Contextualization

19th century America was the scene of crucial formation events shaping the social, political, and economic reality we know today. During this period, we had significant movements throughout America: from the westward expansion in the US to the European colonization in Latin America and the fight for independence in many countries in the continent. In the world scene, the 19th century was a time of political and industrial transformations, with the Industrial Revolution gaining traction and European Imperialism having an effect on the world.

We can say that 19th century America offers a rich window for the study of political, socioeconomic, and cultural history. It is very important to bring this era to the surface in order to understand the development of the American continent, a fact which contributed effectively to today's scenery.

Comprehending this period enables us to understand the foundation and evolution of many American nations as well as the tensions between Western powers. Being attentive to these past events may provide a clearer, wider vision on the current tensions, power structure, and world order in which we live today.

Students are encouraged to deeply explore the 19th century in America. This task will happen in teams and aims at unveiling relevant aspects of the continent's history. Teams must approach at least four key topics from the 19th century such as the Industrial Revolution, Slavery, Independence Wars, and Imperialism. To support the production of this work, it is suggested that the following resources be used:

1. History of America in the 19th century - This series of videos by the Youtube channel Leitura ObrigaHISTÓRIA provides an overview on many of the great themes of the 19th century in America. Therefore, it can be a great starting point for the study.

2. Book "The Conquest of America: The Question of the Other" by Tzvetan Todorov - This reading complements the discussions on the colonization process and formation of the Americas.

3. Article "Latin America in the 19th Century: Independence processes and formation of the nations" - Available on the Scielo platform, this article provides an academic view on the independence process in Latin America.

4. Portal "Brazil School" - The website has an entire section dedicated to the History of America, dealing with topics such as the formation of the United States, the independence of Latin America, among others.

Practical Activity

Title: "Interactive Guide of 19th Century America"

Objective

The goal of this project is to allow students to explore, in-depth, the impactful events that took place in the 19th century of America, encompassing economic and historical theories. It will be necessary to produce an interactive guide in video format, in which the students will stage key events and discuss its implications and consequences.

Project Detailed Description

In the first stage of the project, the teams of 3-5 students should research and define four topics or key events to be addressed in their script. These topics can include but are not limited to the Industrial Revolution, Slavery, Wars of Independence, and Imperialism. Students should research thoroughly on each of the events, their causes, developments, and consequences.

After research, students should build a screenplay that deals with those events in a sequential and interconnected manner, showing how one event could have influenced another. This screenplay will be the base for the creation of the staged video.

For the staging, students can make use of any resource at hand, such as costumes, sets, images, and soundtrack. The expectation is for the students to use visual and sound resources to bring to life the events of 19th century America and illustrate how these events connect and influenced one another.

Required Material

• Access to the internet for research
• Camera to record the video
• Resources to produce scenarios, costumes, and sound effects as desired
• Video editing program

Step-by-step detailed guide for the activity

1. Split yourselves into groups of 3 to 5 students.
2. Choose four key topics to explore.
3. Research thoroughly each of the topics, studying their causes, events, and consequences.
4. Draft an interconnected script that will bring these events to life.
5. Plan how you will dramatize the script.
6. Gather the materials needed, such as costumes, sets, and music.
7. Record your video, taking care to follow the script and to clearly illustrate each event and its connections.
8. Edit your video to ensure the sequence of events is clear and easy to follow.
9. Prepare a report documenting the scripting process, video production, any challenges faced, and lessons learned.

Project and Written Report Submission

By the end of the activity, each group must submit a video that was produced and a written report. The report must follow this structure: Introduction, Development, Conclusion, and Bibliography.

In the introduction, students must contextualize the chosen themes, their relevance to the 19th century America, and the purpose of the project.

In the Development, students must describe the chosen events, its historical and economic theory, the research methodology used, the screenwriting process, the production, the challenges found and how these were overcome. Beyond this, they must discuss their conclusions and insights from the achieved results.

In the Conclusion section, students must resume the project's main points, making explicit their learnings and conclusions.

In the Bibliography, students must cite all sources that were consulted for research and development of the project.

Remember to employ the same level of detail and care of the practical activity also in the report, an essential piece to show the learning and teamwork that was put into place.