Students will individually participate in creating and constructing a virtual museum exhibit on the subject of American History from 1863 to the present. The assignment will be completed and turned in as the final exam grade for this class. Each student will select a minimum of 10 display items in the form of images, artifacts, photographs etc. They must then be arranged in such a way that is meaningful, historically, to construct an analytical argument relevant to the selected theme assigned to you.

In 1200 words[CS1] 

· Provide brief but succinct, captions for each item on display. Each caption should identify the following display item and its origin (citation regarding where you obtained the item and it must clarify the relation to the larger argument you are presenting).[CS2] 

· Provide a summary overview of the collection’s theme and inclusion of its argument; in other words, explain how it all fits together in the larger context. Examples to follow.

Introduction: Include a paragraph (150 words or so) that explains how the collection fits into the overall exhibition message. For example, what themes would you emphasize, what is the point you are attempting to get across to add to the visitor experience, if you were arranging the whole exhibit. Discussing possible themes can be a group effort but the written product where you articulate your point of view must be yours alone.

Make certain that your page has a cohesive and descriptive title or name.

Hence, you are required to draw from our readings and class discussions, and you are required to do outside research to address context and to support your argument. Additionally, a bibliography is required formatted to the Chicago Manual of style (Turabian).

American Diversity

The diversity of the American people and the relationships among different groups. The roles of race, class, ethnicity, and gender in the history of the United States.

American Identity

Views of the American national character and ideas about American exceptionalism. Recognizing regional differences within the context of what it means to be an American.

Culture

Diverse individual and collective expressions through literature, art, philosophy, music, theater, and film throughout U.S. history. Popular culture and the dimensions of cultural conflict within American society.

Demographic Changes

Changes in birth, marriage, and death rates; life expectancy and family patterns; population size and density. The economic, social, and political effects of immigration, internal migration, and migration networks.

Economic Transformations

Changes in trade, commerce, and technology across time. The effects of capitalist development, labor and unions, and consumerism.

Environment

Ideas about the consumption and conservation of natural resources. The impact of population growth, industrialization, pollution, and urban and suburban expansion.

Globalization

Engagement with the rest of the world from the fifteenth century to the present: colonialism, mercantilism, global hegemony, development of markets, imperialism, cultural exchange.

Politics and Citizenship

Colonial and revolutionary legacies, American political traditions, growth of democracy, and the development of the modern state. Defining citizen- ship; struggles for civil rights.

Reform

Diverse movements focusing on a broad range of issues, including anti- slavery, education, labor, temperance, women’s rights, civil rights, gay rights, war, public health, and government.

Religion

The variety of religious beliefs and practices in America from prehistory to the twenty-first century; influence of religion on politics, economics, and society.

Slavery and Its Legacies in North America

Systems of slave labor and other forms of unfree labor (e.g., indentured servitude, contract labor) in Native American societies, the Atlantic World, and the American South and West. The economics of slavery and its racial dimensions. Patterns of resistance and the long-term economic, political, and social effects of slavery.

War and Diplomacy

Armed conflict from the precolonial period to the twenty-first century; impact of war on American foreign policy and on politics, economy, and society.

[CS1]I’m still a little confused. Do they need to have one document that does all these things and adds up to 1200 words? I think having an example ready to go will be key to helping students get through this assignment. But I LIKE the assignment!

[CS2]This needs cleaning up.