- Sample story map http://arcg.is/1ryKWS
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· Historical Geography
As you embark upon your historical geography portfolio project, I wanted to give you a few thoughts on history and geography.
Charles Gritzner succinctly summed up the importance of geography with this simple question: What is where, why there, and why care? Click here to link to a fuller discussion of geography by Gritzner.
The University of London’s Institute for Historical Research is a great resource for historians and those interested in history. It’s Making History website “is dedicated to the history of the study and practice of history in Britain over the last hundred years and more, following the emergence of the professional discipline in the late 19th century.” Historians call this “historiography.” Making History has a great article on Historical Geography by Mike Heffernan
Hopefully, after looking at these two brief articles, you will have a fuller understanding on the role of historical geography in the study of history.
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Project Overview
You will be required to provide an historical geography narrative on the following broad theme: America’s Relations with the World, 1865-1920
Please note that this is a very broad topic that you can narrow in many ways. “Relations” can be defined in many ways to include political, religious, social, cultural, military, or economic. So, just as with a broad prompt for an analytical essay, you will have to do some brainstorming/concept mapping to come up with your narrowed focus. You are welcome to email me to discuss your overall thesis (ie the narrowed topic) for your project before you get too far along.
Using information in the course module, textbook, or linked materials in the textbook/modules to other sites, you will research and develop your theme. Although not required, you are permitted to use ACADEMICALLY ACCEPTABLE (for college level research) WEBSITES to also gather information. You will search the Internet to find suitable images and maps to use in you project. When completed you will have an introduction and SIX LOCATIONS that are relevant to your narrowed topic relating to the theme of Foreign Relations. You will present your analysis in a Story Map (which is a free tool – see link below).
“Story Map” is aptly named. This app allows you to create an historical analysis based upon geography that allows for rich imagery and mapping. The key components you will provide will be an introduction explaining your theme (just like an introductory paragraph to an essay) then the six locations that in some way relate to your theme. Each of these locations will have a one paragraph historical geography analysis (like a paragraph in an essay) answering the basic questions of “What happened where, why it happened there, and who cares?” discussed in the reading above. The Story Map will allow you to not only MAP the location, but also provide another image to show what you are talking about (for example, if you are talking about trade with Asia, you may want to provide an image of a political cartoon of “Dollar Diplomacy” to go along with your analysis). And, of course, you must provide footnote citations for the materials you consulted in your analysis of each location.
The other element in the project is your Reflective Essay, which is a 1-2 page discussion of the key points and findings of all six locations taken together and any patterns you are seeing based upon geography and chronology. This is not a restatement of the paragraphs of the Story Map, but is a critical thinking exercise in which you reflect upon what you have learned from the project, the “big picture.”
Don’t be daunted, think of the Story Map as an analytical essay broken up into chunks with maps and images. The Reflection is a shorter essay in which you will consider how all of the chunks fit together both geographically and chronologically, in which you discuss your “take-aways” from the project. Although this project will require some diligence and time management on your part, don’t make it harder by making it harder than it needs to be.
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Requirements for your Story Map
Attached Files:
Story Map Project Checklist.docx (13.801 KB)
Successful projects will
· Have a title and clearly explain the theme and narrowed thesis statement
· Contain a minimum of 6 locations. These 6 locations must represent three different regions and three different time periods (1865-1897; 1898-1914, 1914-1920) – for example, you may have 1 location from one region, 3 locations from another, and 1 location from a third (or any variation adding up to three different regions) and, in the same fashion, each era mentioned above has at least one associated location/event.
· Clearly explain “what happened where and why it happened there”
· Consider how geographic location influenced the outcome of events (analyze in your own words in one paragraph)
· Make connections by explaining how the locations mapped are related to each other
· Determine if there are any significant patterns revealed by the mapping of your locations
· Utilize primary source documents – you must utilize a minimum of TWO primary sources
· Utilize academically appropriate secondary sources (for the majority of you this will be materials referenced in the course module, textbook, or linked in the textbook. You may, with great caution, utilize materials we have not assigned in this course, if and only if they are appropriate for college level work.
· Each location must be mapped on its own map
· Each location must have an associated and relevant non-map image
· Be aesthetically pleasing
· Use proper citation. EACH location should have its own citations immediately after the paragraph (not at the end of the Story Map)
To recap: Introduction with thesis statement, each of the 6 locations must be relevant to your narrowed thesis and include a 1-2 paragraph analysis, with proper Turabian/Chicago style footnote citations, a relevant non-map image, and be mapped. The overall project must use 2 primary sources and represent 3 different geographic regions and three different time periods.
Your map will be graded on following the above instructions (having all the requisite elements listed above) in addition to logic and clarity, historical and geographical analysis, accuracy, grammar and mechanics (including citations), and aesthetics.
Your reflective analysis will be graded like any other essay: logic and clarity of argument, required components, accuracy of analysis, grammar and mechanics.
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Create your Story Map Account and Start Building!
The first page you will come to using this link asks for you to log in or create an account. Be sure to create a FREE account (if it ever asks you to sign up for a trial “pro” type account, DO NOT accept the offer – only use the free option)
After you log in/create account, you will land on the Story Map app page. You will be using the Story Map Journal App as your template. No other app choices (templates) are allowed for this project.
Be sure to read through the “Overview” and “Tutorial” information of the Story Map Journal, and take a look at the “Gallery,” before clicking on “Build” to begin your own Story Map. There is a lot of very useful “how-to” information here that will help you to build your map.
Below you will find our step-by-step instructions for the Story Map Journal and a checklist you may use to make sure you have all of the required elements.
Contact me if you have any questions about creating your Story Map, but I ask you to review the the tutorial information and our instructions/FAQs first and then clearly tell me what the problem is and what you have tried to do to resolve it so that I can target my response to your specific problem.
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