Introduction

Introduction:

My name is Christina Larsen and I am a senior at MSU going in to secondary education, with a history major, geography minor and completing the Rx Endorsement. I will graduate in December 2010, which is an extra semester than originally planned, but I will be able to complete the Rx Endorsement and work for a semester before starting student teaching in August 2011. I have wanted to be a teacher since 7th grade when I had a teacher who sparked my fascination in history. Throughout MSU I have had opportunities to be in a variety of classes absorbing history I hadn't been exposed to previously. I want to make my students interested in history, since many kids who I have talked to absolutely hate history. In utilizing a variety of perspectives, sources, teaching strategies, and projecting my enthusiasm in history will hopefully help in achieving this goal. This HST 480 class is so far very unique to any other history class I have taken at MSU and I'm excited to get more hands on in our community with history.



Our first assignment was to visit a historic site near us and analyze using the perspective of a visitor versus a historian. Since I was already in East Lansing for work when we received the email with the assignment, I chose a site locally to investigate. I chose Mt. Hope Cemetery in East Lansing MI, but unfortunately I was unable to take any pictures because I broke my digital camera recently (which I am very prone to). Upon entering the cemetery you see the archway entrance that opens into the large expanse of land dotted with tombstones. Visiting any cemetery is always difficult for me, particularly when I see grieving families while I am there, because I feel as though I am intruding on their very personal experience.

What questions would any visitor ask about this site?

- What's the oldest tombstone here?

- Is there anyone famous buried here?

- Are any of my ancestors buried here?

What questions would a historian ask about this site?

- When was the cemetery established?

- How many plots are here?

- Why was this cemetery built here?

- What was this land before it was a cemetery?


Any questions or comments are very welcome :)