Narrated Presentation

Part I: Overview

The goal of this assignment is to give you the opportunity to create a presentation in PowerPoint on an historical topic.

You'll base the Narrated Presentation primarily on one primary source.

You'll have the opportunity to use secondary sources (no Wikipedia, Encyclopedia, or any other "-pedia" or "About" sources.)

You'll have the opportunity to create an oral narration for your presentation.

Part II. A: Primary Source Selection

Choose a primary source that was written approximately between 1850 and 2010.

Use your textbook chapter headings to help you think of topics you might be interested in researching.

Text Book: The Essential World History: World history, World history By Cram101 Textbook Reviews.

Chapter 21: The High Tide of Imperialism
Chapter 22: Shadows over the Pacific
Chapter 23: The Beginning of the 20th Century
Chapter 24: Nationalism, Revolution, and Dictatorship
Chapter 25: Crisis Deepens: WWII
Chapter 26: East and West in the Grip of the Cold War
Chapter 27: Brave New World: Communism on Trial
Chapter 28: Europe and the Western Hemisphere Since 1945
Chapter 29: Challenges of Nation Building in Africa and the Middle East
Chapter 30: Toward the Pacific Century?

Part II. B: Primary source selection

You may choose 1-2 primary sources that coincide with your topic.

Remember, primary sources are like puzzle pieces... They are just one small piece in the larger picture.

For example, if the "larger picture" you want to write about is Communist China under Mao Zedong, then one of the "puzzle pieces" would be Chairman Mao's address to his people titled, "Serve the People,"given on September 8, 1944 and located on Columbia University's East Asia primary source collection website (http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/special/china_1900_mao_speeches.htm#foolish).

Once I have chosen my primary source, I will use secondary sources like the movie from Week 7 about Chairman Mao and our class textbook to give background and support and additional information.

Part IV: Choose other sources

You may also use other good secondary sources:
Acceptable secondary sources:
The America: A Concise History textbook

Articles online (For supporting or secondary sources, I might choose a website like History of American Women, "Cherokee Women's Rights." (http://www.womenhistoryblog.com/2008/12/cherokee-womens-rights.html)

Universities often have informative, historical websites. (Check out Fordham University's primary sources pages. They have secondary sources there, too.

Find good artwork, maps, and pictures of artifacts that correspond to your topic. Check museum websites, and be sure to label the pictures accordingly.

Part V: Oral Narration & Writing

Create a PowerPoint with a corresponding narration about the topic you have chosen.

There should be the following:

Introduction of your topic and primary source.

Summary of your topic, focusing on the primary source's information

Analysis of your topic

What was significant or important about this topic / primary source / person?

What legacy was left by this topic / primary source / person?

What moral or ethical dilemmas were discussed or addressed in this primary source? (i.e. In Mao Zedong's address "Serve the People," Mao speaks candidly about death and the idea that death in service to his Communist Revolution is "weightier than Mount Tai" - meaning significant. This is a moral or ethical dilemma because Mao is asking the people to die for a cause that they may (or may not) believe in. Is it right to ask a person to die for a cause in which they do not believe? *Be careful to keep an historical perspective when answering this question.)

What did you learn (what was new information) about this topic / primary source / person?

Part V: Oral Narration & Writing

The audio portion of your presentation should be 3-5 minutes in length. Points will be taken if the presentation is shorter than 3 minutes, or longer than 5 minutes.

The audio portion of your presentation must correspond with the PowerPoint presentation slides from beginning to end.

Be sure to place the audio on each PowerPoint slide, rather than just on one slide.

If you are tech savvy and can make an audio presentation with another software besides PowerPoint, feel free to do so. Be sure that it can be opened by a Mac computer, however.

How to insert audio into your powerpoint

On any PowerPoint slide, go to your top toolbar, and click on "Insert".

There is an Audio selection on this menu. You can upload an audio from a file, or you can record directly into the PowerPoint. I recommend recording directly into the PowerPoint.

Be sure to record your narration on each slide. This way, you can adequately plan and time your PowerPoint for exactly what you need for this assignment.

Again, if you are tech savvy and can make an audio presentation with another software besides PowerPoint, feel free to do so. Be sure that it can be opened by a Mac computer, however.

Primary Source Websites

Asia for Educators: http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/tps/1900.htm#mao
Fordham University: https://legacy.fordham.edu/Halsall/mod/modsbook.asp
Avalon Project from Yale University: http://avalon.law.yale.edu/
Leslie University Library (Mostly European primary sources): http://research.lesley.edu/Modern_European_History

You can also Google specifically for primary sources. For example, if I type "Mao Zedong speech transcripts" into the search bar, the Asia for Educators site comes up with a page with links to his speeches.