Everyone knows the most famous Purdue graduate and Eagle Scout, Neil Armstrong, but what other interesting topics can we discover together at the intersection of the histories of Purdue University and Scouting?
In this proposed, 3 credit hour course, students will learn introductory archival research methods and the process of developing and producing a manuscript through the discovery and study of the shared histories of Scouting America (formerly the Boy Scouts of America) and Purdue University.
We will locate, analyze, and interpret primary source materials from the Purdue University Archives and Special Collections, other regional repositories, and the Internet.
Through guided inquiry, we will identify and scope original historical topics to research and develop into scholarly narratives that we will compile and edit into chapters for a potential manuscript on the subject.
Learning objectives:
- Conceptualize, find, and access primary source materials
- Understand, interpret, analyze, evaluate, and synthesize primary sources
- Collaborate to scope, develop, and author a compelling, research-based narrative with the potential for publication
- Understand the process of structuring, editing, and publishing a manuscript
We will approach this class as an expedition with an open question; we have a topic and intellectual curiosity, but what will we find? We will collaborate in learning the process of doing research in archives, in identifying and scoping our topics, and in drafting, revising, and editing a final product. In terms of pedagogy, the approach is both experimental and experiential. The majority of class time will be spent in collaborating and doing hands-on work.
Instructor: Professor Michael Witt
Meeting time: 2:30-5:20pm Wednesdays
Location: WALC 3045
