Site Visit Project: History 121

The purpose of your site visit essay is to get out on the ground and learn some history by seeing and feeling rather than just by reading.

My personal interest in history began when I was stationed in Germany and beginning visiting old castles, historic towns, and sites that existed even before the discovery of America. I saw the tombs of Holy Roman Emperors at the great Romanesque cathedral in Speyer, and I knew practically nothing about them. I resolved to find out. We also visited the former concentration camp at Dachau, and the feeling you get from being in a place like that is indescribable. Many students in the past have written that they drove by historic sites in the Virginia area for years without really knowing what was there. They were pleased that this assignment led them to go and investigate what they had been overlooking for much of their lives. Perhaps your visit will take you to a museum, where you will see real artifacts from history that give you a deeper feeling for the times they address. You are certain to enjoy this assignment, and you should look forward to broadening your horizons.

More About Site Visits

To begin this essay you should get background from your text and documents as appropriate and do extra research as needed.

You should include in your source list the date of your visit. Your essay should give a brief description of the site (not too detailed, as I have visited almost all of them), but most important, you should describe what struck you as interesting. You might address the following:

  • What did you learn at the site that you didn't know before?
  • What did your tour guide (if there was one) say about the site?
  • How did the atmosphere strike you—festive? somber? sad? peaceful?
  • Did the site itself seem to convey a mood appropriate to the subject?
  • What were the exhibits like? What did they contain?
  • Did you learn anything from printed or other materials you got at the site?
  • What did you hear visitors saying about their impressions?
  • Were family or friends with you? What did they think?

Your final draft should be about 6-7 pages in length.

  • Use cover page with title, name of place visited, date visited, your name, and course.
  • Include source page listing sources you used, the date of your visit, etc.
  • Include a header with your last name and page number (which will appear on each page.)
  • Print double spaced on one side of paper, leaving 1 inch margins. (Double space everything, including quotations, but do not put an extra space between paragraphs.)
  • Use standard 10 or 12 pitch type font and format paper according to good practice.
  • Standard English is required—excessive grammatical errors may affect your grade.
  • There is no penalty for correct spelling; use a dictionary if you need to. Use spell checkers with caution.
  • If submitting by email, use MS Word, Word Perfect or Rich Text Format (.rtf).

Suggested topics for site visit essay:

History 121 Assignments | Writing 121 | Updated November 9, 2011
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