Digital Commons Network^™

The Benefits Of Using The Bible As A Historical Reference To Teach History And Literature, Anne Auringer

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The purpose of this capstone is to examine the benefits of teaching by using the Bible as a reference in both the primary grades in and the public schools. Given the factual evidence about correlations with academic success and Biblical pedagogy, this senior capstone research project brings awareness to educators about the benefits of that the Bible can be a valuable historical reference to teach history and literature to students in the classroom. Through the use of literature review and a case study, the findings revealed that using the Bible to teach history and literature, purely is a great source …

Derailed Fortunes: California's Forgotten Railroad, Alexis Depaolis

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

At a mahogany bar in Collins Saloon of San Francisco’s Montgomery Street, a successful businessman James G. Fair traced a trail of water droplets for his partner Alfred E. Davis to create the map of a visionary rail line soon to be known as the South Pacific Coast. Using historical records and photographs compiled by a selection of local authors and historians, this non-fiction retelling of Davis’ experience highlights the tribulations and triumphs of the most successful narrow gauge line in California history in order to share a largely forgotten but crucial aspect of local industrial archeology, as well as …

Four Women: Empowerment And Identity In The Songs Of Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, India Arie, And Jorja Smith, Symphonie Constant

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Black female artists are often bombarded with numerous obstacles in the music industry and are tossed aside without delay. Music is a safe space for women of color to express themselves and reflect on the challenges which inevitably occur throughout their lives.

Murder Music: Horror Film Soundtracks Throughout History, Vincent G. Aragon

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Horror films often rely heavily on their music to create a tense and frightening experience for their audience, and it is the composer's job to write a score that satisfies that requirement. Throughout film history, the methods composers utilize to achieve that goal differ across time due to various factors including available technology, allotted budget, and the norms and expectations of films at the time. This capstone paper explores the different approaches composers employed in writing horror soundtracks from the early 20th century to the modern-day, noting any significant shifts and common themes found in the music of popular horror …

The Ancient Mayan, Monica Esquivel Garcia

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Exploring the Mayan traditions, ways of communicating, and passed down beliefs in the Esquivel family tree. The homeland of Yucatan Peninsula a world known to the Mayan ruins. In this creative story a young woman discovers many important aspects of her life through her ancestors.

The Movement And Culture Of African Americans In California, Kale Leach

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Africans were brought into the new world in the early 17th century, with a majority of slaves being brought in to the United States. These slaves were forced to leave their African traditions and roots behind, and assimilate to white European culture, thus creating the African American or Blacks. African Americans than began to create their own culture and subculture, integrating what they had left of their ancestors’ culture and what they have gained from white European culture. As slavery was fading out of the US Blacks needed a place where they could feel safe and strive in this new …

The Art Of Cymbal Making, Marcus Gazaway

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The purpose of my research paper was to study, analyze and compare cymbal-making processes by popular and independent cymbal manufacturers to understand the individual elements that make cymbals sound the way they do. I researched the history of cymbals, their alloy construct, their physical sound design, and their frequency output.

My investigation of individual cymbals began with understanding how each cymbal was made, what it consisted of, and how those factors applied to the sound the cymbal made when a drumstick struck it. I measured the frequency output of five different cymbals by recording each cymbal as it was struck …

How Collective Memories And Divergent Historical Perceptions Influences Sino-Japanese Relations, Kenneth Chevreaux

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This project is looking to provide a comprehensive study of how history has influenced and structured modern Sino-Japanese relations.China and Japan are two of the East Asian powerhouses with economies that account for a majority of the region’s economic activity. They are two of the most influential countries within the East Asian region and arguably the world, but Sino-Japanese relations have a history of tension and conflict that spans back centuries. It is my intention with this research project to develop a multi-perspective analysis of the structure of Sino-Japanese relations with a basis in constructivist theory. This research can assist …

Integrating Ethnic Studies In Social Studies Curriculum, Alyssa Denise Hernández

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Traditional social studies curriculum in the K-12 system focuses on United States history through a Eurocentric lens. The issue with focusing on a black-and-white version of history impacts people of color from ethnic backgrounds that are not equally represented in the curriculum. The research conducted for this project specifically focuses on the impact of this subject matter on individuals in a predominantly Latino community. Through surveys and interviews, the researcher presents feedback on the experiences of these individuals and provides possible solutions on how schools can improve social studies curriculum at the high school level to be more culturally relevant …

Tape Vs. Tape Emulation, Adam Pardee

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

With digital recording becoming a standard at every studio, analog recording by means of reel tape is becoming a thing of the past. Audiophiles and engineers alike will talk of how amazing the sound of tape is. In the digital realm, companies are making vast improvements on making plugins that can emulate the sound of classic tape machines. This Capstone looks at the history and mechanics of tape machines and their digital counterparts, the differences and similarities between the two, and their respective roles in studios.

Moses Kushite Connection, Ibrahim Omer

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

My Capstone is a multimedia exhibition scheme, which strives to portray historical themes in an art gallery showcasing set in museum standards. The information presented may be seen as a source of information and concepts for those studying the diverse areas of the social studies and, particularly, history and theology and those studying Biblical and/or Islamic history. The content may be of special relevance to those interested in understanding the cultural setting of the modern Northern Sudan.

Same-Sex Marriage : Right Or Wrong? Past, Present, And Future, Jessica Hannibal, Summer Snell

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

An exploration of different perspectives on homosexuality throughout history, starting from ancient Greek and Palestinian beliefs, continuing to modern day society. Causes of current beliefs on same-sex marriage are traced to homophobia and heterosexism and several court cases and laws are documented. The last segment of the paper suggests that current arguments regarding same-sex marriage negatively affect society by portraying homosexuals as different, and therefore unequal.

The Missing Link : Our Mexican California Past, 1821-1848, Max G. Macias

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This action thesis consisted of the development of a curriculum rubric that could be used to evaluate and select socially conscious and culturally responsible curriculum in the area of Mexican California (1821-1848) history. Instructors were surveyed, in the form of a questionnaire, for their knowledge on this historical period. Existing textbooks were evaluated for their omission or inclusion of pertinent and relevant factors during this period of time within Mexican California (1821-1848) history lessons. To evaluate the textbooks, a curriculum rubric was developed to closely assess the inclusion of relevant factors of study topics, such as Native Americans, women, government, …