History, Memory & Advocacy: Speech

Goals:
Organization, attention to audience, interesting material and delivery, plus

Carefully mounting a persuasive argument that identifies the positions of others.

Using and effectively citing evidence.

Using visuals effectively

The Assignment:

Imagine you have been commissioned by the Smithsonian to create an exhibit on the Enola Gay and the decision to drop the atomic bomb. What would you include? What would you leave out? Remember that a museum exhibit, like all history is an argument which privileges some positions over others and presents evidence to persuade an audience. Your proposal, then, must be an argument for the particular interpretation of the past that you are presenting.

Your argument must at least address these very basic questions: What is the purpose of the Smithsonian? What should be the function of history and memory in our society? How does your exhibit in particular fulfill your vision of what history, memory and museums are for?

You will be expected to provide visuals of your exhibit, so that we can get a sense of how you have organized the space and why.

Process:

1. Identify the previously proposed designs and the objections to those designs.

2. Identify the major arguments about the proper uses of public history and formulate your own.

3. Formulate a plan for an exhibition that clearly reflects this vision.

4. For the first workshop, come with a detailed (one page minimum) summary of the range of positions on the proper uses of public history and an articulation of your own vision.

5. For the second workshop, come with a plan for your exhibition, and a one page statement that explains how it reflects your position on public history.

Other Requirements:

Your presentation should be at least 6 and no more than 10 minutes long. You are to speak extemporaneously from an outline (on a single sheet of paper). You may not wear a hat or chew gum while you are speaking. Additionally, as an audience is an important part of public speaking, everyone will be expected to be here and be a supportive audience member for your peers, even if you are not scheduled to speak that day. You will be obligated, as a part of your participation grade, to offer feedback after the performance of every other person in your workshop group. I will also ask people to help me by being timekeepers. Each day, the class members who do not speak will vote for one presentation. The four finalists will be judged to determine the class favorite.

Overview	Schedule		Instructor Notes	Sample Editorial Policies	Formal Assignments
	Weeks 1-3	Weeks 4-5			Speech	Paper
					Speech Evaluation	Paper Evaluation