With this project, we will move from text analysis to linking texts with history. The project has several learning and evaluation goals:

• It will get you started on interdisciplinary practice by asking you to identify the connections between two disciplines - textual studies and history.
• It provides an opportunity for you to deepen your understanding of history by thinking critically about how historical trends shape the experiences and perspectives of individuals.
• It provides an opportunity for you to deepen your understanding of the texts you've been examining by considering how they were influenced by larger historical patterns and issues.
• It will allow you to demonstrate your understanding of the national-level history you've read about in Who Built America? 

1. Define the historical period in which your 4 texts were created and/or used. This might be as narrow as one year or as broad as several decades. 
2. Make a list of the central historical trends and issues of that period, especially those related to work and class. If your list is long, select 3-5 items to focus on for the rest of the project.
3. Create a grid with the historical trends and issues on one axis and your 4 texts on the other, and in the appropriate squares of the grid, make some brief notes about how each text reflects or might have been influenced by each trend or issue. 
4. Write a 3-4 page paper that explains how your 4 texts reflect their historical context. Use specific examples from history (use Who Built America? as your historical source) and from the texts as evidence to support your analysis.
5. Turn in a folder with your list, your grid, and your paper.

• Is your project complete? Did you complete all of the steps, thoughtfully and carefully?
• Is your list of historical trends and issues appropriate? Did you choose appropriate items to focus on?
• Does your grid accurately and thoughtfully indicate how the texts intersect with history?
• Does your paper effectively explain your analysis? Does it make good use of evidence from both history and texts to support its key points?