This semester I did the same project I’ve done for several semesters prior. And I wanted to make sure to highlight some of my favorite projects. This semester, I seemed to have a bit less engagement and creativity with the visual portion of the assignment. But I think there were some real standouts. This semester did illustrate that there might need to be some changes to the overall guidelines/structure of the assignment! You can find the assignment described here and a wider array of sample projects here. But for now, enjoy the Fall 2018 superstars!
Pirates of the Atlantic
First up, my favorite class: Pirates of The Atlantic! For some of these, like the love letters of queer pirates by Anthony (one our junior Public History majors), I don’t have images at the moment. But just note: they’re awesome!
One of my students, Tom (a senior Digital Marketing major), created a really wonderful podcast episode. You can listen to it here!
One of our senior Public History majors, Alexandra, created a blog dedicated to the history of Jean Lafitte and his connection to various Disney attractions. You can find her blog here! Alexandra just graduated this December, so if you’re looking for an awesome public historian for an entry-level gig, SHE’S YOUR LADY!
Two junior Legal Studies majors, Matt & Brittney, decided to create a timeline dedicated to a brief history laws regarding piracy in The Atlantic. You can find that timeline here!
I’ve worked with McKenna before and her work is always unique! She’s also a senior Digital Marketing major who took my Early American History class. You can find her Pro- and Anti-Slavery Protest Materials under the Sample Projects page! Below are the 10 (yes 10!) tavern posters she created:
Pirates, Rum, & Storytelling 
Taverns as Sites of Exchange 
Taverns as Public Trial Sites 
Gambling & Taverns 
Taverns as Sites of Community Activism 
Tales from the Sea 
Taverns as Inns 
Business & Booze 
Taverns as Drinking Establishments 
Billiards Tournament
A couple of TripLines!
Caroline, one of our junior Public History majors, was interested in the concept of Dark Tourism after watching Netflix’s new show Dark Tourist. So she decided to create her own version of a dark tourism adventure with pirates! While she made her version private, if you’er interested in seeing the full map, I’ll ask her if she’s willing to share!
An Outline of the Tour 
Promotional Fliers for the Tour 
The Packing List 
Everyone must adhere to the code!
Another of our majors, Jessica (a senior) also wanted to create a TripLine map. You can find the full route here!
Nicole (aka Sharkbait) is a junior biochemistry major. She researched the myths and realities of pirate flags in history. So for her project, she decided to create her own version of a pirate flag! Feast your eyes on the Fearless Sharkbait’s flag:
And last, but certainly not least, for our pirate projects is Stephanie (a junior Public History major), who created a wonderful ABC Book of Pirates! Here are a few examples from the book:
B is for Blackbeard 
G is for Galleon 
O is for Outcasts
The U.S.: Colonial America to 1877
And here are just a few samples of some projects from my Early American history survey. I also had a few students do “drunk history” style videos, but I don’t like sharing without permission!
One of my students, Heather (a senior Visual Communication Design major), created a series of graphics/posters. These were her expression of some of the research she undertook. Her project was on women’s rights in Early America–demonstrating what has long been an emphasis in the historical record of white women.
Abigail Adams 
Harriet H. Robinson 
Women’s Rights Challenges
Nick, a freshman Criminal Justice major, created a timeline as part of his comparison/contrast of two major rebellions in Early America: Bacon’s Rebellion and Nat Turner’s Rebellion. You can find his timeline here!
Sam R. (a junior Chemistry major with a Theatre & Media Performance minor) worked with a partner ,Lizzy (a sophomore Business Administration major). The pair decided to research the various roles of women in Early American history. They created a series of fake tweets & DMs using an application online. Below are some screenshots of just a few of their MANY tweets/DMs! They took on the personas of no fewer than 7 important women in Early American history.
Clara Barton 
Lucretia Mott
Sam B. is a senior Business Administration major and professional lacrosse photographer. He decided to research the origins of lacrosse in American history. His visual was an Adobe Spark providing an overview of his research. You can find it here!
Conclusions:
As always, I really enjoyed seeing the students flex their creative muscles. It was also really wonderful to see them engage in research they enjoyed! But as with anything, sometimes tweaks need to be made. I had far too many students choose the “transform PowerPoint into a Museum Exhibit” option. And too few of those students actually transformed the PowerPoint. So I think I’m going to eliminate that option (except in special cases). I think I’m also going to remove the Prezi option. Because the students who have opted for that have done little more than treat it like a PowerPoint. Some additional changes: I’m going to create a list of project visual and project topic ideas. And I’m going to revise the rubric I use to assess the projects. The hope is that it will encourage them to continue to think critically and creatively about history.
So, do you have any suggestions? Any favorite projects from this post? Let me know!