P07_The American Imperium
The activity will cover from ~1939 (Great Depression Era) to 1970 (Cold War Era). Of course, there may be a few exceptions that reach to an earlier or later date.
WWII may be the single-most impactful event in the study of the era that follows. It could be said that the rise of the United States as a World Power, then, a Super Power can only be adequately explained by the events before and immediately after WWII. The development of this “American Imperium” is not exclusively a military matter and we will not be limited to it. In this project we will attempt to dissect the era from 1939 – 1970 by researching the topics listed below, in the fashion of previous projects.
This era in our nation’s history is largely relegated to three branches of our United States History Research Primer. These branches are: The Great Depression, WWII, and The American Imperium.
Phase I
1. Please open the P07_The American Imperium mindmap prepared for you by Mr.V.
2. The mindmap contains branches that provide guidance for the completion of the research project. One branch identifies the general topic areas to focus our research investigations. The list of topic areas appears below.
01 WWII: The Combatants
02 WWII: History-Shaking Events
03 US Homefront: Japanese-American Internment
04 US Homefront: The Media
05 The Cold War
06 US Postwar Economic Boom
3. Organize your groups.
A. Choose a group leader. That group leader will be given a score reflecting their ability to successfully guide the group to a successful completion of the project. Group leader positions are on a project-by-project basis with everyone serving in that role at least once.
B. Choose a speaker. That speaker will be given a score reflecting their speaking performance during the presentation. Speaker positions are on a project-by-project basis with everyone serving in that role at least once.
C. Setup a communication system so that group members can communicate outside of classroom.
D. Choose how your group will collect, organize, and keep track of data collection by group members. If you decide to use a mindmap, you must share the map with Mr.V (full access). If you decide to use Google, you must create a ‘Team Drive’ and share that with Mr.V (full access). This segment of the project is not normally evaluated since it is a practical application of skills previously taught and practiced. However, under certain conditions, it may impact the group’s grade when a member’s contributions must be assessed for other reasons: Attendance/ tardiness issues, erroneous content presented as facts, etc.
Phase II
1. Begin collecting sources that may be of use in the researching of your assigned topic area. The sources, as before, are to come from the US History Research Primer and any additional source you verify with Mr.V. The History Research Primer: Sources and Guidance is also recommended for use.
2. Avoid the temptation to begin constructing the presentation. You are expected to conduct this phase of your research in-class to permit you the opportunity to ask Mr.V questions when you encounter a difficulty. The construction of the presentation file is primarily an administrative task that can, and should, be done out-of-class. You will have no more than 5 class periods to complete this and the next phase. Any additional time will have to be out-of-class.
Phase III
1. Begin the analysis of your accumulated source documents.
2. The gathering of data has to come to an end or you run the risk of never finishing. The analysis phase requires that you read, listen to (audio source), or view (video source) the content you’ve amassed. Keep the relevant materials and discard what proves to be unhelpful materials.
As you do this, your computer monitor should be split into two windows that allow you to analyze your source and take notes on that source. The notes you create should be available for members of your group to see and comment on in Mindmeister/ Google Drive. It’s important that ‘your’ notes bear ‘your’ name (Mr.V needs to be able to trace the notes to its creator).
You are expected to conduct this phase of your research in-class to permit you the opportunity to ask Mr.V questions when you encounter a difficulty. You will have no more than 5 class periods to complete this and the previous phase. Any additional time will have to be out-of-class.
Phase IV
1. Mr.V will have distributed to all group leaders, by now, a rubric outlining how the project will be evaluated. Use that rubric, and the project mindmap to guide your analysis of the sources.
2. Construct and submit the presentation file in accordance with the guidance provided by Mr.V.
3. Mr.V will allow you one opportunity to edit the presentation file after viewing it on the large screen. Submit a new file before 7PM on the date posted on the course calendar.
Consider the following as you prepare the presentation:
Be sure to…
-Don’t ignore the feedback received from previous presentations. Repeating an error or omission is worse than committing it the first time.
-Control the balance between ‘text’ and imagery.
-Did you provide content your research was intended to reveal? Was it delivered in a manner that the audience can understand?
-Consider the audience: How close will they be to your presentation (projection)? How long will the slide be visible for them to look at and assimilate it’s data?
-Time limit for the presentation.
–Sources properly credited/ cited.
The Results of P07_The American Imperium
I will make accessible the presentations created by all the research groups within our US History course. Take advantage of the hard work your peers put into the research that supports their presentation.
Below each presentation link is an edited compilation of questions Mr.V asked presenters after they have spoken.
To be updated…
01. WWII: The Combatants
Q.
02. WWII: History-Shaking Events
Q.
03. US Homefront: Japanese Internment
Q.
04. US Homefront: The Media
Q.
05. The Cold War
Q.
06. US Postwar Economic Boom
Q.