Site Structure

Two ideas are central to the design and structure of this site. First, the home page is constructed to emphasize the stories of the athletes and the principal links to be used by the high school and undergraduate students. For example, while there are five links off of the home page, the three designed for teaching the students – “Alice Coachman's Story,” “Althea Gibson's Story,” and “Online Exercises” – dominate the page. Second, simplicity is another key element to the design. Within the interior architecture of the site, students will find only three additional links within each athlete’s story, and the links are compatible, allowing for easy comparison. The online exercises are also separated into three links and grouped by type. The following shows the structure in more detail. Click on an “eye” to see additional information regarding that link.

Digital Format Rationale

There are three reasons why this project will work best in a digital environment. First, the digital medium provides the type of interactive environment that is necessary for the online exercises that will be an integral part of the learning process associated with this material. Second, the web-based instruction allows a wider audience of students access to the teaching material and primary sources beyond what other medium can easily provide. Moreover, the site can “guide” visitors in working with the sources in order to help further develop their critical thinking skills. Using such a format, students can receive more immediate feedback, including an understanding that historical inquiry can sometimes lead to indefinite, blurry, or multiple conclusions. Finally, a digital environment is extremely well-suited to the visual and interactive nature of the age of audience this project is designed to reach – high school upper-class students and college undergraduates.