"Understanding," for this project, means understanding identity. Personal identity and collective identity are structured by monumentality, or the memory of sacred losses that explain to us who we are and how we should behave.
My understanding of who I am and how I should behave as a man are structured by sacred memories of my grandfather, who embodied particular values. By honoring his memory, I dedicate myself to upholding those values.
The goal of this project is for students to understand the ways in which history structures their identities. More importantly, however, I want students to take an active role in shaping their identities and those of the cultures to which they belong.