Time Man of the Year
Information Sheet for Project on Significant Character
Persons are chosen from the Medieval, Renaissance, Reformation and Discovery Units
This “creative” project gives you the opportunity to interview an historical figure from the one of the
period listed above. No one will have the same individual.
Below are your choices:
Medieval Period
Charlemagne
King Arthur of the Round Table
Eleanor of Aquitaine
Urban II
Joan of Arc
Lancelot
Leif Ericson (Viking explorer)
Mansa Musa
Francis of Assisi
Mohammed
Renaissance/Reformation
Machiavelli
Cosimo or Lorenzo de Medici
Sir Thomas Moore
Elizabeth I of England
Erasmus
Martin Luther
John Calvin
Henry VIII
Thomas Aquinas
Johann Gutenberg (printing press)
Ignatius of Loyola
Warriors
Attila the Hun
Genghis Khan or Kublai Khan
Richard the Lion-Hearted
Saladin (Muslim Leader)
Robin Hood
A Japanese Samurai Warrior
William the Conqueror
Montezuma II (Aztec King)
Arts/Literature
Marco Polo
William Shakespeare
Leonardo da Vinci
Michelangelo
Dante
Geoffrey Chaucer
Raphael (artist)
Explorers/Adventurers
Christopher Columbus
Hernando Cortes
Magellan
Henry the Navigator
Vasco da Gama
Zheng He (Chinese explorer)
Francisco Pizarro
What to have in your interview:
1. Background of the individual; where he/she lived; family issues important events in one’s
childhood and young adult life.
2. Historical Context of the individual; what’s going on during the life of your person; wars, period
of peace and prosperity; political and economic conditions; etc…
3. What did your person do that made him/her famous? How does he/she feel about
accomplishments and successes – or perhaps, even failures.
4. What does your person “believe in”? What would be their “philosophy of life” – what ideas
guide their behavior – what motivates them??
5. How do others see the accomplishments of your person? Ask a few “friends, acquaintances,
even, perhaps, enemies – what do they think of your person?
You are to write a script! It is in the First Person. This means you ask the question and you write the
person’s answer. Be sure that you expand on the questions/answers to demonstrate that you are familiar
with the person. As list of short questions/answers is NOT Acceptable. Your writing must demonstrate
understanding of the person and their importance in history.
Further Expectations
1. You must include a magazine cover (see time man of the year covers for examples).
2. Transcription must be a MINIMUM of 3 typed pages. Single spacing within the transcript
and double spaced between questions.
3. A bibliography is required. You can include only 2 on-line sources. Other two sources must
be books and or printed materials. (not printed from a website)
The Rubric
Contents: (50 pts) Each Category is worth 10 pts.
Background on the person
Historical context of the time period in which the person lived
Accomplishments of the person
Values and Beliefs
Response of the society to the person and their accomplishments
Cover: (30 pts.) – Originality, neatness, presentation
Mechanics (30 pts.)
Setup (Question/Answer format and in first person
Neatness/Presentation
Bibliography
Schedule:
Explanation of Project: November 1, 2012
Choice of Person: November 5, 2012
Due Date: Friday November 16 (extra credit), or Monday November 26.
ABSOLUTELY NO PROJECT WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER NOVEMBER 26!