Course Description
Put today’s news in historical perspective! Learn the practical
skills needed to conduct historical research. Each semester the
instructor will choose three or four issues which have made
headline news in the past year and lead students on a quest to
determine the historical roots of each issue.
Athena Title
History Behind the Headlines
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in HIST 3777H
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student Learning Outcomes
- Students will gain an understanding of the discipline of historical research, and engage with the world around them, by investigating the historical roots of issues that have recently received a lot of attention in the news.
- With close faculty mentorship, students will travel to and access the Main Library, the Russell Special Collections Building, and archives and the DigiLab, to become familiar with the many resources available on campus, and to learn the research skills, which they will put into practice in the remainder of the course.
- Students will learn firsthand the fundamental processes and outcomes of historical research. The topics of research will change each year to reflect our changing world. A few recent examples include the popularity of Pope Francis (was the popularity of popes a concern in centuries past), the Syrian refugee crisis (which other refugee crises in the past offer helpful points of comparison), and the controversy surrounding police shootings (what were police-community relations like in the past).
- Students will identify and assess leading scholarly books and articles, primary sources, internet databases, and relevant treatments in popular media (film, television, journalism, podcasts).
- At each stage of research, students will receive feedback from faculty mentors as well as peers.
- Students will work individually and in groups to prepare written summaries and oral presentations–in conference and symposia settings-of the most important and interesting findings they made while doing research.
Topical Outline
- Major Issues in the World Today
- Journalism and History
- Identifying the Historical Parameters of a Contemporary Issue
- Library Research Tutorial
- Visit to the Russell Special Collections Building
- Visit to the DigiLab
- Issue #1: Finding and Evaluating Secondary Sources
- Issue #1: Finding and Evaluating Primary Sources
- Issue #1: Connecting the Historical Record to the World Today
- Issue #1: Symposium
- Issue #1: Oral Presentations (Pitching a Newspaper Article)
- Issue #2: Finding and Evaluating Secondary Sources
- Issue #2: Finding and Evaluating Primary Sources
- Issue #2: Connecting the Historical Record to the World Today
- Issue #2: Symposium
- Issue #2: Oral Presentations (Pitching a Documentary Film)
- Issue #3: Finding and Evaluating Secondary Sources
- Issue #3: Finding and Evaluating Primary Sources
- Issue #3: Connecting the Historical Record to the World Today
- Issue #3: Conference
- Issue #3: Oral Presentations (Pitching a Podcast)
Institutional Competencies
Analytical Thinking
The ability to reason, interpret, analyze, and solve problems from a wide array of authentic contexts.
Communication
The ability to effectively develop, express, and exchange ideas in written, oral, or visual form.
Critical Thinking
The ability to pursue and comprehensively evaluate information before accepting or establishing a conclusion, decision, or action.
Social Awareness & Responsibility
The capacity to understand the interdependence of people, communities, and self in a global society.
