Unit 3 Project
Places of Historic Significance Assignment
Consider this big idea:
Memorializing a place is an important way people can remember the past— including the contributions and sacrifices those people made, and the injustices they suffered.
For this project you will create a plan for a memorial in a location that was significant to the history of the Chinese Canadians in BC.
Step 1. Brainstorm
Begin by brainstorming the many ways that we can commemorate historic places. Try to recall some famous examples, such as The Berlin Holocaust memorial or the Vietnam War memorial in Washington, DC. In Richmond, BC, we have Steveston Village which was settled by Japanese fishermen in the early 20th century. Think of some local examples.
Step 2. Choosing a site
The Chinese Historic Places Recognition Project is one of several Legacy Initiatives, and grew out of the recommendations in the Chinese Historical Wrongs Consultation Report to "identify historical sites and culturally important locations and artifacts," and to "commemorate the positive contribution of Chinese Canadians to B.C.'s history, culture and prosperity." You don't need to know all of the details presented, but you should have a good idea of what the project is about.
You will now choose a historic site in BC which you will research then for which you will plan a memorial. You will start by looking at the Chinese Historic Places which allows you to explore some historic places in our province that are of special interest to the Chinese community.
You will notice that there are two categories of different types of places - cemeteries and community hubs. Take 20 minutes or more to browse through the list. You might want to look at the places that are near where you live or places that you have visited. Once you have looked at all of the sites, choose one that you will research and present.
Step 3. Outline
Your presentation will contain the following sections. You will need to create an outline including three or four point form notes for the following.
- a description of the place
- why you chose this site to research
- a description of its heritage value
- a statement of the site's significance
- your plan for an appropriate memorial for this site
Go over your outline with your teacher before going on to the next step.
Step 4. Presentation
You can choose to create a slideshow, poster or report. This must contain each of the sections above as well as a map of the location and several photos. Whichever format you use, your presentation should have a title, intro, followed by an exploration of the site and your plan for it then finally, a conclusion. Your project will also include a bibliography of all of the sources that you used for information, quotations, as well as graphics and images.
For the slideshow, you can use software such as Powerpoint, Prezi, or Google Docs.
A report will be created in a word-processor. It will be divided, with headings, according to the sections stated above. Each section should include at least one photo or graphic.
A poster will likely be created as a hard-copy on posterboard. If you would like to create a digital or online poster, talk to your teacher.
This will be marked out of 24 according to the project rubric.