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Writing History: People, Places and Times

Unit Code: LPW602




Duration

Contact Hours

Campus

Prerequisite

Corequisite

12 weeks or equivalent

3 Hours per Week

Lilydale

LPW600 Reading and Writing or equivalent

Credit Points: 12.5 Credit Points

Related Course/s:

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Aims & Objectives:

One of the largest areas of research and private publication in Australia is in family history. This unit will:
  • Enable students to develop a theoretical and practical understanding of writing histories.
  • Provide students with insights to the range and types of histories that can be produced.
  • Develop skills in using discovering, accessing and utilising historical documents such as diaries, letters, photographs and government reports and archives.
  • Develop skills in interviewing and recording techniques.
  • Enable students to utilise their interest in family and local histories to produce a family history record for publication in print and/or online.
  • Provide students with insights into research strategies for writing historical fiction.
  • Provide students with insights into how to access appropriate networks, including indigenous networks.
  • Help students identify strategies for alternative publications of histories.

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Teaching Methods:

Virtual lectures, virtual tutorials, electronic media, reading and practical exercises and e-tutors, e-mentors and e-peer groups.

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Assessment:

Original Writing Contribution 60%, Participation in weekly Discussion Threads 40%

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Content:

  • Writing Personal Reminiscences
  • Editing War Letter Collections
  • Autobiography as Family History
  • Editing the Family History
  • Publishing Family History
  • Writing Local History
  • Biography as Family History
  • Fiction Based on Historical Figures
  • Writing Australian Lived Social Commentary
  • Using PowerPoint to Present Family History

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Reading Materials:

Arnold, J. 2007 Practice Led Research: A dynamic way to knowledge, Rock View Press: Melbourne.

Damousi, J. & Reynolds, R. (eds). 2003. History on the Couch. Essays in History and Psychoanalysis. Melbourne: Melbourne University Press.

Eggins, S. 2005. Real stories: ethics and narrative in Helen Garner’s Joe Cinque’s Consolation. Southerly: the journal of the English Association, Sydney, 65(1), 122-132.
Frohmann, B. 2007. Subjectivity and Information Ethics. In the Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology. 59(2), 267-277.
Gaita, R. 2001. Romulus My Father. Melbourne: Text Publishing.
Hill, D. 2007. The Forgotten Children. Australia: Random House.
Johnson, L. 2002. Love Letters From A War. Sydney, N.S.W.: ABC. Books.
Laureiro, A. 2000. The ethics of autobiography. Vanderbilt University Press.
Love, P. 2007. Practical measures. 100 Years at Swinburne. Swinburne University Press. Melbourne. Australia.
Newell, P. 2006. Ten Thousand Acres. A Love Story. Lantern. Penguin Books. Australia.
Taylor, I., Ward, G.., Henderson, G.., Davis, R. & Wallis. L. (eds) 2005. The Power of Knowledge. The Resonances of Tradition. Canberra. A.C.T.: Aboriginal Studies Press.
 
Hatcher, P. L. 1997, Producing a Quality Family History, USA: My family.com. Inc.
Kyle, N. 2007. Writing Family History Made Very Easy: A Beginner's Guide. Allen & Unwin Academic.
Lambert, J. 2002, Digital storytelling : capturing lives, creating community. Berkeley, CA: Digital Diner Press.

The Macquarie Dictionary.

The Macquarie Thesaurus.

The Macquarie website: http://www.macnet.mq.edu.au

McDonnell, .J. T. 1998, Living to Tell the Tale: A Guide to Writing Memoir, New York: Penguin.

Oliver, M. 2005. Writing Historical Fiction: Creating the Historical Blockbuster. New York: Studymates Ltd.

Strunk, W, The Elements of Style (any recent edition) or the online version: http://www.bartleby.com/141/

Zinsser, W.K. 2004. Writing About Your Life: A Journey Into the Past. New York: Marlowe & Company.


And the following electronic resources:

The Marple Website: http://www.marple.com/index.html
American Life Histories: http://rs6.loc.gov/wpaintro/wpahome.html
Cyndi’s List of Capturing the Past: Genealogy Sites on the Internet: http://www.cyndislist.com/
Family Treemaker: How To: http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/backissu.html?Welcome=991629096
Center for Life Stories Preservation: http://www.storypreservation.com/home.html
Weekly hypertext weblinks.

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