Format

An online or screen-based slideshow to be presented in class in a five-minute presentation.

You may use any technology, so long as the result can be shared in a class presentation. Examples of programs you could use for a slideshow would include Zoho Show, Spresent, VoiceThread. PowerPoint may be used with the file uploaded to the posting board or brought to class. If your presentation is not web-based, it is your responsibility to bring the presentation on a CD, DVD or flash drive, and to check the classroom technology before you present, not the day of the presentation.

The first slide should be the text: your theme. Remaining slides could either group evidence on a single slide each (so the minimum would be four slides) or have a slide for each piece of evidence (maximum ten slides, plus a citation slide if desired).

Content

The presentation must have a thesis that covers several different eras from this course -- an analytical theme -- supported by three eras or topics, each containing three pieces of evidence. Evidence must be primary sources. They may be excerpts from written documents, or images. Few words should be used on the slide, so we can focus on the sources. For written documents, use a short quotation that you can explain in your presentation. Please do not make slides with bullet points -- use a note card or page with your presentation notes or speech -- the slides should be a visual illustration of your theme.

For sources obtained from the internet, please cite your sources by including the URL of the source in your caption or slide, or add a list of sources as your final slide.

The intention is to help other students see and study the larger themes from the class.

Grading

I will grade the extra credit during the presentations in class.

5 = excellent connection to course themes and evidence, theme arguable and interpretive, presentation designed to help others, good quality work
4 = good connection to course themes and evidence, theme fairly arguable and interpretive, likely to help others, good quality work, may lack some sophistication
3 = solid connection to at least once course theme or a few pieces of evidence, just a little arguable but is clearly a theme, possibly would help others, fair quality work
2 = an effort to connect to course themes or evidence, not arguable, factual theme or interpretive thesis, not likely to be helpful, low quality work
1 = an effort, but not much quality or connection, factual theme or just a thesis