Shippensburg U.S. History Projects

Students in the first half of Shippensburg's U.S. history survey are challenged to do research and present it in different ways:

"At the beginning of the semester, the students are charged with the responsibility of presenting a balanced historical interpretation that is accessible and interesting to a broad demographic.

"'I want them to think of the professional, analytical and aesthetic concerns that they will face,' he said. 'I want to fire up their passions.'

"Last Wednesday, Dec. 7, the students in two sections of Dieterich-Ward’s Early History of the United States course had the opportunity to display their hard work to ‘celebrity judges,’ which included university faculty and community members...

"Many of the students were pleased with the opportunity to explore historical topics in more depth, and were especially excited about the challenge of displaying information in a dynamic and engaging manner.

"'This is one of the only times we get to go outside of what is taught in class and learn in depth one piece of history,' said Alex Kramer, 20, Philadelphia. 'I like that we can research our own ideas and can then form our own opinions about things...'

"For other groups, the challenge came in making the information come to life in dynamic ways.

"'We decided to design a voting booth because it was more interactive than a tri-fold,' said Rachel Tyrpin, 21, Pine Grove. The group explored the Freedmen’s Bureau’s role in the overall reconstruction efforts of the South in the decades following the Civil War."