Heritage Events for HIST 431

Attendance at and reporting on a heritage event of the Great Plains is an optional assignment for HIST 431. What exactly is a heritage event? Well, leave out the “exactly” part of the question, and consider these to be the essential, general criteria.

· It happens on the Great Plains of North America.

· It self-consciously invokes or illustrates matters of history and heritage.

Here are some additional characteristics of heritage events that help to define them.

· Usually they celebrate some sort of group identity—community, tribal, religious, or occupational, for instance.

· They happen with regularity, whether once a year or once every hundred years.

Here are some examples of heritage events you can find throughout the region.

· Centennial celebrations

· School reunions

· Powwows

· Fall suppers

· Quilting bees

· Threshing bees

· Religious festivals

What’s the Assignment?

There are two obvious parts to the assignment.

1. Attend a heritage event.

2. Write a report on it, posted to Webblog.

Specifications for the Report

Target length for the report: 250-300 words (and if you have a digital photo, that would be cool—upload it and use the link function). Elements to include in the report:

· Who, what, when, where

· Description of activities

· Identification of whose heritage is being observed

· Assessment of the heritage significance of the event

· Consider: What does this tell us about the cultural history of the Great Plains?

Rubric for Evaluation of Heritage Event Reports
Basics	Tell who, what, when, where	4
Description	Clear description of activities	4
Heritage Significance	The meaning of the event to the heritage group is explained.	4
Historical Significance	The significance of the event to regional history is assessed.	4
Appropriate Length	Target length: 250-300 words	2
Matters of Style	Composition, grammar, and punctuation are important to communication.	2
Total Points Possible		20

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