The Russian Revolution and Stalinist Era: Project (50 points possible!) FINAL BOOK DUE: December 17th
Your Challenge: To tell the story of the Russian Revolution and Stalinist Era
Options: Create a children’s story. OR
Create a “journal” of someone who lived through these time periods.
Requirements for both options:
1. Must cover the following time periods:
a. Pre-revolutions of 1917 (think 1800’s through 1916: what was life like; major events)
b. Revolutions of 1917 (March and November)/ Civil War / Rule under Lenin
c. Rule under Stalin
d. Be selective! Yes, you need to cover the time periods listed above, but you can’t tell everything from that time period. You must choose what is significant for your characters!
2. Must take a point of view: For example, will you tell the story from the point of view of the nobility? From the ruling family? From peasants? From urban workers? From monks? From the Bolsheviks? From the clergy? Etc.
Specific Requirements for the Children’s Story
1. Must be 10 pages long (minimum) … Yes, this is 5 pages front and back that cover the three required time periods.
2. Must have a thoughtful ending. Children’s stories are certainly used to entertain kids, but they are also used to instruct them. What lesson will your story convey?
3. Must include hand-drawn illustrations on every page.
4. Must include a cover with the title of the story.
5. Be creative … have fun with the retelling of the story in language that a child can understand!
6. A Chicago style annotated bibliography with a minimum of three sources. On the LAST PAGE
Specific Requirements for the Journal:
1. Must include a minimum of 10 entries from different dates throughout the required 3 time periods.
2. Text should be hand-written and dated (as one would do in a journal).
3. You should have approximately 3 pages of actual writing.
4. You must include FIVE illustrations, pictures, maps or images.
5. Must include a cover.
6. A Chicago style annotated bibliography with a minimum of three sources.
Resources & Work Time: You will be completing this project outside of class, so you need to manage your time outside of class to conduct research and create your final product.
Evaluation Criteria
· Ideas and Content: Main ideas stand out. Clear details support the main ideas.
· Organization: The story or journal entries are easy to follow, have an effective beginning and ending, and have clear transitions.
· Language: Word choice is appropriate for the medium, either the children’s story or the journal entries.
· Point of View: This is clear throughout the project.
· Requirements are met as listed on the page above.
Prior to creating your finished product you will have two assignments to complete in preparation of publication:
1. First you need to write a Commitment Paragraph (on a separate piece of paper!). Your commitment paragraph is a public declaration of intent. You need to cover:
1.) Which point of view you are going to use for telling your story of the revolution.
2.) Why you feel this point of view is the most interesting or lends itself for best representing the story of the Russian Revolution.
3.) Which format you are going to use for telling your story.
4.) Why you feel this format will work the best for you. This is DUE on December 4th (Friday)
2. Second you will need to submit a ONE PAGE outline for you story(on a separate piece of paper) Your outline needs to be a plan of attack for how / what you will cover for each of your three required time periods:
· If you are doing a journal, you need to:
1.) Specify how many entries you will have for each time period.
2.) What key events or people from the revolution you are going to address / cover in each entry.
3.) Which time periods are going to be favorable for your point of view / tragic for your character?
· If you are a children’s book you need to:
1.) How many pages you are going to dedicate to each of the required time periods.
2.) What key events or people from the Russian Revolution you are going to cover for each page of content.
3.) What the moral of your story is going to be. This Outline is DUE on Dec.11 (Friday)