There are three components to this team project: a research report, a slide presentation, and the reenactment itself.
The most important deliverable is the reenactment. There are two general approaches to consider: Historical Reenactments, and Historical Reconstructions.
See this showcase of student projects from previous semesters:
https://www3.cs.stonybrook.edu/~tony/comphist/301showcase.html
Additional materials for inspiration:
Famous Moments in Computer History slideshow
Tableaux Vivant examples slideshow
Student process and presentation examples:
Reenactments in Progress gallery
Reenactment Presentations gallery
Reenactments can take many forms. One possibility is to faithfully recreate a scene from computing history as a still image, called a Tableaux Vivant (scene brought to life). Another is a performance that recalls a historic moment, as in a video. if it is a video, should be no longer than 2 minutes, and should be rendered in a web video friendly format (m4v).
Reconstructions can also take a couple of forms. One possibility is physical, such as a model of a historic artifact. The other is virtual, in which the model or scene is digital.
In either case, the reenactment or reconstruction will be presented along with accompanying documentation (a report and a slideshow), which will detail the historic significance of the scene or event, and how the recreation was done.
Students should consider props, costumes, and items they may need to fabricate for their reenactments. If your team is looking for a prop, you can request assistance from comphist@cs.stonybrook.edu.
Many of the reenactments will be composites, such as a photo of a figure that is added to a background. Maybe your team is trying to recreate a scene with a historic figure working on some type of old computer system, but you don't have access to props to reconstruct that system. One thing you could consider is doing that reconstruction at a smaller than life-size scale, since you will be compositing the final image anyway. Working at a smaller scale could save time and money, and allow you to focus on the details better.
There are some repositories of 3d models that might be of use to you as well, such as Google's 3d Warehouse https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com. You can search the models by keyword and download the geometries free of charge. You'll need to use Sketchup also (there's a free trial version) at https://www.sketchup.com/try-sketchup#for-higher-education. It is an easy program to use to render a view of a model (png file with a transparent background) that you can then use in your composite image. For compositing the image you can use the free, cross-platform image editing tool GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) https://www.gimp.org
For shooting video or still images you have the option of the Multimedia Lab’s Capture Lab, in old CS 2211, which has a green screen backdrop, lights, and tripods. To use that lab you need to contact the Computer History instructor (comphist@cs.stonybrook.edu), and time slots are limited. Mondays and Wednesdays before class are the most optimal times.
Guidelines for the reenactment:
Historical importance and context
Event or artifact description
Document the process of creating reenactment
Photos/screenshots of development process
Accuracy
Quality
Side by side comparison of event and reenactment
Impact on computing today
References
DEMO - FABRICATING VIRTUAL PROPS FOR YOUR HISTORIC REENACTMENT
Your team's report will be submitted through Brightspaceby the team secretary as a MS Word document or PDF, approximately 1000 words (2 pages), 3/4 inch margins, single spaced, 12 point Times Roman text. The citation format is up to you (MLA, APA, etc). Your report should have photographs or illustrations (not part of the page count) and if the reenactment is a video, then include a link to the video (shared with comphist@cs.stonybrook.edu on Google Drive), at the end of the report. The report should include team member names, roles (researcher, interviewer, videographer), and SBU contact info (gmail) at the end of the report as well, along with references.
All team members should be present for the presentation on Zoom during the final exam period for 301, and each should have some role in delivering the presentation. Presentations should begin by each team member introducing themselves. Presentations are limited to 6 minutes each, and a one-minute warning will be given. There should be no more than 10 slides in the presentation. For projects that include a video reenactment, make sure you leave time in your talk to show the video! Teams should have rehearsed their presentations and made sure their presentations are accessible online (shared on Google Drive with comphist@cs.stonybrook.edu).
Rubric:
Research
Relevant documentation is obtained (articles, news reels,
video, photographs)
The research area/domain is defined along with its significance
Props, costumes, backgrounds, and other materials are obtained or fabricated
Background/related information and relevant topics are
investigated
References are provided
1 point each
Report
Identifies the historic moment and the principals involved
Describes the innovation or discovery sufficiently for a non-technical audience, along with its historical significance
Demostrates the fidelity of the reenactment and/or reconstruction to historically accurate information
Places the invention/discovery in the context of research in that era
Followed formatting instructions
1 point each
Presentation
Logical structure for the narrative
Effectively uses visual materials to tell the story
Provides essential details with an economy of text
Relates the significance of the event to the audience
Followed formatting instructions
1 point each