Introduction

**__ ANCIENT HISTORY PROJECT __** **__Final Exam Project - Step One__** For your final exam project, you will be creating a digital graphic story based on an event from an era of study for 7th grade Social Studies. It will be an historical account from the perspective of someone involved in the event. You will need to choose a topic or event and the perspective you will assume to tell the story. A specific topic can only be covered by one person in each class period.


 * __Step One__**


 * __Topic, perspective:__** Choose an event and perspective. You can choose the event from the list provided or choose any topic we studied that grabbed your interest...even if it is not on the list. You should be prepared with a second and third choice JUST IN CASE. One of our first class discussions will be dedicated to selecting unduplicated topics. Once your choice of event is confirmed, you need to decide on your perspective. Who is the character in history who is telling your story? To illustrate these instructions, I will use __Euclid’s contributions to modern geometry__ as an example. I will present the event from the perspective of a __scribe__ working for Euclid at the Library in Alexandria.


 * __Thesis statement, research questions:__** Once you have your topic, write a thesis statement. In the example a thesis statement might be, __“Scribes were very important in recording the works of mathematicians, scientists, and philosophers at the Library in Alexandria, Egypt, such as Euclid, the Father of Modern Geometry.”__

Next, list in detail the questions you need to answer in order to tell your story. Your list should have at least ten questions. Remember, you will need to know the place and time in which the event occurred and what life was like for your “character” in that time period. Here are the questions I chose as a starting point for my research:

When did the event take place; when did Euclid live? What era was this? Where did the event happen? Where was Euclid born? Where did he do his research and develop his theories? What was a typical scribe’s life like in Ancient Egypt/Greece? What kind of education did a person need to become a scribe? What tools did they use? Where did scribes fit in the social hierarchy? Did Euclid author a book or did someone else preserve his ideas for him? Who were some of his contemporaries? Was he considered successful in his own lifetime? What are some of his theories and mathematical observations that we still use today?

This may not be a complete list OR it may need to be weeded out to keep your project at a manageable size. Type your questions on the document titled “Research Notes” and submit it for approval. Approval at this point is crucial to your success. It provides a chance for us to share ideas that may help target your research and help you refine your story ideas.

**//__ Your thesis statement and research questions are due by Monday, March 28th. __//**

Brainstorm topics and perspectives here.

Make a list of topics you think would be interesting and then start narrowing it down.

Who would be telling your story? Be specific.