Assignment #2

During the weeks devoted to both Unit 2 and 3, we will continue reading histories of Tucson (and the surrounding areas) and talking about problems with reading and writing histories and representing people/places. We will see that there are lots of little histories that make up a place, and we will see different angles on Tucson.

Your assignment will be to write a history of Tucson. Of course, you can't write the whole history-no one ever can or could. But you can research a specific history, compile information and perspectives, and present that history. To do this history, you will have to think through a topic, research it, choose a form of technology to represent that history, and do the work to represent it. Phew. Here are some guidelines:

Groups: You have been assigned groups for the rest of the semester. You will be working with this group to complete this project. You will need to organize work, get together to discuss perspectives (since multiple perspectives enrich our understanding of the world), and coordinate efforts. I recommend you begin this process as soon as possible.

The Project: Your group will choose a broad topic (see below) to work from. You will talk about your individual interests and knowledge bases and determine a narrower topic to research for the project. Then you will:

• research the topic from resources in the library
• get hooked up with community organizations and members to do further research, including interviews, and determine what kind of history *needs* to be done for this topic
• choose a technology project to represent the history (see below)
• create the project and present it.

Technology options: Your group may choose one of these options, or you may define your own use of technology for the presentation. The technology you choose should be chosen, not for simplicity or time constraints, but in order to present your history in the most effective fashion. Whatever option you choose has ramifications for the perspective, audience, and actual content being presented. You will need to thoroughly think this through as a group. Since this is the aspect of the project which will allow you the most creativity, I highly recommend you get excited about it and give it a lot of attention. Whatever technology project you choose, it must be fully developed and represent your in depth research and knowledge of the history of your topic.

• Web Site-your group may choose to create a web site, or an electronic magazine to present your history. There are many web editors and tons of resources on campus to learn to use web tools. You may want to look at some web sites for ideas.
• MOO Photo Journal-your group may want to create a photo journal for the MOO. You would be creating notes with descriptive/analytical text of pictures and attaching digital images to the notes. You might take the photos yourselves and/or use archived historical photos (this would be a nice comparison/contrast for historical materials).
• Audio Journal-your group may want to create an oral, audio journal of the topic you select. This would require you to record interviews and edit in commentary. It would not be sufficient for you to just present the complete recordings of interviews. You would need to carefully select and record interviews, your groups' editorial analyses, and complementary sounds from the area.
• MOO Environment-your group may choose to build an environment on the MOO to represent the history. You could represent a neighborhood, a historic building, or location. You will need to include texts, images, and/or links to resources on the web. This would be a mini-version of OldPuebloMOO itself, so you might want to explore OldPueblo for ideas. (I would encourage you to be critical of the MOO and decide how your group could address the issues raised in your critique.)
• Printed Publication-your group may choose to create a printed publication representing your history. You might focus on a full length history and include sidebars and images. Or you might create "features" and make the publication more like a magazine.

Since your final unit will be your rhetorical analysis of your project, you will find yourself better able to complete that analysis if you keep pretty detailed field notes, journal reflections, and records of what you are doing THROUGHOUT this unit 2. From the moment you start talking with your groups, you should be looking critically at and analyzing the process you are going through. You might want to start by writing about what you know (from the beginning) about your topic. State your assumptions and beliefs about what you will find. Then constantly keep track of how your ideas change, try to identify how your interpretations of events and materials differ from others in your group, and make some analytical reflections on why that might be so. Also, pay close attention to the process of deciding how to present the materials and identify what went into those choices.
 

(Broad and suggested focus topics)

I am suggesting the following topics based on the fact that I can identify library resources and community organizations to facilitate your research and because they are in related to the histories you are reading in class. Please feel free to identify other topics. Your group will approach all of the topics from a historical perspective.

Your group needs to identify at least a broad topic by October 6. You should narrow and focus as soon as possible after that. Each group needs to choose a different topic since I would like a wide range of topics and perspectives to be covered in this course. Therefore, you are more likely to get the topic of your choice if your group selects early.

Peoples:

• Historic Neighborhoods and Communities. To narrow this topic, you would select a specific neighborhood or community (or even community organization) and research from there. You might pick a community that someone in your group has experience or connections with.
• Founding Families. The Ronstandt and Jacome families are both possibilities. But, there are lots of ways to define "founding" and "family".

• Historic Buildings. There are quite a few. You might select the Rialto theater, for example (that would contribute to something already existing on the MOO), or the Mission, or a little known downtown haunt.
• Transportation in Tucson
• Utilization of Resources (Mining, Water, etc.)

• Native Plants and Vegetation. As Nabhan's book reveals, we learn a lot about Tucson's history through it's vegetation. Much of the environment is threatened and altered. A history might document the threats to the environment as well as ways to preserve it.
• Sites surrounding Tucson, such as Tumamoc, Kitt's Peak. Many of these sites carry a great deal of controversy, and your history could reveal and explore those controversies.

• Immigrant Labor. You have gotten some focus on this on the web sites. You might look into a specific group's history for a more narrow focus on this topic.
• Strikes. The Clifton strike in Kingsolver's book is just one example. You could further investigate that strike from a different angle, look at the Bisbee strikes, or even the recent SunTran strike last year.
• University Labor

• Minority Programs. You might look at the history of Chicano Studies, NewStart, or any other organization on campus (I have some limitations here, so please see me if you plan to pursue this).
• Athletics. This is really done to death, but...
• University Funding. It would be interesting to get the scoop on where monies come from and go to here.
• Community Relationships.

• Folk Arts. Tucson is rich in folk arts.
• Community Art Installations. Look around at the installations on campus, downtown, and in neighborhoods. What's the history and reasons for those public art forms.
• Murals. What a rich history the murals in this town have.
• Music.

Tucson Writers. Barbara Kingsolver is one. There are many.