Men Who Built America Project Description and Rubric

Assignment: Interview a Historical Figure from The Men Who Built America

Objective

Explore the life, decisions, and impact of a historical figure depicted in The Men Who Built America by conducting a simulated interview. This activity will help you:

1. Deepen your understanding of the chosen figure’s motivations and challenges.
2. Practice critical thinking by crafting meaningful, adaptive questions.
3. Analyze historical perspectives and their relevance today.

Assignment Steps

1. Preparation

• Choose a Character: Select any historical figure depicted in the series (e.g., Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, Carnegie, Morgan, Ford, or others). Watch relevant episodes carefully and take notes on their achievements, challenges, and ethical dilemmas.
• Prepare Initial Questions: Write a few open-ended questions to start the interview. These questions should help set the tone and explore key aspects of the figure’s life and decisions.
• Research: Use additional sources (textbooks, online articles, primary sources) to learn more about your chosen figure’s life, era, and key decisions. This background knowledge will help you craft follow-up questions during the interview.

2. The Interview

• Set the Scene: When interacting with ChatGPT, provide a detailed prompt to establish the character and time period. For example:
  "I want you to respond as Cornelius Vanderbilt in the late 19th century, reflecting on your role in building America’s railroad network and competing with other industrialists."
• Conduct the Interview: Begin with your prepared questions and then adapt based on the responses you receive.
• Follow-Up Questions: Engage actively by asking at least 5 follow-up questions related to the responses. This will make your interview dynamic and thoughtful.
• Total Questions: Ensure you ask a total of 10 questions, combining initial and follow-up questions.

3. Reflection

• Done in class on moodle: Students can refer to the interview when they write the reflection. Reflect on the interview experience. Discuss what you learned about the historical figure, what you found most interesting or surprising, and how this activity helped you understand the figure's role in shaping history. Use specific examples from the interview to support your thoughts