Description+and+Deadlines

** About this page **

This page contains general description and deadlines for the Revolutionary Voices project. Please frequently check for updates.

(If you're looking for assignments, they are here.)

** General description **

In your seminars you will...
 * ... gain a general understanding of the project and your revolution.
 * ... receive primary and secondary resources from your seminar advisor.
 * ... research and take notes.
 * ... have opportunities to ask questions of your classmates and advisor.

After you return to your Humanities classes, you will...


 * ... finalize your notes and plan for your Through Their Eyes Journals.
 * ... draft your journal entries.

** Deadlines **

**Due Wednesday, May 2nd** Primary Source Analysis assignment. Submit to your Humanities teacher, __not__ your seminar advisor.

**Due Thursday, May 3rd** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Epads are due. These will be graded by your seminar advisor.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">**Week #2 (Wednesday, May4 - Friday, May 6)**
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Goals for this week include:
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">**Create a plan:** As a full group, you should develop a detailed plan for your 5 journal entries. Each "Turning Point" that you identity should include 10 Vocabulary words and 3-5 Guiding Questions that you expect to answer in your journal entry. Select these carefully, as your advsior will use your responses to determine whether or not you understand the cause, events, and outcomes of your revolution. Add your group plan to e-pad once every member of your group is in agreement. Do not begin writing your entries until you've gotten approval from your advisor.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">**Develop your characters:** Once your group plan has been approved, your advisor will provide you with two "character profiles". These will give you the very basics, but you should spend some time with your group descussing the details of each character. Specific details might inlcude: Name, Gender, Age (which will change), Occupation, Family, Close Friends, Beliefs, Concerns, and Aspirations.


 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">**Begin writing your entries:** At this point, you should split your group and work in pairs to write your character's journal entries. Start with the first one and spend some time developing the Exposition of your story (Time, Place, Social Situation, and Characters). Through this first entry, you'll need to make the main Causes of your revolution really clear for your readers. Work quickly with your partner to create a first draft, then go back to edit for details. Remember, you're writing historical fiction, so the writing quality counts as much as the factual content. Final entries have less than 400 words (max word limit), historical facts underlined, and vocabulary in bold. All drafting should take place in e-pad so your Advisor and other group members can monitor the development of your writing.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">**Week #1 (Tuesday, April 26- Friday, April 29)**
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The main goal of the seminars is to provide:
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">a general introduction to the project and to your revolution
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">a "skeleton" outline of causes, events, and outcomes
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">a set of secondary sources to explore as a group (reading packet, video resources)
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">a set of primary sources (which you'll use for your primary source assignment, due Friday)
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">an opportunity to ask question of your classmates and seminar advisor

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">This week is all about information gathering. Note-taking is expected both during the seminars and outside of class for homework. The more information you collect, the more "material" you'll have for your writing assignments next week. Some tips to guide your note-taking:

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">**Structure your notes with the final product in mind:** Your diary entries will need to show that you understand the Causes, Events, and Outcomes of your revolution. Thus, it may be helpful to divide your notes these terms as headings.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">For each of these general headings (Causes, Events, and Outcomes), there are many questions to be answered. **Spend time generating a list of questions for each before you start your inquiry.** Having specific questions will help you to stay focused. Don't be afraid to add more questions as you get deeper into the material.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">**Begin with the general sources first**. Start with the secondary source reading that your Advisor provides. This will give you an overall understanding of the revolution. Then, select primary sources and/or other specific secondary sources to examine key aspects of your revolution more in depth. You need to have a deep understanding of some events in order to respond to them in your journal entries.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">**Read a little first, then take your notes.** When you try to take notes while you're reading, everything seems equally important. This common error will lead to lots of wasted effort (and paper!). Instead, break your readings into chunks. Read a little (for example, a paragraph or two) and then record the most important information. Many secondary sources are divided by sub-headings: use these as a natural spot to break and record in your notes.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">**Develop a system for making your notes clear and useful**. Avoid just writing pages of lengthy, bulleted points. Instead, develop a few common formats that you use to organize your ideas. Underline/Cirlce/Highlight potential vocabulary words. Create subheadings for important people and events. Use a timeline or other diagrams an addition to just words. If some of your notes are electronic, then use special fonts or colors.