| |
| School:
West Iron County Middle School-19 Students - 8th Grade Advanced
Language Arts |
| Teachers:
Terri O'Donnell, Carol Walbrink |
| Theme
for the Lesson Week: This lesson began the week of March 15,
2004, and continued until the book publication April 20, 2004. The
African Stained Glass art project lasted for one week. The West
Iron County Student Art Show followed by the student visit to the
Iron County Musuem took place during early May. |
| Big
Culture Lesson Description: Students were to investigate the
history of Iron County by interviewing people who lived during the
1920's up to the 1960's. The students interviewed a person of their
choice, took notes, and then turned the notes into a biographical
essay about that person's life. Students were also required to do
Internet research about eh era, create historical facts sheets on
the era, and work as a team in creating and publishing a biographical
book entitled Reflections of Time, From the eyes of the old..
To the ears of the new! |
Essential
Questions:
|
What is a biography? |
| What
is a biographical essay and how is one written? |
| What
essential questions should you ask someone during an interview? |
| What
was happening in Iron County relevant to the 1920's.30's,40's,50's,
and 60's? |
| How
do you create and publish a collaborative class book? |
| What
can be learned by talking to the elderly of our community? |
| How
is it important to know our history? |
| How
does art reflect history? |
|
|
Initiating
Activities: Students read biographies that were written in
the Prentice Hall Series and discussed what elements were found
in biographies. Students began creating a list of questions regarding
the past that could be used to interview someone, and then practiced
mock-interviews with peers.
|
| Student
Activities: Students were given a biography packet which included
an example biography, The Life and Times of...;a questionaire,
Recording a Life; an organizer, Biography Graphic Organizer,
an Interview Organizer and Observation Log; as well as a Story Board
to use in creating and organizing of a biography. The students chose
a person to interview and set up times, outside of school, to interview
the person regarding their memories of the past, thoughts, feelings,
actions, and ideas of life in Iron County. Students conducted "Google"
searches regarding Iron County and the different time frames to
get a better understanding of what was happening during the era
they were discussing in their interviews. Students began writing
, editing, and pulishing their individual biographical essays which
were then arranged according to the time era and subject discussed.
Students began working in small groups on the designing and publishing
of their specific chapter of the collaborative book. Chapters include:
Decades of Historical Facts, During the Depression, Life on the
Farm, Some Mined, The Good Old Days, and a Bibliography page. In
Art Class each student designed and made 6 stained glass masks using
drawing and tissue paper, in red, white and black color patterns. |
|
Culminating
Activities: Students shared the published book, Reflections
of Time, with the person they interviewed by giving the person
a copy of the book to keep. Students also received a copy of the
book for themselves, and a copy was placed in the Iron County
Museum archival collection of oral history interviews. Students
were asked to write a reflective journal on what they had learned
about Iron County and how they felt talking to elderly people
of the communmity. The students best African Stained Glass Mask
was placed on exhibit in the West Iron County Student Art Show.
All 8th grade students visited the Iron County Museum and toured
the three art galleries and took an Art Walk through the main
Museum building. Students were asked to look at what they have
done in the past year and how it will or will not impact the future
in a favorable way. Individual goals were shared with the class.
Discussion was held on Art Heritage: Leblanc Wildlife Gallery
reflects the French heritage of Trappers/fur traders, the Giovanelli
Gallery reflects Italian Renaissance heritage, Bernhardt Contemporary
Gallery reflects the American melting pot as does the art (wood
carvings, paintings and prints, and sculptures) in the main Museum
building.
|
| Assessment:
The completion of a questionaire pertaining to the interview the
student did. The written biographical essay. The completion and
publication of the book "Reflections of Time, From the eyes
of the old..To the ears of the new!" |
| Criteria
for evaluating student projects/performances: The students writing,
1st draft, was assessed using a peer-assessment form. The students
published work was evaluated on the professional appearance and
content of the work. |
Community
Resource Contact Information: Contact Person:
Audrey
Ridolphi, Project Director
1001 Seldon Road Apartment #E
Iron River, MI 49935
906-265-2707 audreyr@up.net |
|
| Recommended
Resources :
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| Teacher
Reflection : The BIG Culture Lesson training gave me a direction
to go with the biographies we were writing. I had the students focus
on Iron County and its history instead of having them do "general"
biographies about any topic. The students had a purpose for doing
the interviews and it made the interviews easier since there was
a goal in mind and a topic to focus on. The students engaged in
meaningful conversations with people they would not ordinarily talk
to about topics they would not have talked about. The book, "They
Came to Iron County, Michigan," provided and published
by the Museum many years ago, contributred to my knowledge as sample
of oral history. The students found the project very rewarding and
so did I. |
Connection
to Historic Perspective:
Strand
I, Content standard I, MS Strand I
Strand I, Content standard II, MS Strand II,III,IV |
Connection
to Geographic Perspective:
| Strand
II, Content standard I, MS Strand I,II,III |
Connection
to Economic Perspective:
Strand
IV, Content standard I, MS Strand I,II,III
Strand IV, Content Standard II, Ms Strand IV |
Connection
to Inquiry:
| Strand
V, Content standard II, MS Strand I,II,III,IV |
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