Quick Tips: How to Pick a History Project

Seeing as I've already covered how to do a history project, now it's time to learn how to pick one. Depending on the class, projects could be the easiest thing in the world, or the hardest. So it's up to you to choose one based on your own understanding of the subject, no matter how boring it may seem. Some are posters, some are PowerPoints, some are essays; no matter the time period, history can be turned into a simple thing or an elegant one. I myself have always leaned towards the presentation aspect of a project, but once again, it all depends on the class. Here's a few guidelines to help you on your decision:

Don't choose a hard project: Easier said (or written) than done; it's hard to determine the challenge of a project before you've even done it. But for those who have a hard time committing a lot of time to a project, don't take the 27 page minimum analysis of the Battle of Gettysburg. Even if the teacher said it would be extra credit, that's usually to give the students who can do projects like this an added "good job" for tackling such a feat. I'm not saying you can't do it yourself; you most certainly can, and don't let some blogger decide your major life choices for you. But in my personal experience, I've found that I enjoy doing small projects about small events, because I end up learning about it and appreciating it more than if I had to drown myself in a sea of text. Again, it all depends on the teacher, so it's up to you to heed my advice or not.

Make it Yours: So many teachers today use examples of projects that they want to grade their students on. However, this can lead to the misunderstanding that that example is exactly what the teacher wants, and nothing else. In reality, that's not true. How boring would it get to basically grade the same thing over and over again? This is what leads to bad grades on seemingly good assignments; the teacher is tired of seeing the same thing and lashes out at the next student who does it. So if you make the project yours (it has a flair that you have as well), it's almost like a breath of fresh air to the teacher, and that could mean an A+.

That's it, really.Just choose a project at your understanding of history and make it your project, not someone else's with your name on it. Of course, all of the project examples I write about in Lesson Idea posts aren't ones I've actually done myself, so...if you need some inspiration...

-Pharaoh Noh-Tyep