The 72nd OVI Project is an ongoing development that allows my AP US History students and me to pool our skills to produce original historical research easily available to the learning community.  We are building a webpage dedicated to the history of the 72nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry which fought in the Civil War.  Using primary sources provided by the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center, I guide my students through the challenges of transcribing personal letters, gathering data from date from scattered resources and making reasoned judgements about conflicting information.  For their part, my students show me how to frame and present our findings in a format that is substantial yet effective for use by their contemporaries.  The greatest benefit, from my perspective,  is that our students get to “do history” (which can make the discipline come alive for them) and contribute to the general body of knowledge.  If you’re interested in learning more about this, I’ve established a blog on which I explain the project in great detail.