Themes in British History Understanding History and Heritage Tudor England World War Two: The People’s War Humanities International Summer School Provisional Module Handbook, 2013 1 Themes in British History Themes in British History will introduce students to the historian’s craft by taking them into the field to look at local archives and heritage sites. This experience will, on the one hand, familiarise them with the city of Plymouth, its heritage, history and historical resources, but, on the other, it will prepare them for their studies in weeks two and three (and in the Themes in European History module) by introducing them to different sources and different ways of examining sources. By the end of the Summer School, students will have developed a sound knowledge of local history and sources, and two key periods in British history, the Tudor Era and the Second World War. This module (class) lasts three weeks and consists of three themes, each of which lasts for one week and is worth a third of the mark for the module. Each theme is made up of a number of different kinds of assessments, for example, presentations, document analysis, blog reflections, presentation write-ups, in-class tests and a final presentation/project. These will become your portfolio. Students will be awarded marks for each assessment, which will then be added together to create a mark for the theme; each theme is worth a third of the module and the final mark will be arrived at by averaging the marks for each theme. For example, a student receiving marks of 68% for Theme One, 58% for Theme Two and 63% for Theme Three, will receive a mark of 63% for the module (68+58+63=189/3 = 63) Although assessments may not carry many marks individually, all must be completed in order to pass the module. Presentations will be partly peer-marked, in other words, those students not presenting will be asked to grade those who are and these marks will be combined with those of the tutor to arrive at a final mark for the piece. Reading Detailed reading lists will be provided before you arrive in the UK and it is extremely important that you are adequately prepared for the Summer School. We recommend that you purchase the following books Susan Brigden, New Worlds, Lost Worlds: The Rule of the Tudors, 1485-1603, Penguin, 2000 John Guy, Tudor England, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990 Janet Gardiner, Wartime Britain, 1939-1945, Headline Book Publishing, London, 2004 Assessment Theme One: History and Heritage in Plymouth (which runs for three days): three 500-word blogs (33% each) Theme Two: World War Two, The People’s War: Short essay – 12%; Presentations – 38%; Oral History project 50% Theme Three: The Tudors: Short essay/document analysis – 50%; Presentations - 50% 2 Your assessments for each module will be combined to create your coursework portfolio and at the end of the Summer School you will have completed a portfolio for each module. Submission of coursework Coursework can be submitted daily, but all of Week One’s coursework must be submitted by 1pm on Monday of Week Two; Week Two’s coursework must be submitted by 1pm on Monday of Week Three and Week Three’s coursework by 10.00am on the Friday of that week (the last day of the Summer School). See Coursework Grid below. Coursework Grid This will help you keep track of your assessments. Theme Coursework Due Date History and Heritage Blog One Monday, Week Two Blog Two Monday, Week Two Blog Three Monday, Week Two Tudors Presentation One In-class Presentation Two In-class Presentation Three In-class Presentation Four In-class Document Analysis Monday, Week Three One Document Analysis Monday, Week Three Two Document Analysis Monday, Week Three Three Document Analysis Monday, Week Three Four World War Two Presentation One In-class Presentation Two In-class Presentation Three In-class Questionnaire In-class Mini-essay Friday, Week Three Interview Essay Friday, Week Three 3 Theme One: Understanding History and Heritage The afternoons of the first week of the Summer School will be spent understanding various forms of History and Heritage. This will involve visiting and working in archives and visiting a local heritage site as ways of considering the ways in which ‘history’ and ‘heritage’ are constructed. The experience of visiting these sites will provide excellent grounding as you engage with primary sources, and grapple with the problems of interpreting historical events, over the course of the next three weeks. You will have the opportunity to work with original documents, look at the practice of archivists, the construction and maintenance of collections, including visual materials, and visit a working heritage site. On Day One, we will visit the Plymouth and West Devon Record Office (PWDRO); on Day Two, the Ford Park Cemetery Trust and on Day Three, the South West Film and Television Archive (SWFTA) Day One: Plymouth and West Devon Record Office (PWDRO) From the PWDRO website (http://www.plymouth.gov.uk/archives): About Plymouth & West Devon Record Office Plymouth City Council's Plymouth & West Devon Record Office is the principal archive repository within Plymouth and the West Devon area. It exists to collect and preserve the historical records (archives) of the area and to promote and encourage their use by all who want to study them. The record office holds records of the old borough and modern city of Plymouth, as well as the West Devon area. The record office holds original records of many organisations and individuals and is always interested to hear of any potential gifts or deposits of archival material. Please contact the office if you are aware of any such items or if you want to discuss the preservation of your records. Dating from circa 1190, the record office has over half a million individual items including deeds, charters, minute books, letters, registers, manorial documents, reports, diaries, financial records, maps, plans and photographs. Find out more about the record office, including opening hours and a link to the online catalogue. Structure PWDRO guided tour and research 1.30: Arrive and tour of strong-room and collections. 2.00: Introduction to the search-rooms, undertake own research 3.00: Strong-room task and shadowing staff Day Two: For Park Cemetery Trust From the Ford Park website: http://www.ford-park-cemetery.org/ 4 Ford Park Cemetery Trust Ford Park Cemetery contains not just a chapter but a whole volume on life in Victorian Plymouth. There are memorials to notable figures, but there are also graves of ordinary people who led extraordinary lives. We have collected detail on 600 individuals to date and welcome additional information from the public. Please mark any material for the attention of Rod Pickles. Some headstone detail tells a great deal, like how many children in one family died young, regardless of class or location. Other memorials give profession, where death occurred or clues through symbolism (see separate section). Imported marble from Italy denoted wealth and status of a family, large and ornate images emphasised this. Delabole slate was for the less well off. The Trust believes passionately in the cemetery as a heritage asset for the people of Plymouth, visitors and children. During the summer, guided walks are offered on a variety of subjects on the first Sunday afternoon of each month (see program of events for details). Private group walks can be arranged through the cemetery's Friends organisation via the office. This also applies to talks to groups outside the cemetery in the Plymouth area. Twice a year the Visitor Centre has an exhibition (see program for details) Children come to learn about Victorian symbolism, life in Victorian times, about the Second World War and wildlife subjects. Why not come along and see how the cemetery could help with the curriculum. It is a tranquil location full of possibilities and inspiration where you can step back in time. Structure Students will spend the afternoon working with tutors and staff at the trust, learning about the site and how the heritage industry works and gaining an insight into life and death in Victorian Plymouth. Day Three: South West Film and Television Archive (SWFTA) From the SWFTA website: http://www.swfta.org.uk/c69c522d7937/main/ The South West Film and Television Archive (SWFTA) is the regional film archive for the South West of England. It covers an area from the Isles of Scilly in the west to Bournemouth in the east and as far north as Gloucestershire, and includes all the county and unitary authorities in the South West. SWFTA is a charity whose role is to conserve, preserve and provide access to the moving image heritage of this region. Established in 1993, it is one of the largest regional film archives in the UK and holds the Westward Television and TSW (Television South West) independent television collections as well as a significant number of donated film collections, both amateur and professional. SWFTA is an independent registered charity and a non-profit making company limited by guarantee. It is governed by a board of directors who are also trustees of 5 the charity. It is registered with the Charity Commission (charity number 1128985) and at Companies House as South West Film and Television Holdings Ltd (company number 6846469). Structure of the day Students will be spending this afternoon working with tutors and staff examining the use and collection of visual material. Assessment Students will write an individual 500-word blog about each of these visits, outlining the processes of each and analysing the tasks they carried out as part of their visits.