Can We Learn From History?

• You will start by providing context to your question. If you chose a personal topic, why? Why is this something that interests you? How is it relevant? If a societal issue, what is happening right now? What information can you provide about the issue? Why do you care?
  • Example:
    • The student analyzing life in deadly pandemics would provide the context of the current situation (the COVID-19 pandemic), explaining why this is of personal or societal interest and relevance.
• You then need to seek answers to your question in the past, specifically 3 different historical periods and countries.
• Pick historical periods that are separated by centuries and deal with different countries and cultures.
  • Example:
    • The student answering the question "What are some advantages and disadvantages of marital agreements?" could seek answers in Hebrew law 2000 years ago, 7th century Ireland, and 1800s America.

• You will either choose real historical characters (Dolley Madison, for example) or create a fictional but credible character. If you create fictional characters, they will need to fit in with the period, location, social class, culture, etc. that they are from.
• To find information that can help you learn about real characters or create and flesh out fictional ones, use the materials in your course as well as materials from the library. The library has many books about daily life in different historical periods, and this can help you understand your characters, as well as create answers that could credibly come from them.

How will you present your findings? You have some choices:

• You can write a traditional essay
• You can come up with something creative, like a conversation involving all 3 of your characters, perhaps as part of a TV show or podcast -- you could submit a written script or you could enlist the help of friends to act out the parts and you could videotape or record the conversation.

Regardless of format, you will need to provide

• an introduction that goes over the issue and provides some context
• a conclusion that
  • identifies similarities and differences among the 3 individuals
  • identifies insights you gained from thinking about the question in a historical perspective, for example:
    • did you learn from history?
    • can you answer your question better/differently after conducting the project?
    • are the answers from the 3 individuals relevant to the present? Why or why not?

The introduction section of your presentation will go over the issue and provide context.

If you chose a personal topic, explain

• why you did so
• why the topic interests you
• how it is relevant to you
• why you picked the question you're seeking answers to

Example: Helen

Helen's topic is "pre-wedding marital agreements," and her question is "How do pre-wedding marital agreements affect a marriage?" In her presentation, Helen will include an introduction that presents the context for her choice of topic and question.

In her introduction, Helen will explain she is getting married soon, and that this makes marriage-related topics very relevant to her at the present time. She will explain that marriage and married life are preoccupations for her, meaning they take up most of her attention and thoughts. She will tell her audience that she has read about prenuptial agreements, and that she and her fiance have discussed them, and although they were not serious about them, the idea sparked questions, curiosity, doubts, and a bit of anxiety in Helen, and this is why she will turn to 3 historical characters from different countries, cultures, and eras to look for an answer to her question.

If you chose a societal issue,

• explain what is happening right now
• provide information about the issue
• explain why you care about the issue and why it is relevant to you
• explain why you chose the issue
• explain why you chose the specific question

Example: Harry

Your Introduction

Use Helen's and Harry's examples to work on your own introduction.  A lot of this project focuses on you, so make it personal, and convey to your audience what led you to your choices,  including the context of the issue, its personal relevance to you and/or to society, and how you plan to seek answers in history.

What is a conclusion?

A conclusion

• rounds off a presentation (essay, speech, PowerPoint, video, etc.)
• recaps/summarizes all the central points or arguments made in the rest of the presentation, without repeating the same words, and
• gives the audience a sense of closure.  

A conclusion is not

• a repeat or rephrasing of your introduction
• just a summary of the previous content
• a place to add new content, arguments, or points.

A conclusion should tie everything together in a meaningful way, with simple but powerful words that will leave a lasting impression on your audience. Think of your conclusion as your parting shot, your last chance to impress and enlighten your audience. Make it count by not repeating what you've said before, but by finding ways of enhancing the content and creating closure. And do not start your conclusion with "in conclusion." Your conclusion should feel like a conclusion without you announcing it is.

Your Conclusion

In your conclusion for this assignment, you will

• identify similarities and differences among the 3 individuals you selected to give you answer
• identify insights that you gained from thinking about your preoccupation in a historical perspective
• analyze whether you think there is anything to be learned about present day concerns by doing historical research
• report whether you think you are better able to answer your question or whether you can answer it differently as a result of working on this project
• explain whether you believe history is relevant to understanding current concerns and events. Can we learn from history? Yes? No? Explain your answer.

Example: Helen

Use the resources provided by your instructor in your course, plus library resources.  The library has several books about what life was like in times past, for example:

• Everyday Life in Early America
• Everyday Life in Ancient Egypt
• Everyday Life in Ancient Rome
• Everyday Life in Central Asia: Past and Present
• Daily Life in the Colonial City
• Daily Life in Immigrant America, 1820-1870
• Daily Life in 18th Century England
• Daily Life in Civil War America
• Daily Life in in the Inca Empire

To find other, similar books, go to the library's homepage and under FIND BOOKS, run title searches using the words "everyday life in" and "daily life in."

You can also explore the resources linked below.