The simplest definition of “culture” is the totality of all learned customs, knowledge, norms and mores of a particular society. The totality of culture is experienced or taught to us and develops what we know as ‘our’ culture. This multimedia project asks you to relate a current social issue to the themes and events we discussed throughout the semester.

Select ONE current event’s article from one of the major online news networks (cnn.com, bbc.com, msn.com etc.) and create a series of slides that details how this current social issue, represented by your article, relates to the events of the first half of the 20th century.

For example: race relations in the United States. Do you think we have progressed far enough since the days of the Jim Crow Laws? Does the current concern with police brutality against minorities relate to race relations in the early 20th century? How? Or, global conflict based on religion and race: Can you make connections between some of the global conflicts going on today and the events/ideologies that defined WWII? Could we be heading towards a WWIII? How? These are just two examples. You might also consider issues of gender, industry, scientific advancements, the economy etc. Keep in mind that your opinions need to be supported through reference to your article, one other source, and the learning resources from the semester. Do not simply submit your opinions on the topic without evidence of careful research.

Your PowerPoint should adhere to the following requirements:

• Between 7 and 10 slides.
• The first slide should present your name, the course name, and the title of your PowerPoint, such as “Genocidal Violence During WWII and Today” or “Women in the Workplace in 19th Century and Today” or something of this nature.
• Present and summarize the current events article you selected for this project. Provide a LINK to the article in your PowerPoint.
• Discuss how this article, and the social issues discussed within it relates to THREE themes from the semester (war, race relations, gender relations, discrimination, industrial advancement, science, military technology, economic problems etc. – anything goes, as long as you can define how your three themes fit into the semester and are reflected in your article).
• At least ONE outside resource (beyond your article – a youtube video, another article etc.)
• A mixture of MEDIA – use text, pictures, links, videos in your project. DO NOT simply turn in white slides with writing on them. Think about this as an engaging MULTIMEDIA PRESENTATION.