World Literature and Composition

Second Nine Weeks/Research Project

Spring 2015

FACING HISTORY AND OURSELVES:

MEMORY AND LEGACY RESEARCH PROJECT
OVERVIEW: Students will conduct a case study of genocide, study the cultural values associated
with the ethnic group or people victimized, and create a memorial to an event, the victims, or an
upstander.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:

What is the purpose behind a memorial?

What should a memorial include? Do?
Is there anything a memorial should NOT include or do?
Can a monument cheapen the event it memorializes? How?
What is the purpose behind a counter-monument? Do you agree that
traditional monuments can sometimes insulate the viewers from the horrific
event which they memorialize?

OBJECTIVES

OF THE FINAL PROJECT:

Students will have an opportunity to construct their own, personal monument
that incorporates one of the themes of the class with a case study in
genocide.
Students will learn how monuments have changed over time (in the past we
created monuments to people and have moved toward creating monuments
to events).
Students will consider how memorials and monuments reflect our values,
speak to what we think is important and what we choose to remember.
Memorials/ monuments represent events, ideas, people and themes.

OVERARCHING IDEAS:

Identity (individual and group)

Obligation
Choices of Individuals and Nations
The Triangle
Justice and Judgment
Memory and Legacy
Silence
Night

World Literature and Composition

Second Nine Weeks/Research Project
Spring 2015

THE MONUMENT:
The art created does not have to be a memorial to the Holocaust in particular (but
it can be). Use this final project as a chance to learn something new. Your
monument/memorial is an opportunity to reflect upon learning this semester. It may
be to a person or an event that connects with you personally or another historical
time period, including contemporary events.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING YOUR MONUMENT SUBJECT:

What is the specific theme (facing history) and subject (historical time
period, event, person, idea)
What literary, historical, and journalistic resources will you use to
prepare for background reading, curatorial statement, and historical
context of your monument?
Do you plan to work individually or in a pair?
What would you like people to feel or think about when they visit the
monument that you are designing?
Who is it built for? What will be the audience?
What message will it convey? What point of view will it assume?
Is it possible to create a neutral monument, or is remembering
inherently an act of selection and the expression of a point of view?
How can your monument be most effective in connecting the public to
the point in the past that you have chosen to remember?

OVERALL PROJECT REQUIREMENTS:

All written work must be in MLA manuscript form.

All photos must be converted as sent to Mrs. Kearney via email as JPEG
photos and the title of the email should read: (your name) Genocide Project
Photos
All written work should include citations to historical sources and memorial
ideas from your annotated bibliography. All citations should be in MLA in-text
style.

World Literature and Composition

Second Nine Weeks/Research Project
Spring 2015

Memory and Legacy: Genocide Memorial Creation

Project
PROJECTS COMPONENTS

AND

DEADLINES:

INSTRUCTIONS : The following are the various parts of the project and when each
section is due. We will be using class time and homework to complete this final
project. Pay close attention to details!
1. Position Statement or Rationale: This is a 1-2 page position statement
explaining why you/your pair selected the overarching idea and case study
that you did. In particular your position statement should include responses
to the following prompts:
a. Why do you believe that this topic/theme needs a memorial?
b. Explain other major existing memorials to this topic/theme. Cite them.
Explain why your memorial is distinct and unique. If there is not an
existing memorial, state why you think this is the case.
c. Who will benefit the most and be most impacted (in your opinion) by
the creation of this memorial?
Include MLA in-text citations document your sources
from the annotated bibliography #2.
Due Date: Thursday, April 16 at beginning of class. Turn in a paper copy of your
position statement at the beginning of class. (includes Class work and Homework
Tuesday, April 14 and Lab Time and Homework Wednesday, April 15.)

2. Annotated Bibliography: This is a bibliography in MLA format that is

annotated with the following:
a. 3-4 sentences about how this source was used to inform your
understanding of the topic and/or the creation of the visual elements
of the memorial.
b. At least 7 sources: Your annotated bibliography will include at least
7 sources. These sources must represent legitimate and authenticated
sources. If you have questions about this, ask Mrs. Kearney. The
sources should include a mix of books, websites, videos, journals, and
magazines. All sources should be academically credible. Your citations
must be in MLA format.
Your 7 sources should cover historical background of the event,
the need for a memorial or other memorials related to the
event, the social, political, cultural or religious issues associated
with a memorial, the visual elements of the memorial.

World Literature and Composition

Second Nine Weeks/Research Project
Spring 2015
Due Date: April 24 at the beginning of class (Includes Class Time/Research Time on
Wednesday, April 16; Homework on Wednesday, April 16, Class Time with Chrome
Books and Homework on Wednesday, April 22, Class Time with Chrome Books and
Homework on Thursday, April 23)

3. Memorial Design Plan: A written plan that describes the following (visual
sketches are fine to accompany this part):
a. Describe/sketch your memorial
b. What materials do you need? What quantities? Be specific. How
will you obtain these materials?
c. Location: In addition to the website where we will post the blogs,
indicate where you would expect this memorial to be displayed and
why you selected that particular location.
Due Date: Paper copy in MLA manuscript form 1st period Monday, April 27 in
class, 2nd period Tuesday, April 28, 3rd period, Wednesday, April 29 (Includes
class time and homework on Friday, April 24)

4. Curator Statement: This is a 1-2 page statement that will accompany your
memorial. It must be written for the memorial viewer who knows little to
nothing about your genocide case study/theme. You are expected to include:
a. Historical context
b. What can we learn about choices big and small from this memorial?
c. Why did you, as the memorial designers, make the visual choices that
you did? What do the memorials components represent?
Due Date: Paper copy in MLA manuscript form in class on Thursday, April 30
(Creation of Memorial and Curator Statement takes place on 1st period Monday,
April 27 in class, 2nd period Tuesday, April 28, 3rd period, Wednesday, April 29
and is assigned homework between April 27-29.)

5.

Physical Memorial
Due Date: Memorial in class on Monday, May 4 (Creation of Memorial and Curator
Statement takes place on 1st period Monday, April 27 in class, 2nd period Tuesday, April 28, 3rd
period, Wednesday, April 29 and is assigned homework between April 27 and May 4.)

6. Public Presentation and Web Posting: Students will present their

memorials to the class and use the curator statement to explain and present
the various visual choices and significance.
Students must take photographs of the memorial creation process at different
stages and final photographs of the finished memorials with close up focus on
the visual elements. Students must email all photos to
kearney.shery@mail.fcboe.org by deadline.

World Literature and Composition

Second Nine Weeks/Research Project
Spring 2015
Due Date: Web posting must be completed by 8 a.m. Monday, May 4. Presentations will take
place on Monday, May 4 to Friday, May 8. All photos are due to Mrs. Kearney no later than
Friday, May 8 at 4 p.m. (Web posting and photographs may be completed in lab work day,
Friday, May 1)