Saturday, October 17, 2015

Vietnam Final Project Options

The overall question and issue to address for every one of these options is,

“What was the United States fighting to win, and what was lost, in Vietnam?”

These descriptions for final project options are being left somewhat open-ended because there are a lot of ways to go about answering this question. You should plan on using the notes and documents we’ve collected, analyzed, and discussed.

Research/Opinion Paper
For this, you will need the following:
·        A thesis that stands as something that can be argued and attempts to directly answer the guiding question (“What was the United States fighting to win, and what was lost, in Vietnam?”)
·        Evidence backing any claims you make
·        To specifically address (but not be limited to):
o   Domino Theory
o   Vietnamization
o   The Draft
o   Search and Destroy tactics
o   My Lai
·        A conclusion that shows a clear answer to the guiding question.
This is the most “standard” option. Aim for 3-5 pages, 12 point font, double-spaced.

Presentation
This presentation will need to answer the guiding question of “What was the United States fighting to win, and what was lost, in Vietnam?”
The PowerPoint, Prezi, or other visual component to your presentation must be only a guide and enhancement to the actual presentation. Use images and bullet points to make it more engaging.
Do not plan on standing and simply reading the slides from your presentation.
Your presentation should roughly be ten minutes long and answer the guiding question while addressing (at least):
o   Domino Theory
o   Vietnamization
o   The Draft
o   Search and Destroy tactics
o   My Lai
Diary/Fictionalized Account
This option is an extension of the My Lai narrative. For this, you’ll need to write a longer narrative piece that, through its content and subject, answers the guiding question of “What was the United States fighting to win, and what was lost, in Vietnam?”
This can follow one or several people’s fictional stories through the Vietnam War. Through their thoughts, actions, and observations, you will need to leave your reader with an understanding of your answer to the guiding question. As with the other options, you must specifically address:
o   Domino Theory
o   Vietnamization
o   The Draft
o   Search and Destroy tactics
o   My Lai
As with the My Lai Narrative, focus on sensory language (sights, smells, sounds, feelings, etc) and trying to make your reader feel like they’re there.

You'll likely need to write between 5 and 7 pages to adequate address these topics.

Website/Wiki
Use http://www.wikia.com/, or a similar site, to create a wiki.
This option is to create a small wiki that, section-by-section, looks at specific aspects of the Vietnam War and answers the guiding question of “What was the United States fighting to win, and what was lost, in Vietnam?”
·        You must cross-link and connect sections to each other.
o   For example, if addressing the increased need for military manpower due to fears of communism in the “Domino Theory” page, you would need to link to “the Draft” when mentioning the draft.
·        You must include, at a minimum, specific pages for:
o   Domino Theory
o   Vietnamization
o   Silent Majority
o   Deferment
o   The Draft
o   Search and Destroy
o   Agent Orange
o   Refugees
o   Escalation
o   My Lai
o   Tonkin Gulf
o   Tet Offensive

This option is probably the most difficult of the final options. If you are unfamiliar with creating a wiki or webpage, I would not suggest it at this point.


Edit:

Carena, here are links to some documents to help you with the project we discussed.

History Blueprint Background on Protests

Lesson Template for Planning

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