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What is a Hyperscript?

A hyperscript is a dramatic script with a cast of characters, a scene description, and a dialogue, in the form of an HTML document that displays as a Web page. What makes a hyperscript different than a regular written script is that at relevant places, it contains hyperlinks to other Web pages that further illustrate the events or themes being discussed in the script.

In this project, you will write a script using HTML and will illustrate your script by linking to documents, photographs, maps, movies, and sound recordings in American Memory. Your links will illustrate the motivations, expectations, fears, and realizations of settlers who came to California between 1849 and 1900. You may view a sample hyperscript, the first ever created.

Objectives

• Research California As I Saw It, 1849-1900, in American Memory and identify primary sources that illustrate the motivation, expectations, fears, and realizations of settlers in California from 1849-1900.
• Develop and implement search strategies that effectively locate primary sources that are relative to specific inquiries.
• Search photographic, text, film, and audio collections in American Memory.
• Create a hypertext script ("hyperscript") with links to photographic, textual, and audio collections in American Memory that depict the experiences of early settlers in California from 1849-1900.

Sources Required

• Four references and links to textual narratives from California As I Saw It, 1849-1900 that depict the motivations, expectations, fears, and realizations of the settlers.
• Four links to relevant images from American Memory collections of photographs, paintings, drawings, maps, etc.
• Two links to relevant sound files from California Gold: Northern California Folk Music from the Thirties or to motion pictures from American Memory.
• Print out all American Memory documents, images, and their bibliographic records that you have chosen to link to in your hyperscript.

1. Scene Description:
   Include time period, geographic location, stage setting, and background. Include at least one link to an illustrative photograph or print from American Memory.

2. Character Description:
   Include at least two characters. Include physical characteristics, age, gender, personality characteristics, and clothing for each character in the cast.

3. Author's Note:
   Complete the script with a note explaining how the selected links to American Memory illustrate the motivations, expectations, fears, and realizations of settlers in California during this time period.

1. Locate all source artifacts to be used, including documents, photographs, sound recordings, etc. You will have three class periods to complete your research. Printouts of bibliographic records are assembled and turned in by the first due date.
2. Write script. This is assigned as homework.
3. Turn in the first version of script as a word-processing file by the second due date.
4. Write hyperscript. You will have three class periods to complete your hyperscript.
5. Your hyperscript must have:
• Four links, relevantly placed, connecting your script to textual documents found in California As I Saw It, 1849-1900. Each of the four links should provide an example of one of the four "themes" identified in the answers to the following questions:
1. Why did people leave their homes to come to California?
2. What did they expect to find in California? How did resettlement change their lives?
3. What fears did they have about the journey and their lives once they got there?
4. Was their experience what they had expected? If not, how was it different?
• Links to at least four images found in American Memory that relate to the subject matter of your script.
• Links to at least two sound recordings or motion pictures found in American Memory that relate to the subject matter of your script.
• Links from the thumbnail images that you have used in your hyperscript to a larger version of the same image.
• Links from the captions of the images that you have used in your hyperscript to the image's bibliographic record.
6. Turn in final hyperscript by the third due date.