AMERICAN STUDIES Unity and Divisions/Diversity Project

Instructions: During this unit, we will be looking at a number of the main groups that not only brought diversity to our nation, but also have suffered as a result of divisions arising because of that diversity. We will also examine some of the significant contributions they have made to America. Among the primary divisions we will focus on are racial (African-American, Native American, etc.), class, and gender divisions.

1. A two page primary source history research paper in which you compare and contrast the views of several adults on the issue of unity and divisions. As a primary source research project, this one will require you to do a series of personal interviews prior to writing the paper. In order to complete this assessment, you must do the following:

A) Interview five adults of various ages and backgrounds on the topic of unity and divisions. Try your best to make sure that these adults come from a wide range of experiences (for example, a mixture of genders, races, socio-economic backgrounds, educational levels and degrees, etc.). Be sure to write these background details down as part of the notes you take. When interviewing, some of the possible questions you might want to ask would include: What unites us as a people? What divides us? Have you ever felt or experienced racism? Be specific. What groups in our area face discrimination? How have your views on this topic changed over time? Is it important to be united? Can we be too diverse? Can we maintain “Americanness” with too much diversity? Should we as Americans tolerate all groups? What divides us the most in Port Angeles – gender, race, class, or religion? In Washington state? In the U.S. as a whole? What distinctions do you see between a group and an individual within that group? Does getting to know an individual within a group change the way you view the group as a whole? Do we need hate and fear to unify us? Other questions you find appropriate are encouraged as well. Be sure to take thorough notes on what each adult says for each question, writing down their exact words when possible.

B) For each interview, submit all of your notes on their answers and then summarize each person’s view of unity and divisions in a separate paragraph (that would be five paragraphs total).

C) Compare and contrast the five responses to your questions in a two page essay, focusing on the ways they are similar, the ways they are different, and what they say, as a group, about unity and divisions.

2. An original piece of artwork that captures your own view of unity and divisions – what brings us together, what unites us, and what divides us in this country. This artwork should be a reflection of your views. It can be a painting, drawing, collage (a real collage – not just some piece of junk in which you slap a few pictures onto a piece of paper and call it a collage), sculpture, photos, computer-generated art, or whatever you feel captures your vision. It can not be a piece of someone else’s art, however. If visual art is not your thing, you may choose to create a piece of music, an original song, a dance, or a movie instead. If you choose one of these options, they need to be submitted on videotape or DVD. One key is originality (please, no pictures of a white hand clasping a black hand – that is beyond cliché). Include a thorough paragraph statement (minimum of 100 words) explaining why you feel your art represents your view of unity and divisions in America.