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FINAL PROJECT GUIDELINES
The term project will require students, in groups of four, to conduct interviews with Jewish individuals who came of age in the United States and Latin America, to place the information they glean from these interviews within the larger context of the coursework they have completed, and to present their analysis and conclusion on a website. The specific guidelines for this project are as follows: 1. Each group of four will interview two (2) Jews who grew up in the United States and two (2) Jews who grew up in Latin America. Profs. Lesser and Goldstein will help you in identifying Jewish people in Atlanta who grew up in Latin America, but you will be expected to find suitable interviewees from the United States on your own. Just as we have done in the selection of course readings, you should aim to have a diverse representation on Jewish experiences in your interview pool. Thus, try choosing people of different ages, different cultural backgrounds (i.e. Sephardic and Ashkenazic), or different regional origins (urban and rural, American South and New York). A handout of possible interview questions will be handed out in our week two workshop on interview techniques. 2. You must place the interviews within the larger context of the course. Since history does not consist of description and story-telling alone, you will also have to analyze, synthesize and explain. Examine and evaluate your sources and their information with the critical eye of the historian. Remember, memories fade and in many cases human beings often distort their own past for a number of conscious and unconscious reasons. Finally, find additional material in secondary sources (books, articles, etc) that will help the visitors your website understand the larger background to the personal stories you are telling. 3. The websites must contain all of the following elements: 1) A home page that lists the contents of the site; 2) Summaries of each interview which combine the biographical data with historical background material and links to sites where visitors can find further information; 3) Short sketches of the Jewish communities where each person grew up with links to relevant organizations; 4) photos of the interviewees as well as photos or other documents (certificates, naturalization papers, family trees, newspaper clippings, etc.) that help detail their lives and experiences. If you borrow such documents, remember to return them to the owner in a timely manner. The final grade you receive on your project will be based not only on the information you convey, but on the creativity and hard work you put into crafting your site. 4. Deadlines: |