South Florida Digital Collection Project

2-3 pages, double spaced

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For this project, students will access FIU's dPanther Repository ( http://dpanther.fiu.edu/dPanther/home )to conduct a primary source examination and explain how these sources on South Florida's past relate to the general themes and topics discussed in this Modern American Civilization course.

The format for this project differs from a typical paper; the project focuses more on an in-depth analysis of sources rather than answering a question-based prompt. Students are expected to understand the purpose, the relevance, and the importance of the sources based on both a local and national level. 

For this project, students are encouraged to explore the digital archives to find a topic that they find interesting. The years of investigation for these sources should range from 1877 to 2000. Try to use between 1 to 5 sources for the project. Students should look for sources that push them to re-evaluate the themes explored throughout the course and provides fascinating historical discussions for the writing portion of the project.

These are the digital collections that are acceptable for this project. These collections include documents, photographs, and videos:

City of Miami Beach ( http://dpanther.fiu.edu/dPanther/collections/imbda)

Virginia Key Beach Park Trust ( http://dpanther.fiu.edu/dPanther/collections/vkt )

Coral Gables Memory ( http://dpanther.fiu.edu/dPanther/collections/cgm )

Everglades Digital Library: Reclaiming the Everglades (http://dpanther.fiu.edu/dPanther/collections/rte )

Miami Metropolitan Archive  ( http://dpanther.fiu.edu/dPanther/collections/mca )

Mile Markers: Linking Keys History ( http://dpanther.fiu.edu/dPanther/collections/mile )

Greater North Miami Historical Society  ( http://dpanther.fiu.edu/dPanther/collections/ignmhs 

HistoryMiami Museum  ( http://dpanther.fiu.edu/dPanther/collections/ihm 

Miami Shores Village Archives at Brockway Memorial Library ( http://dpanther.fiu.edu/dPanther/collections/bml 

Tequesta: the Journal of the Historical Association of Southern Florida ( http://dpanther.fiu.edu/dPanther/collections/teq 

I want to see creativity about combining the sources and coursework for these reports. For example, there are several photos and videos about the history of African Americans of Miami in these collections. An idea for a project is to look at the Civil Rights movement in the United States and compare it to efforts in South Florida. Other ideas include looks into how the events like the Great Depression, early 20th-century immigration, Post WWII development of the Sun Belt, and Conservationism affected the development of the South Florida area. Please only focus on a single topic. Conciseness is key.

THINK ABOUT KEYWORDS FROM THE CLASS TO USE AS SEARCH TOOLS!

As for citations, the textbook should serve as the primary reference. Additionally, use the discussion boards and essays to explain the themes and topics of the project. To cite course, just use the name of the assignment like (Week 2) or (Essay 1).

If you contact me before April 21th, I will CONSIDER outside secondary sources depending on your topic. These sources must meet my approval.  Nevertheless, the focus of this report should be the sources from dPanther (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. I expect a bibliography with links to the sources used on dPanther (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. at the end of the project. 

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The project format is as follows:

• The introduction should introduce the sources analyzed for the project. The student must develop a thesis that clearly states why they believe the sources that will plan to use are historically relevant to both South Florida and the United States. The argument should aim to integrate chosen sources into previously discussed themes and topics from the course.
  • State the era of the source came
  • Identify the topic and themes of the era
• For the first body paragraph, students must describe their set of sources in their own words
  • Students need to state the type of sources they are using (Photos, Documents, Videos)
  • Think about:
    • Who was the focal point of the source?
    • What was the primary idea/goal behind the source?
    • Where was the source created/located?
    • When was the source created?; Published?
    • Why was this source important?
    • How useful is this source?
  • It is not necessary to write a paragraph on each source. Instead, combine the main points from each source to provide a comprehensive look at the set of sources.
• For the second paragraph, explain what this source says about South Florida during the era of the source
  • Does the source reflect changes to the region? Or does it show the region's consistency?
  • Do the viewpoints of the author reflect current viewpoints in the region?
• For the third paragraph, relate the document to broader themes and topics in the United States
  • Place the sources in-context with the Great United States at the time
    • Based on the course, describe the United States at the time the sources used for the project are published? 
    • Based on the source, is South Florida experiencing the same experiences as other regions in America? Could this source relate to situations in Atlanta, Seattle, or Boston? Or is it only unique to Miami, the Keys, and Fort Lauderdale?
• The conclusion should summarize the ideas brought up and suggest connections to the modern relationship of South Florida to the themes and topics discussed.

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Grading for this project focuses on a few things:

• How well did the student analyze the digital sources?
• How much information did the student apply from the coursework?
• How well did the student integrate the digital sources into a broader conversation about South Florida/the United States?
• Organization, Formatting, Spelling, Grammar, Citations