Heritage Minute Analysis. I also attached the rubric (grading system) please follow that. thank you. :)

ASSIGNMENT OVERVIEW

History is not just about memorizing dates or significant events. Who or what makes history – and why – is just as important as knowing significant dates or the names of Prime Ministers. Public history and historical commemorations are used to invent and re-invent Canada as a country. This assignment gives you the opportunity to appraise how, why, and what Canadian history is presented to the general public.

Historica Canada’s “Heritage Minutes” are short videos/ commercials that were originally shown on TV in the 1990s. They became very popular and were a good way for many Canadians to learn a bit about their history. Historica Canada released several new Heritage Minutes in the 2000s. 

While the goal of historical commemorations might be to construct one national narrative or to tell a certain story about Canada, it is impossible to include all the information about a person or event in that public re-telling. Who or what gets left out of public narratives is just as important as what is included. With this assignment, you will critically assess how historical information is evaluated and presented to the public.

ASSIGNMENT GUIDELINES

Choose one of the Heritage Minutes and accompanying Canadian Encyclopedia article from the list below and develop a critical assessment of that clip and the story it is telling. 

Your analysis might consider any number of questions:

• What story does the Heritage Minute tell and why?

• What portions of the narrative/story were left out and why? 

• What message is being communicated by this Heritage Minute? 

• Does this clip add to an understanding of Canadian history? 

• Do historical commemorations and public history need to conform to a broader national narrative? Do they need to be positive?

• What would you change about this Heritage Minute? Why?

Your assignment does not need to answer all of these questions; they are here to guide you while you watch and read the material carefully and critically. Your essay should be analytic and have a main argument. 

HERITAGE MINUTES

Choose one of the following Heritage Minutes and accompanying Canadian Encyclopedia articles. 

Jacques Cartier

Video: Heritage Minute

Article: Bernard Allaire, “Jacques Cartier,” Canadian Encyclopedia, 9 July 2020, 

Queenston Heights

Heritage Minute

Article: Anthony Wilson-Smith, “John Norton and the War of 1812,” Canadian Encyclopedia, 5 December 2016, 

Emily Murphy

Heritage Minute

Article: Susan Jackel, Catherine Cavanaugh et al., “Emily Murphy,” Canadian Encyclopedia, 20 November 2020. 

REQUIREMENTS/FORMATTING

Essay should:

• Have a title page that includes your first and last name as well as your student number

• Be 3-4 pages (750 - 1000 words) in length. Title page, citations, and bibliography are not included in the word or page count. 

• Include page numbers

• Be a word document not a pdf, pages, or any other format

• Have footnotes or endnotes using the Chicago Manual of Style notes and bibliography format. This means do not use in text citations, Ibid. or op. cit., etc. as shortened forms of citation.

• Include a bibliography. Many of the articles have links to other encyclopedia entries. You can use those as part of your research, but it isn’t necessary. If you do use additional resources, include them in the bibliography.

• Be uploaded to UM Learn; do not email the assignment to the instructor. The uploaded file should have your last name in the file name. 

Please see the rubric for detailed grading scheme.