HS 5393. The Power of the Past: Introduction to Public History

HS 5393. The Power of the Past: Introduction to Public History - Spring 2018

Course Information

Instructor Information

Instructor: Dr. Lindsey Passenger Wieck (LWieck [at] stmarytx. edu)
Office Hours: 12:00PM-2PM Tuesdays; 10AM-12PM Wednesdays
or schedule an appointment
Office Location: Chaminade Tower 500 - Department of History
Office Phone: 210-436-8063
Contact Info: Feel free to call during office hours or email if you have questions.

Course Details

Class Time: 12:20-1:35PM Monday and Wednesday
Class Location: AT&T Center for Information Technology 106
Twitter hashtag: #phStMU
Fixed Deadlines: Blog Posts 11:59PM on Friday after listed; Blog Comments 11:59PM on Sunday after blog is due; Discussion Board by 10AM the day of class

Course Texts

Books to Acquire:
Other readings:: Other readings will be available here or via email & Canvas.

Course Description & Objectives

This introduction to Public History will examine the historiographical and methodological underpinnings of the field and teach strategies for meeting the challenges of presenting historical narrative and interpretation in public settings. This course will introduce students to a variety of fields and contexts in which public historians work, and orient students to larger program goals that will culminate in an internship, capstone project, and professional preparation. This class will immerse students in the field of public history -- in its methods and its debates. Students will engage in group and individual projects to gain experience in the diverse branches of this field.

What is Public History? Public history engages the general public with history in real world settings. It refers to how history is presented and interpreted outside the classroom or academic environment. It involves historical content, interpretation, and use of secondary and primary sources, but also includes tools and strategies for public presentation that enhance popular awareness of the historical past and the world around them. Public history institutions depend upon collaborative relationships between historians and community leaders, activists, and anyone interested in stimulating historical awareness within society. By making explicit links between the past and the present, public history activities promote tourism, economic development, and a general sense of community wellbeing inspired by a shared the past.

Upon the successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

Describe the various public and private institutions that interpret history for the general public. You will learn about methods of public history and debates in this field.
Visit and analyze public history institutions in San Antonio, and consider the role of Heritage Tourism in the region
Design and implement digital projects that present historical material to a general audience using a variety of digital tools.
Explain the importance of incorporating multiple perspectives into historical interpretation.
Better articulate your Public History Project - if you have taken HS 5390, you will create a pilot version of your Public History project. If you have not taken HS 5390, you will begin articulating possibilities for your project. If you are not a Public History track student, you will have opportunities to integrate public history into your own discipline or engage in an additional project that is of interest to you.

Schedule

Notes

Unit	Date	Topics	Readings	Tasks To Do
What is Public History?	W 1/10	Introductions Setting up Blog Course Overview - Syllabus and Contract for B What is Public History?		Survey of Digital Skills Blog 00 Write a short introductory post that introduces yourself. Include a short description of what you'd like to learn in this class and why you're interested in public history. Please also describe one thing that a teacher has done to best facilitate your learning.
	M 1/15 NO CLASS	NO CLASS
	W 1/17	What is Public History?	READ Faye Sayer, Public History, chapter 1: "Introduction: History Beyond the Classroom" (p. 1-19) READ Robert Weible, "Deﬁning Public History: Is it Possible? Is it Necessary?" DISCUSSION BOARD: CANVAS	Blog 01 What interests you about public history? Find, read, and reference at least two NCPH blog posts that address this field of interest. Include a definition of public history that references Sayer and class discussions? What should be the goal of public history? (Due Friday) Blog Response 01 - Read and respond to two classmates' blogs by Sunday at 5PM.
	M 1/22	Where is public history located? Who practices public history? Museums, Archives, and Heritage Centers Notes	READ Faye Sayer, Public History, chapter 2: "Museums, Archives, and Heritage Centers" (p. 22-45) EXPLORE Institute of Texan Cultures Collection Blog DISCUSSION BOARD: CANVAS
	W 1/24	Where is public history located? Who practices public history? Community History Notes	READ Faye Sayer, Public History, chapter 5: "Community History" (p. 113-146) (skim "history of community history" and archaeology sections) READ Rebecca Wingo and Amy Sullivan, "Remembering Rondo: An Inside View of a History Harvest," AHA Perspectives, March 2017 EXPLORE Remembering Rondo EXPLORE Historic Rondo Map DISCUSSION BOARD: CANVAS	Blog 02 Choose one of the public history jobs listed in Sayer Chapters 2 or 5 (pg. 44-45, 146) or another public history job. Discuss the types of tasks this type of job would do? How does this job connect to your definition of public history from Blog 01? Reference at least two examples of websites/projects that connect to this work (e.g. if discussing a Museum you could reference the ITC website or the Remembering Rondo site for a community historian). Also list two resources for finding jobs in this field. (Due Friday) Blog Response 02 - Read and respond to two classmates' blogs by Sunday at 5PM.
	M 1/29	The Practice of Public History - Guest Speaker B. Erin Cole, Exhibit Developer, Minnesota Historical Society	EXPLORE Beyond Bollywood exhibit - make sure to scroll through the photos to see what the exhibit looked like EXPLORE Excellence in Label Writing Winners - pay especially close attention to pages 7-8. DISCUSSION BOARD: CANVAS
	W 1/31	Evaluating Public and Digital History Projects Popular Uses of History in American Life Blogging Bootcamp Notes	READ Roy Rosenzweig and David Thelan, "The Presence of the Past: Popular Uses of History in American Life," from The Public History Reader, p. 30-55 on Canvas EXPLORE Histories of the National Mall DISCUSSION BOARD: CANVAS	Blog 03 Find and evaluate a public history resource or project online (we will discuss this in class this week.) (Due Friday) Blog Response 03 - Read and respond to two classmates' blogs by Sunday at 5PM.

Public History in Cities Digital History Skills: Creating Story Maps Creating Data Maps	M 2/5	San Antonio History & Urban History The History of San Antonio Foodways: A Public History Project - Introducing Group Project for class	READ Gustavo Arellano, "The Comfort of Tamales at the End of 2017," The New Yorker, December 23, 2017. READ Tracing the History of Tex Mex READ Pati Jinch, "Tex-Mex cooking: It’s not Mexican, and maybe that’s the point", The Washington Post DISCUSSION BOARD: CANVAS
	W 2/7	Digital History Evaluating Digital Projects	READ Faye Sayer, Public History, chapter 8: "Digital Media" (p. 219-245) READ EXPLORE Miriam Posner, "How Did They Make That?" EXPLORE Bexar County 300th Anniversary Celebration project DISCUSSION BOARD: CANVAS	Blog 04 Evaluate a digital history project from the list of digital projects below. What tools do these projects use? What types of resources do they include? Evaluate this project using the digital project evaluation rubric we created together. Note whether you think this rubric needs modification. (Due Friday) Digital Harlem Geography of the Post Her Hat Was in the Ring HistoryPin Histories of the National Mall Language of the State of the Union Locating London’s Past Lost Museum Cleveland Historical Old Bailey Online Orbis Papers of the War Department Railroads and the Making of Modern America Redlining Richmond Voting America Women Writer’s Project Viral Texts Six Degrees of Francis Bacon Follow the Money Blog Response 04 - Read and respond to two classmates' blogs by Sunday at 5PM.
	M 2/12	Historic Preservation in the City	READ Andrew Hurley, Beyond Preservation, ch. 1: "Preservation in the Inner City" (pg. 1-31) DISCUSSION BOARD: CANVAS
	W 2/14	Merging Public History and Historic Preservation The Importance of Community Input and Engagement in these Projects	READ Divide Readings by Group: Andrew Hurley, Beyond Preservation ch. 3: "An Experiment in North St. Louis" (pg. 55-94) ch. 4: "History that Matters: Integrating Research and Neighborhood Planning" (pg. 95-120) DISCUSSION BOARD: CANVAS	Blog 05 Consider a historic preservation project or site in San Antonio (potential resources for this project). Outline preservation efforts and stakeholders involved. Evaluate the preservation project, connecting this week's readings and class discussions. What suggestions would you have to strengthen this project? (Due Friday) Blog Response 05 - Read and respond to two classmates' blogs by Sunday at 5PM.
	M 2/19	Historic Preservation in San Antonio Guest Speakers from San Antonio Office of Historic Preservation	READIntroduction and Chapters 1-2 in Exhibit Labels: An Interpretive Approach by Beverly Serrell, 2015: on canvas ~~ch. 2: "Taking it to the Streets: Public History in the City" (pg. 32-54)~~ ~~ch. 5: "Making a Place for Nature: Preserving Urban Environments" (pg. 120-145)~~ < DISCUSSION BOARD: CANVAS
	W 2/21	~~Best Practices of Public History, Historic Preservation, and Community Engagement in Cities~~ ~~Articulating Project Proposals~~ Public History Interpretation Workshop with Margaret Sternbergh, Interpretation Specialist	READ Writing Effective Interpretive Text from Te Papa National Services, January 2016 on canvas Instead of today's discussion board, please do this activity and post your example on your blog prior to class (due by 10AM Weds morning): Over the next week, pay attention to the informational text you encounter in person and digitally. Look for an example of text that you find especially engaging. The text does NOT need to be related to public history, museums, or heritage sites but its primary purpose should be convey information or facts. Look for something that is about 100-300 words. Examples of text can be: Printed material: Brochures, maps, signage Social media: posts or captions that have factual information or narratives Websites: tourism sites, restaurants/hotels/retail webpages with history or about sections, blog posts Museum digital resources: Virtual exhibitions, collection databases, etc	Blog 06 Identify a San Antonio site you think is worthy of historic preservation. Detail the site, its importance, and the potential benefits for recognizing the space. Include a brief plan of how you'd approach preserving this site or creating a public history of this site. Include photos and discussion of how you'd invest different stakeholders in the project. (Due Friday) Bonus Activity: Complete ScoutSA's Discovery survey for this site (on your phone/tablet). Blog Response 06 - Read and respond to two classmates' blogs by Sunday at 5PM.
	M 2/26	Discussion: Final Class Project Project Planning Checkin: Contract for B Peer Review a Blog Post	None	Email Dr. Wieck a link to the blog post you'll be revising this week to receive feedback.
	W 2/28	Skills Lab 2: Creating Story Maps	EXPLORE Choose a sample map from ESRI's Story Maps to examine and discuss (or even look at a few to get a feel for the different layouts available). DISCUSSION BOARD: CANVAS	Blog REVISION Choose one of your strongest blog posts that you have written so far. Using peer feedback, revise and repost a blog post. You will need to submit this with your final portfolio at the end of the semester. Include documentation in Canvas of the peer feedback you received.(Due Friday)
	M 3/5	Project Development Day - Create plan for rest of semester Short presentations on annotated bibliographies	None	Annotated Bibliography Due Sunday 3/4 at 12PM Annotated Bibliography Guidelines Locate two articles or book chapters that are secondary sources to review related to the class project topic. Locate two written or five visual primary sources related to the topic of the group project. Post the sources you'll be reviewing on Canvas so your classmates don't review the same sources. Create an annotated bibliography. For each source you should create a citation in Chicago Manual of Style format (You can use Knight Cite or Zotero to generate these.). Each source should include one paragraph that summarizes the reading (its key points and arguments) and explains why this source would be useful to the larger project. Submit this annotated bibliography on the blog so your classmates can read and reference this. Make sure you include active links to digital sources.
	W 3/7	Policy, Politics, and History Guest Speaker, Shannon Murray, Calgary Stampede	READ Faye Sayer, Public History, chapter 7: "Policy, Politics, and History" (p. 185-218) EXPLORE Calgary Stampede: Heritage DISCUSSION BOARD: CANVAS	Blog 07 Open Prompt: Topics can include maps & GIS, Digital History, Public History in Policy and Politics; National Parks; and/or NAGPRA. Blog post should include specific examples of projects or places discussed. (Due Friday) Blog Response 07 - Read and respond to two classmates' blogs by Sunday 3/18 at 5PM.

History is Messy: Detangling Multiple Narratives	M 3/12 and W 3/14 - SPRING BREAK	NO CLASS - Enjoy!
	M 3/19	Work on Poster in Small Groups	READ Materials for your Project
	W 3/21	Work on Poster in Small Groups	READ Materials for your Project	Blog 08 Open Topic (Due Friday) Blog Response 08 - Read and respond to two classmates' blogs by Sunday at 5PM.
	M 3/26	Poster Design Workshop		Poster Abstracts Due
	W 03/28	Poster - Peer Review	READ POSTERBring a Draft of your Poster to class	Blog 09 Open Prompt (Due Friday) Blog Response 09 - Read and respond to two classmates' blogs by Sunday at 5PM.
	M 4/2 No Class - Happy Easter!	Work on Posters out of Class		Poster drafts due for feedback
	W 4/4	Remembering Rondo Real World PH Examples Blog Revision 2 Peer Review		Poster drafts for Research Symposium due. Posters to be judged must be e-mailed in PDF form to uro@stmarytx.edu and to Dr. Wieck by 5:00 pm on April 4, 2018. Also send to be printed. Blog 10: Open PH topic (Due Friday) Blog Response 10 - Read and respond to two classmates' blogs by Sunday at 5PM.
	M 4/9	Representing Race in Public History	READ Felix V. Matos Rodriguez, "’The ‘Browncoats’ Are Coming’: Latino Public History in Boston.” The Public Historian, 23 (Fall, 2001): 15-28. DISCUSSION BOARD: CANVAS
	T 4/10	Set up for research symposium 4-7PM
	W 4/11	Independent Workday and Research Symposium		Blog Revision 2 (Due Friday)
	M 4/16		READ James Crisp, Sleuthing the Alamo, Chapter 4, on canvas. DISCUSSION BOARD: CANVAS
	W 4/18	Representing Race in Public History	READ James O Horton, “Presenting Slavery: The Perils of Telling America’s Racial Story,” The Public Historian 21:4 (1999): 19-38. DISCUSSION BOARD: CANVAS	Blog 11 Find a recent news article on a public history controversy (e.g. recent controversy over Confederate Memorials). Identify the stakeholders involved - does this site represent the stories of multiple groups of people? Were local individuals or communities involve in the creation of this site? How does integrating stories and analysis of race and cultural difference enrich public history? What would you recommend this site do to better represent a variety of stakeholders? (Due Friday) Blog Response 11 - Read and respond to two classmates' blogs by Sunday at 5PM.

Final Projects and Professionalization Primer
	M 4/23	workshop projects / individual meetings
	W 4/25	Finding Jobs and Internships Navigating the Professional World of Public History		Story Map Drafts Due
	M 4/30	Presentations
	W 5/2 - Study Day
	Final Exam			Story Map Final Projects and Portfolios (Poster + Story Map + 2 Blog Revisions) Due

Requirements

Coursework

Component (click on labels for assignment overviews)	Frequency
Blogs Reflections and Analyses of Class Topics	Complete 8 of 11 blog posts
Blog Comments Read and comment on your peers' blog posts	Comment on 2 of your peers' blog posts at least 7 of 10 weeks.
Discussion Board Posts Briefly reflect on class readings before class to prepare for discussion.	Respond to 13 of 19 discussion board threads
Project Proposals & Drafts Submit drafts and proposals for project as required.
Final Project & Portfolio Submit Final Project (including at least three components: storymap, wikipedia entry & poster) + Project Proposal/Additional Project Components

Grading

This semester we will be using a Contract for B model. Links to view: Our Contract and Contract for B Checklist

Link to: Assignment Guides and other Important Docs

The course will adhere to St. Mary's University grading scale: Undergraduate Grading Policies & Graduate Grading Policies

Class Policies

Respect
Courtesy & Attendance: My goal is for us to create a constructive learning environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing ideas and participating regularly. Therefore, I expect you to come on time and stay for the entire class period, listen attentively while others are speaking, and respect opinions other than your own. Chronic tardiness or absences will result in the lowering of your grade. This course adheres to St. Mary's University Attendance Policy - Students may receive a zero for any work missed due to an unexcused absence, and may be dropped for missing an equivalent of two weeks of classes
Laptops and Mobile Devices: Because this is a public/digital history class, please feel free to bring laptops and other devices to work on projects, take and consult notes, and to refer to any digital readings. However, if I feel laptops and tablets are becoming a distraction, you will be asked to put them away. I reserve the right to ban laptops and tablets if they become a problem. Except for extraordinary circumstances, I cannot see any reason why you would need to use a cell phone in class, so please put your phones away before class begins.
Respect in Class and Online: Because you will be given many opportunities to interact in person and online, please respect each other. No bullying or disrespect will be tolerated. If you are experiencing any problems, please let the instructor know, and we can work together to resolve any issues.
Social Media: On all social media accounts used in this course (blogs, Twitter), students are expected to uphold professional standards that meet university and professional codes of conduct.

Assignments / Grading
Due Dates: Late work will not be accepted. Assignments submitted late will automatically receive no credit/zero points. Exceptions to this policy may occur in very rare cases (e.g. personal emergency or severe medical situations). These cases must be documented to my satisfaction and you must contact me before the due date.
48-Hour Policy - Blogs/Project Steps: With that said, I know things can get stressful during the semester, and to help you do your best work, I offer a 48-hour extension policy. Each student will get 48 hours that they can "spend" in 12 hour increments. You can only use this on blog assignments and on components of your final project (*not the final exam day deadline). To use this, email me before the assignment is due, letting me know you are using it, and after you have completed the assignment so I can mark it as done.
Completion of Assignments: To pass this class, you must complete all blog posts and all components of your final project. Failure to complete one of these assignments will automatically result in a grade of "F" for this course.
Honor Code: I take the university Honor Code very seriously, and I expect the same from you. Please make sure you are familiar with the guidelines regarding academic honesty, plagiarism, cheating, etc. The graded work you do in this class must be your own. In the case where you collaborate with other students make sure to fairly attribute their contribution to your project. Be sure to cite your sources to avoid issues of plagiarism and dishonesty. See me immediately if you have questions or doubts about what constitutes academic dishonesty, especially plagiarism. If an assignment is plagiarized in part or in full, the student receives a failing grade on that assignment and the incident will be reported to the Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Other
Accessibility: If you have any questions or concerns throughout the semester, please see or call me immediately. I am here to help you learn, but it is your responsibility to address any issues you have concerning course content, assignments, and classroom dynamics. Do not risk your grade; if you are having problems, please come and talk me before it is too late.
Syllabus Modifications: This syllabus will serve as our guide throughout the semester, but may change, particularly as we identity digital skills we would like to pursue throughout the semester. I will alert you to any major changes made.
University Policies: St. Mary’s University is committed to providing a safe, equitable, and fair environment where students can pursue academic excellence. Policies and procedures have been developed to foster and sustain such an environment and apply to all courses offered at the university. Students need to be aware of these policies and procedures, which can be found in Gateway and within the “University Policies” tab of your course assigned Blackboard page. Please become familiar with these important policies and procedures, which include: Nondiscrimination, Sexual and Other Forms of Harassment, Students with Disability, and Human Subjects Research.
Acknowledgments and license: This syllabus borrows ideas from other history classes, including those taught by Leisl Carr Childers, Rebecca Wingo, and Jason Heppler.
This syllabus and all assignments are copyrighted © 2018 Lindsey Wieck and licensed CC-BY 3.0 . You are free to use or modify this syllabus for any purpose, provided that you attribute it to the author, preferably at the course website listed above.

Resources

San Antonio History Resources: Hispanic San Antonio: Three Hundred Years: A Bibliography (StMU); San Antonio History Matrix (UTSA)

Digital History Tools: Carto - Mapping Big Data, Animating Time; StoryMap JS - Mapping and Storytelling; integrating primary sources into maps; Timeline JS

Great Examples of Digital History Projects: Stanford Spatial History Project; Slate - 5 Great DH projects from 2015; Cameron Blevins, Geography of the Post
Making Maps / Doing Digital History: The Programming Historian; Workshops and other Resources by Lincoln Mullen; Rice Digital History Resource Guides