Final Project
Writing Assignment #3: Genealogy
Using the clues you’ve learned from your first two assignments, we will now work on the genealogy component of your research project. For the next two weeks, I want you to track back your family name through government documents (census, tax, birth and death, draft card, immigration records), newspaper archives, etc. We’ll spend considerable time in class helping each other construct a history through these records, and many of you will be drawing on different archives for your research — that’s OK. What I want you to produce for your final paper is a 4-5 page summary of your findings (roughly 1400 words), complete with screencaptures of records and the creation of a visual family tree. By the end of this assignment you should be in good shape to begin your final project.
Here are the grading criteria:
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4-5 researched pages of writing (50%)
Two in-text screencaptures of archival materials (labeled as figures) (20%)
One family tree image, with dates (10%)
MLA references (20%)
Short Writing Assignment #2: Etymology
So really, what does your last name mean? For this short one week assignment I want you to go to the library and investigate the meaning of your last name. You will specifically focus on the etymology of your last name. This means using dictionaries to look up the root words (in other languages) that comprise your name. For this assignment I want you to do the following:
1) Find and photocopy minimum of three dictionary references to words, alternate spellings, or roots that comprise your last name. (40%)
2) Compose a concise summary of your findings (a minimum of one to two pages), including a discussion of how this information relates to your interview data. This could include your reaction or the reaction of your family members. (30%)
3) Posit three research questions relating to (A) the meaning of your last name (B) your family history and/or (C) the knowledge your family presently has about your family history. (3*10=30%)
This will be handed in on GoogleDocs by April 22.
Short Writing Assignment #1: Oral History
Last week I asked you to conduct interviews with family and friends about what they think a last name in your family tree means. We talked about interviewing someone about what they think a last name means as opposed to just genealogy and family history. We also talked about some strategies for interviewing people on abstract topics.
For your first writing module, I want you to write two to three pages about your interviews. Your primary task in this assignment is to take your interview notes, transcripts, and observations and summarize what you learned. You may be creative with the format of this assignment: what is the best way convey what you learned? Should you describe the interview scene(s)? Should you provide a brief biography of your participant(s)? Should you try to boil down the contents into an essay format? I want you to decide how best to represent your research.
Once you’ve completed the assignment I want you to explain your compositional decisions in a brief afterward. Why did you choose to arrange the paper this way? Were there any challenges in arranging and summarizing the interview data? Was this interview process new to you? What did you learn as a result?
Grading
A 96% paper will have the following characteristics:
- (1) Show awareness about the specific research question of what a last name means, and not interpret this assignment as a general family history interview (10%)
(2) Will have completed at least one 20-minute interview with family/friends (20%)
(3) Will have synthesized the interview data into a new 2-3-page format (40%)
(4) Will include a paragraph long meta-discussion (a discussion about your thought process) relating to the compositional choices you made, particularly in terms of arranging your interview data (20%)
(5) Will share the document with me on GoogleDocs (10%)
