Create Your Own Horrible History

Create your own “Horrible History”

This collaborative project asks you to use what you've learned in this class to create a humorous skit in the format of your choice (e.g., a newscast, song, historical skit, advertisement, parody game show, parody reality show, animated short, puppet show, etc.). You will work in groups of 4-5. Groups will be assigned in section and given one of the topics below, then you will research, write, and record a 4-5 minute skit that conveys factual information about that topic in a humorous way.

• Use your lecture notes and the textbook to find factual information about your topic. It will be up to you and your group to determine what information you want to present and how you want to present it.
• You can use your phones or any other video recording device to record the skit (mp4 or mpg format is preferred).
• You do not need to try to capture everything in one take. It’s often easier to record short scenes and edit them together.
• Videos will be uploaded to Youtube and you'll submit the link to your video through Canvas. Instructions for creating a channel can be found here at https://www.youtube.com/create_channel Links to an external site.. A link to instructions for uploading videos will appear on the screen once you’ve created an account. You may want to set the video to private so that only people you share the link with can view the video. Once you’ve uploaded your video, submit the link to the video through Canvas (you can also email it to your TA as a backup). 

Links to Youtube videos must be submitted through Canvas by 11:59 pm on Thursday, February 20 (you can also email it to your TA as a backup).

Each group will show their video in section on Friday, February 21 and explain its significance to the class. 

Each group member will also fill out a group and self evaluation and submit them through Canvas by 11:59 pm on Thursday, February 20.

Topics:

Monks and/or Monasteries in the Early Middle Ages

Campaign Ad for a Frankish King (your choice of Clovis or Charlemagne)

Urban II and the First Crusade

Manorialism and Serfdom

The Knight’s Code of Chivalry

You will be assigned one of these topics in section. The name of your group will include the topic for your group (e.g. AA Monasticism). I have kept the topics incredibly broad on purpose. Your job on this assignment is to use your lecture notes and the textbook to determine what material you want to cover on your topic, and how you want to present it.

Groups:

You will all be assigned a group and a topic in section during Week 5. Your group name will contain your section and topic (for example, the group from section AA working on Monasticism will be named AA Monasticism, the group from section AB working on Chivalry will be named AB Chivalry, etc.). If you aren't sure what your topic is, check your group name.

To find your group, go to the People page in the Canvas course website and click on your name, you will then be able to see which group you are in under Enrollments. The information will look something like this, "Member in First Crusade AD." Click on that link and it will take you to a Canvas Group workspace for your group. The workspace will have a menu on the left that looks a bit like the Canvas homepage for the course.

All of the students assigned to your group can use the tools in the workspace to message the entire group or individual members, share files, have discussions, and have video conferences. Here's what the menu bar looks like and what it enables you to do:

• Home: Shows announcements made by group members or instructors.
• Announcements: Only group members and instructors can see or post announcements.
• Pages: Group members can make a Page for the group to use. Links to an external site.
• People: Shows each person assigned to the group with a link to that person's Canvas profile.
• Discussions: Group members can make new discussions for the group.
• Files: Allows group members to upload any project files they need to share.
• BigBlueButton: Allows group members to have video conferences.
• Collaborations: Allows all group members to create Google docs, sheets, or presentations for the group to work on together. Canvas creates the Google doc within the author's Google Drive and shares it with the selected group members. All the Collaborations are then stored within the group space for easy access.

Grading:

This assignment will count for 20% of your section grade (equal to two normal sections). You will be evaluated on the factual accuracy of your skit, originality/humor, thoroughness in exploring your topic, and your ability to work in a collaborative setting.

To ensure that all members of the group actively participate in creating the skit, 70% of your grade will be determined by your TA (who will assess the factual accuracy of your skit and whether you have adequately covered your topic, as well as your in-class explanation of the skit), and the other 30% of your grade will be determined by you and the members of your group who will evaluate your contribution to the project.

Any individual who is reported as not having contributed by the rest of their group members will receive a zero for the assignment. 

Make sure to complete the self and group evaluation.

 FAQ

Do I have to read for section or submit a writing response for this week?

No. This assignment replaces both the reading for section and the writing assignment for this week. It counts for 20% of your section grade (equivalent to two regular sections).

Do I have to come to class on Friday?

Yes, of course! Part of your grade will be explaining the significance of your skit to the class and you need to be in class to do that. You also need to be in class in order to receive credit for your class participation. If you cannot attend class due to illness or some important obligation, inform your TA before Friday's class (you will only receive partial credit if you participated in making the skit but are not in class for section).

Does every group member have to be in the film?

No. If you don’t want to be on film, you can work on another aspect of the production. For example, you can work on writing the skit or do more of the research or hold the camera. You could even do the entire production with sock puppets or animation if none of you want to actually be on film. Whatever part of this project you choose to be involved in, just make sure that your teammates agree that you are making a fair contribution since they will be grading you on your participation.

Can other people outside of class play roles in the skit?

Yes. You can bring in other people as long as they do not prevent members of your group from participating. Remember, you’re the ones being graded.

Does the skit have to be memorized?

No. You can read from a script in the film if you need to. Of course, memorized scripts always look better on film, but it is not required. This will also make it easier for you to get together. You can plan to write and film the script in a couple of hours as a group if you need to.

Is the information supposed to come from lecture and the textbook, or can we use information from the readings assigned for discussion section?

Please do use information from lecture and the textbook. If you can use information from discussion section readings, that is great, but some of the subjects will draw more (or all) from the lecture and textbook than from discussion section readings.

Should we use outside sources for information about our topic?

No. The purpose of the assignment is to demonstrate what you’ve learned in this class from lecture and the textbook. You can do minimal outside research if you feel it is absolutely necessary, but keep your focus on the material presented in class.

What video format should I use?

Videos should be submitted in mp4 or mpg format.

What if we don’t have video equipment?

You don’t need anything fancy. It’s perfectly fine to use your phone to record the video; however, you can also borrow cameras and mics for free on campus and get access to video editing equipment and assistance here:

Kane Hall  https://itconnect.uw.edu/wares/equipment/

HUB  https://itconnect.uw.edu/uw-seattle-students-need-technology-equipment-borrow-a-loaner-at-the-hub/

Odegaard  https://itconnect.uw.edu/learn/technology-spaces/

Finally, be as creative as you want to be! Props and/or costumes are encouraged, but not required. These videos will be shown in front of the class so keep that in mind as well. If you’re having difficulty coming up with ideas, check out some of the “Horrible Histories” posted on Youtube.