home

//Please bring in your books!//
=Crafting the story in "history": Researching and analyzing different types of historical artifacts to construct an authentic narrative of the past= = =

Extra Credit: Due Wednesday, June 15 by 2:30pm (summer school slots are called in at 3pm)

Jack Finney, the author of Time and Again, has been told by his editor that if the book is going to be advertised as "the "classic illustrated novel" he needs to include more historical artifacts, so he has hired you to help him out.

//*No more than 2 of each type (for example no more than 2 photos of buildings)- see list below//
 * Research 4 artifacts** (see list below of some of the ones we've looked at) that could further bring his story to life.
 * You must have 2 from the 1880's **and 2 from the 1970's**


 * For each artifact (total of 4) you must identify:**
 * **the chapter**
 * **the time period**
 * **context and significance: what's happening in the chapter-- what is your artifact depicting? How does it connect with the events of the chapter?**
 * **a caption (when you upload and insert the link you can re-size it and add a caption)**
 * **one quote that is evidence of the connection**
 * **proper MLA citation of the source***

*No matter how great your stuff is you WILL NOT get credit unless you give proper credit! If it's an image, here's the citation machine link: http://citationmachine.net/index2.php?reqstyleid=1&mode=form&reqsrcid=MLAWebImage&more=yes&nameCnt=1

__Types of sources we studied to tell the story of the past:__ //*No more than 2 of each type!//
 * documentary photographs of people
 * newspaper articles from the period
 * clothing
 * architecture
 * songs
 * games
 * personal interview
 * objects
 * others we haven't explored are fine, too


 * Post this work on your personal page. See below for an example:**

Chapter: Chapter 19 Time Period: 1880's Context and Significance: Julia and Simon see Mrs. Carmody at the Charity Ball, the social event of NYC, who already knows about the fire but cares more about her social status. Artifact: Caption: see below image Quote: "And the //women// in their long but off-shoulder and often surprisingly low-cut gowns — well, if the daytime dress of the eighties tended to be drab, these women made up for it tonight. I don't know the terminology of women's clothes or the materials they're made of; I'll quote again directly from next morning's account of the ball in the //Times:// Mrs. Grace wore cream colored brocaded satin with pearl front. Mrs. R.H.L. Townsend wore blue satin brocaded with leaves and flowers of gold; Mrs. Lloyd S. Bryce wore white brocaded satin flounced with lace; Mrs. Stephen H. Olin wore white watered silk, with pearl and diamond ornaments. Mrs. Woolsey wore black tulle with black satin waist and diamond ornaments. Mrs. C.G. Francklyn wore white silk and diamonds. Mrs. Commodore Vanderbilt wore white silk and diamonds. Mrs. Crawford wore blue silk. Mrs. J.C. Barron wore white satin and lace with diamonds. My reason for quoting this is that these women, a hall filled with them, absolutely //glittered."// pp323

MLA citation: "Image ID: 804542 An evening party. (1888)." //NYPL Digital Gallery//. Web. 27 May 2011. .

Wednesday May 25 (last class)
Wrap-up worksheet (completed on paper because we were on the roof)

Tuesday May 24
Chapter 19 jigsaw (get yourselves into a line) w/3 Q quiz on the passage you were given

Frank's Illustrated Newspaper: Ida Small (her rescue from the fire) http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?VISuperSize&item=140533678926

Clothing similar to what would have been worn to the Charity Ball: MLA citation: "Image ID: 804542 An evening party. (1888)." //NYPL Digital Gallery//. Web. 27 May 2011. .

Wednesday, May 18 (Double Period)
2nd Period: Oral conferencing regarding the readings and Q's below:

Skim through chapter 17, looking at the photos of the sleigh outing all of the Boarders at 19 Gramercy Park go on together. Jake has rented these sleighs for a celebration: he announces at the end that he and Julia are engaged. Read pp254 and 255 carefully.

Skim through the photos in chapter 18. Which ones do you recognize?

Read pages 273-276 carefully-- this is foreshadowing....

Read Chapter 19, paying special attention to the ending of the meeting with Jake and Carmody. This will be key to solving the mystery....

1st Period: Open Note Quiz on 15 and 16 You have until 3:00 to finish quiz then we move into 2nd period.

Chapter 15: The Building where Jake Pickering's Office is located 1. [202-203] Cite one "Show" (Indirect) and one "Tell" (Direct) Description of the building.

2. [203] Cite the example of the literary technique of "foreshadowing" on pg. 203

3. [205] a. What kind of work is happening in the building? b. How is the building currently being heated?

4. [206] a. What floor is Jake's office on?

5. [207] Where does the door inside his office lead?

6. [211-212] Cite evidence from text showing how Jake reacts when he discovers Simon drawing Julia's portrait again.

7. 216] When Jake comes back, what has he done?

Chapter 16 The Board Room Decision 8. [218-219] Describe 2 ways in which Simon thinks the people of the 1880's were different than the people of 1970 NYC.

9. [222-223] What went wrong with the Denver time travel experiment?

10. [four parts] What does Danziger think should happen with the Time Travel project [226-227]? How do Colonel Esterhazy and Rube Prien think they should proceed [226-229]? Who wins? What does Simon decide [233]?

Wednesday, May 11 (Double Period)
Refresh 162-168

Chapter 13



Chapter 14 Review the criteria on the following page: Credibility of Electronic Sources

Partner Research Jigsaw: Choose a partner and decide who will research which topic:
 * Boss Tweed and the Tweed Ring
 * Inspector Thomas Byrnes


 * 1) Locate one non-credible source (aside from wikipedia), list it on your PP, and note which reason(s) from the "Credibility " page make it non-credible.
 * 2) Locate one credible source, cite it correctly according to MLA, and note which reason(s) from the "Credibility " page make itcredible.
 * 3) Write a one paragraph summary of your topic on your PP.
 * 4) Copy and paste your summary and your source onto your partner's PP (so you both will have background info on each topic).

Wednesday, May 4
Bringing chapter 12 to life: the Boarding House at 19 Gramercy Park Tableau Vivant (Charlie's Angels :-) ) Song: http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/songster/09-cradles-empty-babys-gone.htm

Tuesday, May 3
Simon and Kate's trip back in time (Chapters 8, 9, and 10)

What they saw in the snow:

Images of what they would have seen as they were travelling around town:

Page #115, St. Patrick's Cathedral Christina M. Scaglione

Page #116, Fifth Avenue Christina M. Scaglione

Page #127, The post office in City Hall Park Christina M. Scaglione [Nicely done, Christina!]

On page 128 (in chapter 10) Simon and Kate are in the Post Office (above), about to observe the mailing of the infamous letter.
 * Please re-read [//ahem//] pg 128.**

On your personal page please complete the following assignment:

1) Compare and contrast the definitions of "connotation" and "denotation" (look them up if you need to). // Remember to use a different color font for your answers :-) // 2) Pg 128 is our first encounter with the character who mailed the mysterious letter. What can we learn about him through the author's use of vocabulary? Locate 3 vocabulary words which, through their denotations and connotations, give insight into his character: 3) Based on the above connotations and any other text from page 128, what is your initial impression of this character? 4) Summarize what happens on pg 130 5) Cite one quote from pg 130 and analyze what it tells the reader //about the significance that mailing the letter has for the character.// 6) What do Kate and Simon discover on pg 131? 7) Based on where they found it, try to guess what this might be. (If you can't, at least write down where it was.)
 * word || denotation || connotation ||

Back in the Board Room...Chapter 11

8) Please read the following description of what is commonly known as "The Butterfly Effect": In [|chaos theory], the **butterfly effect** is the //sensitive dependence on initial conditions//; where a small change at one place in a [|nonlinear system] can result in large differences to a later state. For example, the presence or absence of a butterfly flapping its wings could lead to creation or absence of a hurricane. Although the butterfly effect may appear to be an esoteric and unusual behavior, it is exhibited by very simple systems: for example, a [|ball] placed at the crest of a hill might roll into any of several valleys depending on slight differences in initial position.

The term "butterfly effect" itself is related to the meteorological work of [|Edward Lorenz], who popularized the term. The butterfly effect is a common [|trope] in fiction when presenting scenarios involving [|time travel] and with "what if" cases where one storyline diverges at the moment of a seemingly minor event resulting in two significantly different outcomes.

The phrase refers to the idea that a butterfly's wings might create tiny changes in the [|atmosphere] that may ultimately alter the path of a [|tornado] or delay, accelerate or even prevent the occurrence of a tornado in another location. The flapping wing represents a small change in the initial condition of the system, which causes a chain of events leading to large-scale alterations of events. Had the butterfly not flapped its wings, the trajectory of the system might have been vastly different. While the butterfly does not "cause" the tornado in the sense of providing the energy for the tornado, it does "cause" it in the sense that the flap of its wings is an essential part of the initial conditions resulting in a tornado, and without that flap that particular tornado would not have existed. ("The Butterfly Effect", wikipedia)

9) In Chapter 11, please summarize what Colonel Esterhazy calls the "twig-in-the-river" theory: 10) How does this compare to the "Butterfly Effect"?

Wednesday April 27th (double period)
Oral group "quiz" in which groups were assigned a particular chapter and had to present: -the main characters in the chapter -a brief summary of the chapter -each person had to read a quote and explain its significance to the story

Certain chapters were targeted with certain questions-- for example, Why was the Dakota chosen? Why does Dr. Danziger want to pursue the project of time travel? What is the central mystery of the book?

Wednesday April 13th
Today was focused on understanding the premise of how time travel might occur according to Einstein, which was illustrated by showing a 2D yellow square, a 3D cube, and then tossing the cube across the room to illustrate the 4th Dimension, time.

The rest of the period was silent reading, with the assignment to read up through pg 101 by the time we meet after break.

Historical Research on "the Dakota"


1) Find a good image of The Dakota building (but you can't use the ones I have; there's one below, too! :-) ). Upload it onto your personal page, adjust it to a reasonable size, and in the "caption" box paste the url of the site where you found the image. [NOTE: this is not the same thing as "citing" the source according to MLA standards, but at least it acknowledges where you got it].

2) Find a good image of a detail (a part of the building, not the whole thing) you described in your walking trip chart. Same as above, upload to your page, adjust size, and paste the url into the caption box.

3) Post your Observations and Inferences Chart on your personal page, beneath the images.

4) Based on listening to the podcast below about the Dakota, use what you hear to write the "story" of the Dakota. (Ignore the information about Rosemary's baby-- it's only relevant in that the building was an important part of that movie, just like it's an important part of our book __Time and Again__). []

5) Go to Citation Machine http://citationmachine.net/, go to the MLA link, from there go to the "podcast" link, and follow the directions for formally citing the Bowery Boys podcast if this were a college research paper. Post the final product on your Personal Page, beneath your summary.

Young, Gregory, and. "#8 Dakoda Apartments and 'Rosemary's Baby"." //NYC History: Bowery Boys Archive// . linsyn, 05 10 2008. Web. 12 Apr 2011. . **Architecture as Artifact: What can we infer from a building?**

Wednesday, April 7th
Walking trip to 72nd and Central Park West



Sketch and Describe factual observations, then make inferences from those observations.

**Creating the Main Character in __Time and Again__ by Jack Finney**
Coursework for Tuesday, April 5th

In a previous class we were discussing the role of the observer-- how challenging it is to discover an "objective" truth about the past, given that not only are sources biased but the observer is, too! And that the only way to deal with that is to make the "subjectivity" part of the story, asking questions about the creator of the artifact, and looking at our own biases when interpreting these artifacts.

I asked you to identify the characteristics of person who would make a good observer if they could travel back in time, and explain your choices.

We are going to start our historical fiction novel today. It's called __Time and Again__, by Jack Finney. In it a character from 1970 New York City is able to go back in time to observe the past. We are going to explore the author's choices in creating his main character.

As you read Chapter 1 (pp 7-17), please fill in* the following chart describing the main character Jack Finney has created, then upload your completed chart onto your personal page:


 * When I say fill in I mean do it electronically; do NOT print it out (Christina! :-) )
 * You must complete a minimum of **3 characteristics, ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE ENTIRE ROW**.



To upload your finished work,
 * 1) Title your file on the desktop (as other upload their docs, you won't know whose is whose)
 * 2) Go to your personal page
 * 3) Copy and Paste these words: Characterization Chart
 * 4) Click on "File" on the toolbar above
 * 5) +Upload let's you browse and select your chart
 * 6) Once it is uploaded, double click it to insert it on your page

Exhibition Week Assignments (for Tuesday, March 29 and Wednesday, March 30)

 * Don't forget the 2nd part of Assignment 2** (highlighted in yellow below)!

What was life like in New York City in 1970?
Next week we will begin reading our historical fiction novel as we further explore the “story” in “history”.

In the book a person living in New York City in 1970 is chosen by a secret government agency to travel back in time.

In order to establish some context for 1970 New York City we need to do a little background research. As a source we will use a personal interview.

According to the guidelines described in Assignment 1 and Assignment 2 below, you will be recording and summarizing an interview with a person who:
 * was at least 10 years old in 1970
 * either was living in NYC in 1970 or visited on a trip at that time

The Personal Interview as a Source for Historical Research: Assignment 1
1) On your Personal Page, write out a list of **10** questions you could ask someone to find out what life was like in New York City in 1970 (although you can always add additional ones on the spot—just make sure to add it to your list). Try to think of questions that will get specific details and colorful descriptions that help you feel as if you were there.
 * What was Life like in New York City in 1970?**

2) Use the voice recorder on your phone or on a computer to record the person’s answers.
 * Record each question separately (to reduce the size of the audio files).
 * Just record the person as they answer, not you asking the question (again, to reduce the size and shorten the length of time).
 * If you record on your phone, you will need to email the files to yourself so you can download them onto a computer.

3) Record the...
 * Date of the Interview:
 * Name of the person interviewed:
 * Age of the person in 1970:
 * Where in NYC they lived (or where in NYC they went while on vacation):

The Personal Interview as a Source for Historical Research: Assignment 2
1) On your Personal Page, upload the voice recordings (audio files) for **at least 5** of the most descriptive answers.
 * In EDIT mode, put the cursor in the place where the answer should go.
 * Click on “File” in the toolbar, then “Upload” and browse your computer to find your audio files.
 * Select the audio file that is the answer to that question.
 * Once it uploads, click on that file, and it will be inserted into your wikipage.

2) Summary: What was life like in New York City in 1970? Write a descriptive summary of what you learned from your interview.
 * Transcribe (which means write the exact words out) at least **1** quote from your interviewee as evidence within your text.
 * Cite your source according to MLA requirements: http://homeworktips.about.com/od/mlastyle/ss/MLAbib_6.htm

Note: You will have 2 assignments next week to complete on your own (that way you don't have to come to school except for Exhibition-related responsibilities :-) )
Wednesday, March 23

First 10 minutes: Finish yesterday's assignment (if applicable) Clean up your personal pages (we're almost at progress reports):
 * 1) Put your name at the top of your page
 * 2) Move 3/22 assignment to top of page, above 3/16 assign. (if not there already)
 * 3) Title and date each assignment (scroll down this Home page to copy and paste)
 * 4) Highlight all of your written answers and change the color of the font (so I can see the difference between the question and the answer-- I don't want to accidentally miss something you actually answered)
 * 5) Check your work, revise* (or complete) if necessary. *Note: please check your definition for "objective" and its comparison with "subjective"-- as I told you verbally, we are looking for the adjective that has to do with describing an artifact (for example, "write an objective description of this photograph".)

Class content: Copy, Paste, and Answer AT TOP of your personal page

The Role of the Observer
Part 1: Wait for verbal instructions for your pink slip Part 2: Write a 4 sentence reflection based on the pink slip activity, addressing **"Who Else is Hidden in the Picture? The role of the observer when trying to determine historical truth by analyzing primary source documents".** // **Take this activity to the next level-- think about the role of the observer (viewer or reader) when trying to determine historical truth by analyzing primary source documents** //

Part 3: An Observer in Time The government has discovered a possible way for a person to actually go back in time to see for him/herself what actually occurred in history. They have to select the perfect candidate for this role. What would those qualifications be?
 * Consider... || Describe ideal || Explain Why ||
 * Gender ||  ||   ||
 * Background ||  ||   ||
 * Skills ||  ||   ||
 * Interests ||  ||   ||
 * Personal qualities/character ||  ||   ||
 * Other considerations: ||  ||   ||

Tuesday, March 22nd:

Photographs as evidence from the past: Do documentary photographs depict the truth?
1.a. Look up the definition of “objective”: Revise to get at the adjective which describes a way of looking at something b. Look up the definition of “subjective": c. In your own words, compare these two terms: d. If you read an autobiography to learn about the past, is this an objective or subjective source? Explain:

2. Analyze the following quote by answering a and b below: “Photographed images do not seem to be statements about the world so much as pieces of it.” a) Translate this sentence into other words b) Interpret what this sentence means (hint: “…//do not seem to be//…” is key!)

3. Read the following text: “Historians often regard photographs as a critical form of documentary evidence that hold up a mirror to past events. Public and scholarly faith in the realism of the photographic image is grounded in a belief that a photograph is a mechanical reproduction of reality. Susan Sontag captured the essence of that faith in her monumental reverie //On Photography// when she wrote “Photographed images do not seem to be statements about the world so much as pieces of it.” And in arranging these pieces to form historical mosaics, teachers and scholars have rarely paused to submit photographs to the usual tests applied to other forms of documentary evidence. For example, we have been trained to factor in the subjectivity of the author when we read autobiographical writing. But when we encounter an historical photograph, “shot for the record,” we often treat the image as the product of a machine and therefore an objective artifact.” a. Summarize the main point(s) of that passage:

Text continued: “Since they are regarded as inherently truthful, photographs are frequently used to illustrate history textbooks. Publishers, not authors, usually select images to accompany history texts, and the images are used merely as illustrations and not as historical documents in their own right. As a consequence, today’s history students miss out on the opportunity to explore the fascinating visual dimensions of the past, to play detective with a mountain of photographic images that far outnumber traditional written documents. This essay seeks to lay out strategies for subjecting photographs to the same tests we apply to written documents when we use them as historical evidence. Exercising such scrutiny, students can bring to light the narratives hidden within images that are not always examined, despite our traditional belief that “a picture is worth a thousand words.” (from History Matters http://historymatters.gmu.edu/mse/photos/intro.html ) b. Summarize the main point(s) of that passage:

4. The above text states “…students can bring to light the narratives hidden within images that are not always examined…”. Brainstorm 4 or more questions a historian should ask (then research) in order to get at the “hidden narrative” within **//any//** photograph:



5. What is the “hidden narrative” within Jacob Riis’s photograph Bandit’s Roost? For help you can refer back to the website we used last time: http://historymatters.gmu.edu/mse/photos/question1.html

6. So, describe the “truth” that documentary photographs depict (//in general-- not just that one photograph!//):

DO NOT LEAVE; move your chair into semi-circle at the front of the room.

Wednesday, March 16

The Stories that Photographs Tell
Study this photograph closely:

1) a. On your personal page, describe the photograph above with as much factual, specific detail as possible- this would be a description that would allow another person to accurately sketch the scene without seeing the image. You may write in sentences or bullet, but you must include at least 10 pieces of information.

b. Write a possible caption for the photograph based exclusively on the observable facts.

2) a. On your pp, now write a 4-5 sentence paragraph in which you make inferences based on the objective facts you described above.

b. Write a new caption for the photograph based on your inferences.

3) The person who took this photograph gave it the caption "Bandit's Roost". On your pp, explain how the photographer interpreted the scene and what you think s/he wanted us to "see".

4) Go online and do some historical research on Jacob Riis. Please write a paragraph (min 4-5 sentences) summarizing his biography. You may not quote or copy and paste text-- this is your own summary. You must copy and paste the url sources (a minimum of 2) you used.

5) Go to the following link and **read the 1st paragraph** about documentary photographers. a. Choose one sentence (or piece of a sentence) that you copy, paste, and put into quotation marks. b. Write 1-2 full sentences that summarizes the gist of the paragraph.

http://historymatters.gmu.edu/mse/photos/question1.html

6) Read the rest of the text from that website that relates to Jacob Riis (stop when you get to Gordon Parks). On your pp, please write a "take-away" reflection regarding photographs and the importance of asking the question, "Who Took the Photograph?" please write a "take-away" reflection regarding photographs and the importance of asking the question, "Who Took the Photograph?" Why is this important if we are historians trying to uncover the true story of the past?

7) Save your work-- unless you want to do it again!

Getting Started
Create a "New Page" for yourself by clicking on the button to the left.
 * For the Name put your first name.
 * Don't worry about tags.
 * Leave the link as it appears
 * Click Create

Artifacts
Mystery Object