Historical Jigsaw Project

As we begin to look at the history of India through the lens of Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children, we must first have an understanding of what actually happened in the history of India. In order to do this, we are going to be working with Judith E. Walsh's A Brief History of India to give us a general outline of the important historical and cultural aspects of India that will be at play in the fictional text. However, since this is a long text and we are all anxious to get into the literature, we are going to jigsaw this text for speed and convenience. That means that in small groups, you will read only a portion of the text which you will then present to the rest of the class. The purpose of this assignment is to acquaint everyone with as much of the history of India as possible so that you may refer back to it in your writings and discussions about Midnight's Children. In order to achieve this every group will have to complete the following three components: 1. Each group member will read their assigned section of the texts as follows: Group 1: "The Jewel in the Crown (1757-1885)" (pp. 89-124) Group 2: "Becoming Modern--the Colonial Way (1800-1900)" (pp. 125-152) Group 3: "Toward Freedom (1885-1920)" (pp.153-177) Group 4: "Gandhi and the Nationalist Movement (1920-1948) (pp.178-206) Group 5: "Constructing the Nation (1950-1991) (pp. 207-238) 2. You will construct a timeline of important historical events that were covered during your section of the book. Each timeline must feature at least 10 key events in chronological order. Each event should have a short summary that describes the event: who was involved, why did it happen, what were the consequences of this event. Also, include the page number and section heading where this information can be found in the text. This will make it easier for everyone to look up this information later on. I will be meeting with each group individually to discuss what parts of the text you should draw your events from. 3. Finally, you will create a 5-7 minute presentation using PowerPoint in which you briefly explain the historical events of your section. This is also an opportunity for you to include additional items of interest. Tell us what life was like for the people of India living at this time. Include visual aids, pictures, and colors to enhance your presentation and make it memorable. You do not need to use any outside sources for the content of this assignment. However, you may need to use additional sources to find pictures and visual aids. If this is the case, please make sure that you cite appropriately.

Once all of the presentations and timelines have been completed, I will compile all of the information into a Historical Reference Packet that I will distribute. It will contain a chronological list of all of the events featured in your timelines and presentations along with the summaries and page numbers where these items can be found in the text. I will also upload all of the PowerPoint presentations up to the course website with an accompanying audio recording that will be made while you are actually presenting in class. These items will be important resources for you to use throughout the unit, so make sure that you take care in preparing them.

Oral Presentation Rubric : Historical Jigsaw

Rubric

Teacher Name: Mr. Redmon

Student Name: ________________________________________ CATEGORY Timeline: Content 10 Timeline information is accurate and arranged chronologic ally. Timeline features 10 key events. Events feature detailed summaries that fully explain the historical context and impact of the event. All page numbers and subject headings from the book are included. Timeline is arranged attractively and for the ease of the reader. Different sections are labeled and coded for 8 Timeline has few inaccuracie s or errors in chronology. Between 7 and 9 events are present. Events have some detail. Page numbers and subject headings from the book are included. 5 Timeline has multiple inaccuracie s and errors in chronology. Fewer than seven events are included and events lack detail. Some page numbers and subject headings are included. 0 The timeline failed to meet any of the requiremen ts for minimum acceptabilit y.

Timeline: Aesthetics

Arrangeme nt of the timeline could use improveme nt to promote better ease of reading. Different

Arrangeme nt of the timeline is confusing or difficult to read. Little care is evident.

The timeline failed to meet any of the requiremen ts for minimum acceptabilit y.

Presentati on: Content

Presentati on: Aesthetic

easy reference. Extreme care is evident in the making of the timeline. Presentation is informative, factually accurate, and contains an abundance of information regarding history and culture. Visual aids and pictures enhance and deepen understandi ng of the topic. Students are able to speak confidently about the topic and respond to questions. The information in the presentation is arranged logically. Color, font, and visual aids are interesting to look at. The project shows great care.

sections are labeled. Some care is evident.

Presentatio n is informative and fairly accurate but fails to address all key aspects of culture and history. Visual aids and pictures are present but do not fully enhance understandi ng or are superfluous . Students are able to answer some questions or slightly lack confidence in their delivery. The information is arranged somewhat logically. Color and font are varied. The project shows some care.

Major lapses exist either in the accuracy of information or coverage of key aspects of culture and history. Visual aids are not present or do not serve any purpose

The presentatio n failed to meet any of the requiremen ts for minimum acceptabilit y.

Students are unable to answer questions posed and are not confident in their delivery. Information lacks appropriate organizatio n. Little care is evident.

The presentatio n failed to meet any of the requiremen ts for minimum acceptabilit y.