The Bridge

Note: For my NEH project, I became interested in creating a course assignment in which students must write a short story; or a scene from a play or film. This fictional work must be inspired by research and their experiences visiting the site of a historic landmark. Students are given the option of using original characters or figures from popular culture. A sample short story follows the assignment instructions based on my experience visiting the Brooklyn Bridge and utilizing characters from the recent film, Star Trek (2009).

Assignment Instructions

Project: Write an original short story; or a scene from a play or film. This fictional work must be inspired by research and your experience visiting the site of a national or state designated historic landmark.

Length: 2,500-3,000 words

Documentation: 1) Include, at least, 10 historical facts in your story and document them using APA or MLA format; 2) Include, at least, five references used to inform your research. No more than two references may be from the internet. Wikipedia may not be used as a source.

Photographs: 1) Illustrate your story with five photographs taken at the site of the historical landmark; 2) Following the references, include one photograph clearly showing yourself at the historical site as proof of your visit.

Submission Instruction: Upload your assignment to your wordpress.com blog page.

Plagiarism: Plagiarism will result in a score of “0” for the assignment.

Due Date: Saturday, June 26, 2010

Grading Rubric

Task	Points Possible
Story/Scene – Functions well as a whole. Piece has a clear flow and sense of purpose.	20
Research – Story/Scene includes, at least, 10 documented historical facts concerning the chosen landmark.	10
References – At least five references with no more than two internet sources. Must use APA or MLA format.	5
Illustrations – Submission includes five historical landmark photographs taken by the student as illustrations.	5
Proof of Site Visit – Following reference list, contains one photograph showing student at the historical site.	5
Grammar/Mechanics/Spelling – Contains no unintentional punctuation, spelling, capitalization or grammatical errors.	5
TOTAL POINTS	50