Digital History Project

“History, as nearly no one seems to know, is not merely something to be read. And it does not refer merely, or even principally, to the past. On the contrary, the great force of history comes from the fact that we carry it within us, are unconsciously controlled by it in many ways, and history is literally present in all that we do.”

—American author and civil rights activist James Baldwin

This course was intended to encourage you to do more than simply know American history. Our goal all along has been to remind you how important it is to know your history. As Baldwin reminds us, we all carry history within us. We need to face that history honestly and make courageous choices.

1. Your Story Topic. You have chosen an aspect of history that matters to you and took place during the period we have studied this semester. Why does this topic in history resonate with you? How do you carry this history within you? How does this history affect the choices you make in your own life? This is going to be Your Story, so highlight your topic in a way that genuinely matters to who you are.

2. Outline Your Story. Relying on your knowledge of U.S. History, think about how your chosen topic has evolved throughout American history—even to the present day. You have already created a draft that provides you with the framework (Essays one and two) to plan the final project.

3. Storymap it. You will be using StorymapJS to tell your story about American history. Go to https://storymap.knightlab.com and, using your school email, register. It is free. Watch this introductory video, then log in and test it out. You do NOT have to be a tech whiz to use this platform.

4. Tell Your Story. Use StorymapJS to highlight the evidence you have found. In addition to the primary sources, you will need to incorporate visual aids found on the internet to support your topic. For this, you can use social media or scholarly content such as the Library of Congress. As you bring the various social media and links into your story, you are required to add your own voice and historical examples and evidence to the mix. (much of this should already have been completed in the essays) You must insert your own comments about the sources and why they matter. At a minimum, you are required to include fifteen (15) different annotated links or “sections.” (you already have ten sources, so find a visual representation for each of these sources. Then, you have five more sections that you need to complete, these DO NOT have to be primary sources, but they must support your argument.

5. Share Your Story. When you are satisfied with the final product (and even then, you are always able to continue to edit), you will “publish” your StorymapJS story. You will then post a link to your story to our shared Cougar Courses site.

.doc file

*** You don’t need to sign in StorymapJS, I will take picture of that