Final Exam: What Defines Americans?
Final Exam, 2012 Due June 1
A.P. Final Exam 2012
Movie Documentary on U.S. History
“No man is good enough to govern another man, without that other’s consent. I say this is the leading principle—the sheet anchor of American republicanism.” Abraham Lincoln, Speech at Peoria, Illinois, 1854
- Homogeneity and diversity
- Justice and equality
- Freedom and equality
- Individuality and common good
- Promises and Challenges
- Security and liberty
- Democracy and justice
- Poverty and justice
- Another tension which you check out with me
For your final exam, you will produce a documentary that describes, analyzes and interprets U.S. History from 1912 to 2012. You will choose 10 events and finda documents and/or artifacts to symbolize them that tell something about what you believe in relationship to the Lincoln quote about republicanism in U.S. History OR about one of the other tensions in US History listed below the quote. You will write an introduction and conclusion to the exhibit and a short narrative for each document.
You might listen to the TED talk of Bryan Stevenson http://tedconfblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/stevenson_ted2012_049539_d31_8327_600a.jpg
Your final product will be a photostory of 13 slides or scenes long and a maximum of 10 minutes in length. This will include a title page with your name and class period, a slide/section each for the introduction and conclusion (one to two minute each), 10 slides of content (30 seconds each). You are welcome to use other movie programs as well.
Step 1. Choose and define the theme.
Your exhibit must illustrate the words from Lincoln’s 1854 speech at Peoria Illinois:
You must interpret his definition of republicanism and democracy and show how these concepts change over time. Be careful to show the complexity of the issues and discuss the cause and effect of the ebbs and flows.
OR define the tensions in the themes you chose.
Step 2. Choose your events and the documents that represent that event. 5/17
OPTION 1: Choose 10 documents/artifacts that represent events that have meaning to you and that illustrate the theme. You will find these on the Internet. Label each document with date, place, and people.
These documents/artifacts could include
•photographs •laws •buildings
•maps •song lyrics •inventions
• political cartoons •speeches •novels
•letters •plays •newspaper articles
•art •music •film clip
OPTION 2: Choose 10 documents all from one of the above categories – some people have used music, some political cartoons for instance.
For both OPTION 1 and 2, you must establish four time periods justifying your beginning and ending dates from 1912 to 2012 and you must have at least one document in each one.
For both OPTION 1 and 2, you must have at least one document in each of four of the following categories:
1. political
2. economic
3. social
4. cultural/intellectual
5. diplomacy
Step 3. Write the narrative. 5/22
The narrative for each artifact should be between 50 and 100 words in length, or about 30 seconds. Each document narrative should analyze why this particular event as symbolized by your document is worthy of being in your documentary.
Compose a narrative for each document. Include the author, place and time, context, purpose and significance in relationship to the theme and change over time from 1912 to 2012.
Step 4. Write an introduction. 5/25
Define how the definitions of republicanism and democracy have changed between 1912 and the present. OR define the tension in your themes. Explain what you want people to think about as they watch your documentary, but not what they should think. For instance some might say that republicanism in the U.S. depends on your skin color or gender. You might argue that the strength of democracy at home depends on what is happening in the rest of the world.
Step 5. Write the conclusion. 5/29
In this final section, you should tie together through comparing and contrasting, using cause and effect and change over time in relationship to the 10 documents you chose. How does the theme do this? Mention specific documents. Finally, explain why this theme has significance to you and to U.S. History in 2011 by using a “This I Believe” statement.
Your grade will be based on the following:
•Form: length, appropriate slide titles,
•Documents fit the categories required, appropriate visuals chosen
•Theme is defined in relationship to U.S. History
•Narrative effectively analyzes the document, reflects the theme, shows change over the time and reflects what you believe in the context of US History
•Introduction and conclusion are complex, make good historical sense, and relate to the documents chosen
This exam counts for 20% of your grade for the second semester.
