus as you work toward a description of your hypothesis.
Place the thesis statement or hypothesis in the final sentence of your introduction's first paragraph. An example of such a closing sentence is, "A librarian can add the warmth and personal touch to an online interaction that an automated search engine cannot." You may need to write multiple sentences to explain your thesis.
• You want to make the objective of your paper clear in the first paragraph, because while an introduction can run several paragraphs in length, it will confuse readers if you introduce your topic in subsequent paragraphs.
Continue your introduction by acquainting your audience with the major points of your paper, and your objectives and results in a scientific paper, in the order they will appear. This lets the reader know what to expect.
Consider other "starters" for your introduction if your initial approach doesn't fit well with your topic.
• Anecdotes, quotations, recent debates, or timely news stories can also be compelling ways to begin a research paper.
• You can also introduce certain topics by comparing or contrasting 2 people, events, or ideas.
Evaluate your writing. Read your introduction, and then read your conclusion. Make sure there is a fluid transition between them.

Never use personal pronouns in your introduction, such as "I," "me," "we," "us," "my," "mine," or "our." Don't make pronouncements, such as "I am going to explain why global warming is destroying animal habitats." This is a hallmark of an inexperienced writer.

• Don't overwhelm the reader with an overabundance of information. Keep the introduction as concise as possible by saving specific details for the body of your paper.
• Avoid emotional or sensational introductions; these can create distrust in the reader.
  

Sample Scientific Research Introduction

Throughout the 20th century, our views of life on other planets has drastically changed. It was once thought to be an impossibility, as all we had seen of space showed us a barren landscape unfit for anything we would recognize as life. But, in the 21st century, our telescopes continue to discover planets in what we deem “habitable zones,” the small bands in solar systems in which a planet’s temperature is ideal to support life. Planets such as the newly discovered Planet KOI 172.02 may hold the key to discovering life outside of Earth.

Sample Research Introduction for Humanities

Dedicated scholars have been studying language and culture in parallel ever since the connection between the two was first established. Recently, though, new studies have emerged to provide data on the little-known subsections of language and culture: speakers of blended languages, often referred to as pidgin English or Spanglish. These communities are often fluent in their native language and partially fluent in another, which means they are generally able to function normally within their own communities speaking only a combination of the two.

The Dreaded Introductory Paragraph

Writing the introductory paragraph can be a frustrating and slow process -- but it doesn't have to be.  If you planned your paper out, then most of the introductory paragraph is already written.  Now you just need a beginning and an end.

Beginning Sentence(s)		Here's your chance to introduce your topic and grab your reader's attention.  NEVER start your paper saying, "In this paper, I will" or "This paper is about." Start strong.  In your research, have you come across an odd factoid or interesting quote? Try starting your paper with that.  How about starting with an anecdotal story or humor?
Middle Sentences		Usually, the middle sentences cover the points in your paper.  Since you've already planned which order to write the points, you already know which order to place them in your introductory paragraph.  You don't have to include every single point, but make sure the important ones get in there.
Ending Sentence		All the previous sentences have been building up to this: your thesis. Your thesis statement expresses the overall idea of your paper and show where you stand on the topic.  Indiana University has a great tutorial for writing thesis statements.

Example

Here's an introductory paragraph for a paper I wrote.  I started the paper with a factoid, then presented each main point of my paper and then ended with my thesis statement.