OVERVIEW

Write a letter from the perspective of a person who lived through an important historical event, innovation, or movement during the 19th or 20th century. Describe that event, innovation, or movement as if you were someone who actually experienced it, and discuss the potential impact of historical events on the future.

RESOURCES

ESSENTIAL SKILLS

Using your agility skill requires examining the world through the lens of multiple personal perspectives while also placing those individual viewpoints in their larger social and historical contexts. Like the women who succeeded in their quest to secure voting rights, access to birth control, and workplace rights, when you are agile you are better able to understand multiple sides of an issue and thus develop a uniquely tailored solution.In your professional life, you will encounter many situations where you’ll need to evaluate historical context and cause and impact before you make a decision. That might mean trying to decipher why a past business decision was ineffective, considering a patient’s medical history, or looking at the professional successes in your own life so you can replicate your accomplishments in the future. Whatever the situation, your ability to step outside yourself and consider other perspectives is critical to staying agile every day and solving problems personally and professionally.

Skill Application

How does practicing your agility skill set you up for success? In this document, you’ll travel through time to discover why agility is an essential skill for leaders. And, you’ll evaluate situations where a lack of agility has contributed to failure.

• History’s Agile All-Stars! [PDF].

HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES

For this assessment you will explore an historical event, innovation, or movement from the 19th or 20th century from the perspective of someone who lived through it. The following chapters provide many options from which to choose. Read more about the event you chose as your topic.

• Montoya, M., Belmonte, L. A., Guarneri, C. J., Hackel, S., Hartigan-O’Connor, E., & Kurashige, L. (2018). Global Americans: A history of the United States. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. Available in the courseroom via the VitalSource Bookshelf link.
  • Chapter 9, “Markets and Democracy, 1790–1840,” pages 248–277.
  • Chapter 12, “Expansion, Slavery, and the Coming of the Civil War, 1848–1861,” pages 340–369.
  • Chapter 13, “The American Civil War, 1861–1865,” pages 370–401.
  • Chapter 14, “Reunion and Retreat: Reconstruction, 1865–1877,” pages 402–431.
  • Chapter 15, “Incorporation of the U.S. West, 1862–1917,” pages 432–461.
  • Chapter 16, “The Making of Industrial America, 1877–1917,” pages 462–491.
  • Chapter 17, “Politics of Reforms, 1877–1917,” pages 502–519.
  • Chapter 19, “Managing Modernity, 1919–1929,” pages 554–585.
  • Chapter 20, “Great Depression, New Deal, and Impending War, 1929–1939,” pages 586–617.
  • Chapter 21, “The World at War, 1939–1945,” pages 618–649.
  • Chapter 22, “The Cold War, 1945–1965,” pages 650–679.
  • Chapter 23, “Prosperity and the Cold War Economy, 1945–1965,” pages 680–709.
  • Chapter 24, “Civil Rights and Human Rights, 1945–1965,” pages 710–739.
  • Chapter 25, “The Vietnam War Era, 1965–1975,” pages 740–771.
  • Chapter 26, “The Global Conservative Shift, 1975–1988,” pages 772–803.
  • Chapter 27, “Closer Together, Further Apart, 1988–2000,” pages 803–837.

LIBRARY RESEARCH GUIDE

You may to find other resources to prepare for this assessment, and you will need to ensure that they are appropriate, credible, and valid. The Finding Primary and Secondary Sources page on the General Education Information Research Skills Library Guide can help direct your research.

ASSESSMENT INSTRUCTIONS

OVERVIEW

For this assessment, imagine you are a person living through an important historical event, innovation, or movement during the 19th or 20th century—one that emerged to solve a problem or that created problems of its own. Write a letter describing that event, innovation, or movement as if you were someone who actually experienced it. For example, you could write from the perspective of someone who was part of the women’s suffrage movement in the 1910s, a member of the Underground Railroad in the 1850s, or a soldier in the Vietnam War during the Tet Offensive in 1968.

PREPARATION

Explore a particular historical event, innovation, or movement from the 19th or 20th century that interests you. Refer to the chapter readings in the Resources for options from which you may wish to choose.

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1: Describe an historical event, innovation, or movement from the perspective of someone who lived in that time.

• Describe an historical event, innovation, or movement that happened during the 19th or 20th century from the perspective of someone who lived in that time (either a real person or fictionalized).

Step 2: Explain the personal impact of an historical event, innovation, or movement on that person.

• You can also discuss the impact of the historical event, innovation, or movement on the family and/or community of the person.

Step 3: Explain the problem associated with an historical event, innovation, or movement and potential solutions to that problem.

• For example, if you are writing as a member of the Underground Railroad in the mid-19th century, you might discuss your thoughts on addressing the problem of slavery. Similarly, if you are writing as someone who experienced the Great Depression, you might examine the factors that caused this crisis and ways to address such economic problems.

Step 4: Describe the potential impact of an historical event on the future, based on the perspective of someone who lived through that event.

• Reflect on how the event might impact the future. For example, if you are writing as someone experiencing the Cold War, consider how those living at the height of Cold War tensions might have viewed the future.

Step 5: Write coherently with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Your submission should meet the following requirements:

• Written communication: Written communication should be free of errors that detract from the overall message.
• Citations and formatting: Citing sources is not required for this assessment, but be sure to write in your own words based on your knowledge of the time period.
• Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.
• Length: 3–5 pages of text (in addition to the title page).
  

  Living History Scoring Guide

  CRITERIA				DISTINGUISHED
  Describe an historical event, innovation, or movement from the perspective of someone who lived in that time.				Describes an historical event, innovation, or movement from the perspective of someone who lived in that time, giving specific examples.
  Explain the impact of an historical event, innovation, or movement on a person who lived in that time.				Explains the impact of an historical event, innovation, or movement on a person who lived in that time, using specific examples.
  Describe the potential impact of an historical event on the future, based on the perspective of someone who lived through that event.				Describes the potential impact of an historical event on the future, based on the perspective of someone who lived through that event, using specific examples.
  Explain the problem associated with an historical event, innovation, or movement, including potential solutions to that problem.				Explains the problem associated with an historical event, innovation, or movement, including potential solutions to that problem and specific evidence.
  Write in a well-organized and concise manner that adheres to the rules of grammar, usage, and mechanics.				Organizes content so clarity is enhanced and all ideas flow logically and smoothly. Writes concisely, precisely, and directly, with nearly flawless adherence to the rules of grammar, usage, and mechanics.