MERLOT MAKES HISTORY

TWO YEARS, TWO COLLEGES, ANDTHREE COURSES

William A. Paquette, Ph.D.Professor of History, TCC & Merlot History Co-Editor

Merlot replaces Extra Credit

Open to all students. Merlot assignments must be done in

sequence. One Merlot assignment per course unit. Four Merlot assignments per semester. Each assignment worth 25 points. Total Merlot points equals 100. Merlot grade replaces lowest test grade of

four.

Western Civilization: History 101Sample Merlot Exercises Unit One: The Ancient World

Tutankhamun Death and Burial in Egypt Virtual Mummy

Unit Two: Greece & Rome Cultural Map of Hellas Ancient City of Athens Roman Empire

Unit Three: Middle Ages Virtual Pilgrimage Royal Abbey of Fontevraud The Middle Ages The Walled Town of

Carcassonne

Unit Four: Renaissance European Voyages of

Exploration (Spain) European Voyages of

Exploration (Portugal) Tudor History Medicis Godfathers of the

Renaissance

Western Civilization: History 102Sample Merlot Exercises Unit One: Absolutism

Chateau Versailles The Glorious Revolution of

1688 The Age of Exploration (Spain) The Age of Exploration

(Portugal)

Unit Two: Revolution Liberty, Equality, Fraternity:

Exploring the French Revolution Napoleon

Unit Three: Victorian Age The Victorian Web Karl Marx Interview Queen Victoria’s Empire The Empire that was Russia

Unit Four: Modern Era The British Empire Holocaust Survivors D-Day: Penetrating the Atlantic

Wall For European Recovery:

The Marshall Plan

World Civilization: History 111Sample Merlot Exercises Unit One: India

The Indus Civilization The Sikhism Homepage

Unit Two: China The Song Dynasty The Mongols in World History Marco Polo and China

Unit Three: Japan Edo, Japan, A Virtual Tour Treasure House of Japanese

History The Art of the Samurai Ancient Japan

Unit Four: Islam The Islamic Calendar Muslims King Abdullah of Jordan

(descendant of the Prophet)

WORLD CIVILIZATION: HISTORY 112SAMPLE MERLOT EXERCISES Unit One: Europe

Chateau Versailles The Glorious Revolution of 1688 The Age of Exploration (Spain) The Age of Exploration (Portugal)

Unit Two: Africa West African Instruments African Music and Dance African Art at University of

Central Oklahoma Imperial Ethiopia Ancient Manuscripts from the

Desert Libraries of Timbuktu

Unit Three: Imperialism Black Ship and Samurai:

Commodore Perry and the Opening of Japan Queen Victoria’s Empire Women Hold up Half the Sky:

Women in China Rising Sun: A Cultural Portrait

of Japan Unit Four: 20th Century

The British Empire Afghanistan Kwame Nkrumah King Abdullah of Jordan China in the Red

U.S. History: History 121Sample Merlot Exercises Unit One: Exploration

MesoAmerican Ballgame The Vikings European Voyages of Exploration

(Spain) European Voyages of Exploration

(Portugal) The Plymouth Colony Archive

Project Salem Witch Trials Virtual Jamestown Jamestown Rediscovery

Unit Two: Revolution The Raid on Deerfield Revolutionary War Battles:

Lexington and Concord The Martha Ballard Case Study

Unit Three: Republic Jefferson’s Blood

Star Spangled Banner Hancock Shaker Village The Papers of Stanton and

Anthony The Lowell National Historic

Park

Unit Four: Civil War The Valley of the Shadow Crisis at Fort Sumter Uncle Tom’s Cabin and

American Culture Africans in America

U.S. History: History 122Sample Merlot Exercises Unit One: The Gilded Age

Finding Precedent: The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson

The Old West The Dramas of Haymarket Like a Family: The Making of a Southern Cotton Mill World Lizzie Borden Murder Case

Unit Two: Progressive Era Theodore Roosevelt The Triangle Factory Fire Great 1906 Earthquake Fire

Unit Three: Depression/War On the Homefront FDR Library Holocaust Survivors D-Day: Penetrating the Atlantic

Wall Voices from the Dust Bowl North by South: The African

American Great Migration

Unit Four: Modern Era The Cold War For European Recovery: The

Marshall Plan Teaching Brown Cuban Missile Crisis

MERLOT ASSIGNMENTS

PAPERS 5-10 pages based on Site Topic Use of primary sources Bibliography creation Use of footnotes Critical Thinking Skills Paper format: intro, content,

conclusions Evaluation of site content

reliability Develop writing skills Develop skills in determining what

constitutes a good website Content used in testing

INFORMATION BASED Expands content beyond the text Use of primary sources Provides visual to supplement

text Develops critical thinking skills Develops writing skills Evaluation of site content

reliability Develop skills in determining what

constitutes a good website Information collection

incorporated into testing developing better essay content and multiple choice testing skills

Offers supplemental resources

COLLEGES/COURSES

Tidewater Community College Portsmouth Campus

Western Civilization, History 101/102

World Civilization, History 111/112

U.S. History, History 121/122

Northern Virginia Community College Manassas Campus

Western Civilization, History 101/102

World Civilization, History 111/112

U.S. History, History 122

NOVA – MANASASS2004 – 2005

SEMESTER COURSE # of students # in Merlot # higher grade with Merlot

Fall 2004 History 101 36 29 16

History 101 27 18 18

History 111 33 13 10

Spring 2005 History 102 24 2 2

History 112 25 4 3

Summer 2005 History 122 25 3 2

NOVA – MANASASS2005 – 2006

SEMESTER COURSE # of students # in Merlot # higher grade with Merlot

Fall 2005 History 101 24 23 17

History 111 27 8 5

Spring 2006 History 102 23 10 8

History 112 21 14 12

Summer 2006 History 111 25 7 5

History 112 18 8 5

TCC – PORTSMOUTH2004 – 2005

SEMESTER COURSE # of students # in Merlot #higher grade with Merlot

Fall 2004 History 101 34 12 7

History 111 32 18 11

Spring 2005 History 102 21 1 1

History 112 27 5 5

Summer 2006 History 101 13 6 6

History 121 20 7 6

TCC – PORTSMOUTH2005 – 2006

SEMESTER COURSE # of students # in Merlot # higher grade with Merlot

Fall 2005 History 101 31 19 16

History 111 31 19 13

History 121 22 8 7

Spring 2006 History 102 22 4 4

History 112 27 10 6

History 122 28 12 8

Student Withdrawal from Merlot

Students withdraw within the first two weeks of the course because the work/course load was too great.

Merlot was too much work. Students determined exam grades were consistent and

they did not continue after one or two Merlot assignments. During the six-week summer session, the amount of time to

do Merlot was considered too short by students. Students withdrew from the course after the first two weeks

because of illness. Students withdrew from the course after the first two weeks

because of work related issues. Students withdrew midway through the course because of

family issues.

SUCCESS WITH MERLOTNOVA – MANASASS 2004 – 2006

Grade Change

Fall 2004

Spring

2005

Summer 2005

Fall2005

Spring 2006

Summer 2006

B to A 15 2 2 10 8 8

C to B 22 2 0 8 11 1

D to C 5 1 0 4 1 1

F to D 2 0 0 0 0 0

SUCCESS WITH MERLOTTCC – PORTSMOUTH 2004 – 2006

Grade Change

Fall2004

Spring2005

Summer 2005

Fall2005

Spring2006

B to A 4 3 8 21 9

C to B 9 2 3 10 3

D to C 0 1 0 4 6

F to D 0 0 0 1 0

SUCCESS WITH VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION IN MERLOT 2004-2006

NOVA-MANASASS

(% of total class increasing grade by ONE grade level)

Fall 2004 46% Spring 2005 10% Summer 2005 10% Fall 2005 41% Spring 2006 44% Summer 2006 23%

TCC-PORTSMOUTH

(% of total class increasing grade by ONE grade level)

Fall 2004 20% Spring 2005 13% Summer 2005 39% Fall 2005 42% Spring 2006 23%

MERLOT RESULTS

All students who completed all four MERLOT assignments achieved a final grade ONE level higher than without Merlot.

Student writing improved on essay and identification components of examinations.

Student critical thinking skills improved on multiple choice, essay, and identification exam sections.

Students gained discriminatory skills in determining good HISTORY content websites.

Students learned research paper skills. Students could distinguished between primary and

secondary sources. Merlot history content transferred to exams and class

discussions.

STUDENT COMMENTS

Merlot is a wonderful place full of fascinating information. Merlot continued became a resource in my other history classes. Merlot became a resource in my nursing curriculum. I learned and understand how the past connected. I acquired a better understanding and knowledge of Western Civilization. I learned how civilization began and why our ancient historian ancestors

believed all the things in which they believed. I enjoyed the Meso-American Ballgame. Merlot is a lot of work. I like the challenges that you placed on me to use my learning abilities

and to research other cultures which I never forced myself to do not even my own culture. Thank you for the pleasure of a new experience.

I am forced to do more thinking. What I am learning in history connects to my other courses (i.e.

Philosophy, Humanities).