History 397VW - ST-Public History Workshop

This workshop provides students with a foundation on emerging methods in digital and public history -- such as geo-mapping and the online exhibition of historical source materials. Class activities and assignments will include both digital components and field experiences around Amherst and the surrounding area.

Open to Seniors, Juniors & Sophomores only. "Public History Workshop" is the name/number the History Department uses for a course in which the students work together on a semester-long public history project with a community partner. In spring semester 2015, we are partnering with the Mill River Greenway Initiative to develop interpretive tours and trailside materials along the Mill River, which runs through Northampton, Florence, Leeds, and Williamsburg, MA (http://millrivergreenway.org). The first half of the course will involve skill-building: students will practice using historical maps and photographs, learn about GIS (geographic information systems), oral history interviewing, and website and exhibit design. At the same time, students will be gaining background knowledge about the environmental history of the region, from early European settlement in the 18C through industrialization in the 19C through de-industrialization and environmental clean-up in the 20C. The second half of the course will be primarily project based. John Sinton from the Mill River Greenway group and I have discussed several project possibilities; the final decision about which one(s) to do will depend to some extent on who is enrolled in the course and the skills that they bring. I am recommending that students registering for 397VW should also register for Professor Elena Carbone's 1-credit Honors 391A Seminar, section 47 or 48, titled "Research Gets Real" since they will be doing community-based research for my class.