Write a paper (2 to 3 pages) in which you locate/place your family in the context of what has happened in the world since the end of World War II (double-spaced, one-inch margins, font size 10 or 12). In other words, you are writing the history of your family over the past sixty plus years. (When we put all of those memoirs/memories together, then we get the history that you would commonly come across in a history textbook.)

Often when I teach the course I ask students to consider the "state" or condition of their family at certain times in the last sixty plus years and to try and understand how the world events that were taking place at that time influenced their family.  Now, I'd like you to sum up your thoughts on the relationship between your family's history and the history of the world since the end of World War II.  Give yourself the opportunity to understand that "history" is not merely an abstraction that we read about in our history books--people and families are real history too.  Your paper should have a short introduction, followed by your commentary and then a quick conclusion about the history that your family has experienced.

Please consult Charlie's History Writing Center for specific information on the writing requirements of this course  For this assignment, you may use first-person pronouns.

Your paper will become part of our online historical memory database; please have a look at this before you write your paper. This will allow future students to read personalized accounts of how the events of recent history have affected real families. The collection of papers will also allow students to appreciate the fact that history is a real, personal experience. When you write your paper, do not use any last names. You may use first names or generic relationship terms such as grandfather, uncle, great uncle, etc. You should still use specific place names as appropriate. You will be credited in the database for your submission.

Your assignment should be submitted to your course instructor, but you should also email a copy to Professor Evans, cevans@nvcc.edu, so that it can be added to the Historical Memory database.

The My Family and History paper is worth either 50 or 100 points, depending on the course.