YOU ARE HERE >
Main > Teacher Resources > JCC Survey Course
Wendy Allard
09
Project
Summary
Addison Central School District
General
Overview of the Proposed Project
Addison has a
50 year-old time capsule that will be dug up this spring. To
highlight that event, the school district will be participating in
Night to Remember with a new theme. The theme is 1958: A Year to
Remember. It will be held on Addison’s official birth date, April
8, 2009 when Addison is 201 years old. Each class will in the
district will develop projects around that theme, coordinating the
projects with their grade-level social studies curriculum. My
class, an American History and Government 11th grade
class will concentrate on national events in 1958. Individual or
group projects will be displayed in the museum. On February 24, the
PreK-12 Social Studies Curriculum Team will be presented with the
specifics about the museum. The time and place has been confirmed.
The school district wants to have refreshments and advertise this
event. Community members are in charge of the time capsule and I
hope to work with them more as I explain the museum theme to them
this week. In addition, the district will bury a new time capsule
with participation across grade levels. The plan is to have each
classroom fill a shoe box with letters from the students to
themselves in 50 years, when the time capsule will be dug up again
to celebrate Addison’s 250 year birthday. In addition, each class
will include an object/objects that they feel represents our time
and us. The graduating seniors, who completed an extensive local
history project last year, will also write letters to themselves in
the future and each have a shoe box to fill with mementos.
2.
Clear Purpose and Objective:
My purpose is
two-fold. As curriculum coordinator, I want to excite the whole
district about history and its relevance. Also, working together,
each classroom/grade level will develop projects based on their
curriculum. My projects, focusing on the year of 1958, will
showcase the Cold War, civil rights, NASA, Eisenhower, NDEA,
Alaska’s statehood, and the multitude of topics that would highlight
the culture of Americans in 1958. Students will be able to choose
an area of interest and an area of skill to portray their best
projects for the museum. Since this class has been a little
difficult to motivate, I’m hoping that this project incites some
excitement at a personal and community level. Students will learn
about specific events, people, and happenings of the year 1958 and
relate each to the time period and its significance to us today. In
addition, the passage of time will be highlighted as each student
writes a letter to himself 50 years later in history, and students
will reflect on what the world may be like in the future as they
research the past – a key element to historical investigation!
3.
Stakeholders: grade level, who will benefit, who will participate in
this project.
This project
will include participation of every grade level and
almost all classes. I cannot guarantee participation by all, but I
can guarantee that almost everyone will be involved at some level.
The community will also benefit as they celebrate their heritage and
have the opportunity to social studies projects in a semi-formal
Night at the Museum. We will be approaching local businesses for
materials and services as needed.
4. U.S.
History Content Area
Sputnik lands
in 1958; NASA begins, the National Defense Education Act is
instituted. The Tomb of the Unknowns is filled with WWII and Korean
War veterans. We are in the thick of the Cold War and the Civil
Rights movement. Projects will concentrate on important events,
people, and laws that show the culture of the time period around
1958. Students will hear about other projects of classmates and see
other projects as they set up for the Night at the Museum and
participate in the celebration. Classes will decide what item they
want to include in their shoebox and examine their own time period
and its significance to history.
5.
Outline Describing Content
All projects
will relate to themes of the Cold War, Civil Rights, Consumption
(postwar) or Conservatism (key elements in the New York State
content for 11th grade social studies. Other grade
levels will develop projects to fit their grade level curriculum
with the theme of 1958: A Year to Remember.
6.
Software to be used, internet materials, contacts, etc.
Each grade
level may or may not use internet material and sources. At the 11th
grade level, students will use the internet to research their topics
and some may use programs to present their projects. I hope that
some grade levels conduct interviews of people living in 1958 and I
hope that individual teachers and students have fun finding
different sources of information. The yearbook and school records
will hopefully be accessed also.
7.
Level of Student Involvement
At the 11th
grade level, students will be working individually or in small
groups depending on the project that they decide to construct. As
said earlier, I hope almost all of the students in the district are
involved to some degree in the project and museum; most every
student should be participating in the time capsule project.
8.
Evaluation process (include students when possible)
Projects will
be evaluated on whether or not they are suitable for a museum. I
will develop evaluation forms for classmates to fill out and
self-evaluation forms for individual students. In addition, I will
have a formal evaluation process that will be sent later this week.
9.
Timeline: how you envision the project being carried out between
start up and conclusion
At the
district level, grade levels and classrooms will submit their ideas
for projects by the end of February. Lori and I will plan the
layout of the museum based on submitted projects. We will need to
finalize refreshments and brochures by the second week of March.
Advertising will need to start at the beginning of March. Time
capsule construction will need to be completed by the end of March.
At the classroom level, students will submit project ideas by the
end of February and will have to meet certain deadlines each week so
that all projects are completed by April 2, 2009. Projects will be
presented in class that Friday, Monday, and Tuesday (April 3,6, and
7)
Comments or
Questions:
Wow! This has
turned out to be a huge project. Lori Krelie and I want to submit
this as a combined project. We are also trying to recruit Cynthia
Lyons to work with us, as she is an excellent teacher AND community
member.
There are
other TAH members in the school district who will be participating
in this Museum. Can they submit their individual project ideas as
separate TAH projects, also?
I’m sorry that
it took me so long to get this document completed. I will be
submitting the following materials also:
1. Notice of the District project and Night at the Museum
2. 11th grade project choices and evaluation process
3. Student evaluation sheets of classroom projects
4. Self-evaluation sheets of individual projects
If I’m really
organized, you will get all sorts of information about the
refreshment schedule, layout for the school, advertising ideas, etc…
Project
for the Night at the Museum – American History & Government – 11th
Grade
Theme:
1958: A Year to Remember
On April 8,
2009 (Wednesday), there will be a Night at the Museum. It will be
at Tuscarora Elementary. Since the community is digging up a
50-year-old time capsule this Spring, we want our projects to go
along with that event. So, we will be recreating life in the year
1958. Since we are an American History and Government class, our
projects will focus on national events, people, and ideas important
to 1958. Think of your project as a 4-step process:
I. Topic:
Your topic for the project will have 2 components:
1. Topic Selection (must be relevant to 1958)
2. Connection of topic to various themes of the times:
Cold War
Civil Rights
Conservatism OR
Change (important events often involve this)
II.
Display: Once you have selected a topic, you must select your
type of display: Model, movie, Tri-board, children’s book, diorama,
performance. Additional paper with criteria for each.
III.
Deadlines. 40% of your grade on this project will depend on
meeting various deadlines:
Topic selection should be
turned in by Tuesday, March 3
Research should be completed by Thursday, March 12th.
Half of the Project should be completed by Thursday, March 26th
Completed projects must be submitted no later than Thursday,
April 2nd
IV.
Project Presentations will start on Friday, April 3, 2009 and
continue through Monday and Tuesday, (April 6 & 7).
Evaluation of Project – 60 points
Self-Evaluation – 5 points
Class Evaluation – 5 points
Museum Worthiness Rubric – 40 points
Presentation – 10 points
Rubric
Criteria for Museum Worthiness:
Factual and
Relevant Information
Relating to
themes of Era
Presentation
and Display Attractiveness
Interesting
and Exciting
III.
Rubric for Museum Worthiness of Completed Project:
Facts –
15 points
All important
and relevant facts are included in the project
Almost all
important and relevant facts are included in the project
Most important
and relevant facts are included in the project
Some important
and relevant facts are included in the project
Few or no
important and relevant facts are included in the project
Display
– 15 points
The project is
neat and professional looking, perfect for a museum
The project is
mostly neat and professional looking
The project
has some aspects that detract from its professional appearance
(handwritten facts, sloppy display)
The project is
mostly sloppy; little effort on presentation is exhibited
The project is
messy and difficult to understand; nonexistent
Relation
to importance in history and theme of the time – 5 points
The importance
of the topic to history is very relevant; the themes of the time are
clear
The topic or
theme is very evident; the other may not be
The importance
and theme of the topic is addressed to a minimum degree
The importance
or theme is addressed to a minimum degree
The importance
of the topic and its relation to the theme of the times is not
evident
Interesting and Exciting – 5 points
The display is
interesting and exciting; it catches the eyes of people in the
museum
The display
may be very interesting in content or exciting in display, but not
both
The display is
somewhat interesting and exciting; many people may not stop to look
The display is
mostly boring and not very interesting; a few people may stop to
look at it
The display is
very boring and uninteresting; only relatives will take the time to
view it
IV.
Presentation – 10 Points - Graded on the following criteria:
Organization/Clarity – 3 points (very organized, somewhat organized,
very disorganized)
Importance and
Relevance of topic– 3 points (importance very well shown, somewhat,
not)
Eye Contact –
1 point
Voice – 1
point
Posture – 1
point
Audience
Interaction – 1 point
Student
Evaluation of Night at the Museum Projects:
Name of
Presenter_________________________________________________
Project
Topic___________ __________________________________________
Presentation – Circle One:
Very clear and
well organized
Somewhat clear
and organized
Not very clear
or organized
Comments:
__________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Visual
Display – Circle One:
Very
organized, attractive, and professional
Somewhat
organized, attractive, and professional
Not very
organized, attractive, or professional
Comments:
_________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Museum
Worthiness – Circle One:
Very worthy of
inclusion into the museum
Somewhat
worthy of inclusion in the museum
Not worthy of
inclusion in the museum
Comments:
________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Self-Evaluation Form of Night at the Museum Project
Name:
___________________________________
Topic:
___________________________________
1. Did I
meet my deadlines?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
2. Did I
complete a professional-looking project?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
3. What
problems did I have with this project?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
4. What
would I do differently if I did this project again?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
5. What
were the strengths and weaknesses of my presentation to the class?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
6. What
grade do I deserve?
Deadlines met – out of 40 points
Project – out of 40 points
Presentation to class - out of 10 points
Class evaluation – out of 5 points
Self evaluation – out of 5 points
The
2008-2009 Night at the Museum presents
1958: A
Year to Remember
Date:
April 8, 2009 (Addison will officially be 201 years and 2 days old
that day)
Time:
6pm-8pm
Place:
Tuscarora Elementary School
Invitation to Grade Levels:
Please help us celebrate Addison’s history and community members’
history as we try to recreate life as it was 50 years ago. A time
capsule was buried 50 years ago, and it is going to be dug up this
year. The theme of this year’s Night at the Museum will honor that
time capsule, the time in which it was buried, and the people who
contributed to it.
In addition, we will be burying our
own time capsule. Each class will contribute one item to the
capsule and students will have the opportunity to write letters to
themselves in the future. Each classroom will have a shoebox full
of letters and one item that the class wants to put in the box. Our
plan is to have this time capsule dug up in 49 years, when Addison
is 250 years old.
We are hoping that contributing
classrooms can have their ideas for projects submitted by the
beginning of March. Forms are at the bottom of this paper and
should be submitted to Wendy Allard ASAP but definitely by March 6th.
Since space may be limited, each
grade level will have 2 tables to display museum material. Projects
may be done individually or as a class, but the idea is to include
our school community PreK-12 in this celebration. The gymnasium,
the kindergarten hallway, and the main hallway to the left of the
office will be used for displays. We will also be serving light
refreshments in the cafeteria.
The
administration is very willing to help out with this endeavor
and will support your efforts to contribute to this museum.
Hopefully, the subject can be incorporated into your social
studies curriculum naturally. If you need ideas, please see or
email Wendy Allard.
Night at the Museum: 2009
Grade Level: ______
Teachers
involved:___________________________________________________________________
Ideas for Project to display in
Museum:
__________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
How it relates to social studies
curriculum: ________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Special Materials/supplies needed:
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Wendy Allard – Project Reflection
1. What I learned:
The 1958 Project taught me a great deal about that year in history. I
learned some very interesting trivia about the year, including IHOP
& Cocoa Puffs were created that year. I learned some great
information about Nuclear testing that was done that year. The
students and I were amazed at how many nuclear accidents occurred.
I also learned that involving a whole grade in a project that has
some relevancy to the community is a good idea. The project was
created to focus on 1958 because, supposedly, there was a time
capsule buried that year and it was going to be dug up in April,
2009. My hope was to examine the artifacts in the time capsule and
then relate those to the research and projects that the students
created. Unfortunately, I could not do that because the time
capsule was never found. So, I learned something else – the work of
historians and archaeologists is not exact. The stories about the
time capsule were verified with the local newspaper and there was an
article about moving the time capsule, but no follow-up after that.
Some community members wonder if the time capsule is in someone’s
attic or basement. The stories and speeches given about the time
capsule led the public to believe that it was definitely at the
school. However, that proved not to be true. When we do find the
time capsule, I know that students will remember their projects and
laugh a little.
2. What I would do again and what I would NOT do again:
I am going to create a huge project each year for my classes, different
from previous years, that is somehow related to the community and/or
student lives directly. I am waiting for inspiration to create the
focus for next year.
I would involve the community again, but would not count on accurate
information to base my project on until I verify it with my own
research.
I will have a Night at the Museum each year that includes grade levels
from the elementary to the high school. It was a successful night
and over 230 community members attended. Students in grades 5-12
participated in the museum. We had wax museum characters presented
by the 12th graders and voting on the best 1958
character. We had a hula hoop contest (very important toy of
1958). Seventh graders dressed in camouflage gave out tickets to
people accusing them of being communist. Other students gave out
movie tickets to some of the hit movies of 1958. There was a trivia
game in one corner of the museum where people won candy popular in
1958. We had small children watching Old Yeller in another corner.
Original paintings and movies were created highlighting popular
culture in 1958. Music from 1958 was playing over the speakers.
Models of Sputnik were made, along with Explorer I. Kids showed
creativity and enthusiasm with the project.
I will, however, give other grade levels more advanced notice on the
topic of the Museum. Even though the museum topic was announced in
January, many teachers did not participate. I am going to get the
backing of the administration early and announce early in the school
year the topic of our Museum. I hope to have more participation
next year.
I will include students in the setup and deconstruction of the museum
again. However, I will ask for more refreshments for the next
Museum.
3. How it Changed Instruction:
The project and the museum focused our attention on a time period we
would study later, so when I came to the 1950s in my curriculum
instruction, we related a lot of the work and reading to projects
that were presented in class.
Part of the project also included burying a time capsule ourselves. We
are in the middle of a capital building project at the school, so
the burying part will be done during Regents Week. However, many
students wrote themselves letters and answered questions about
predictions they made for their future and the future of America and
the world. Some students included pictures and money in their
envelopes but I do not know all that was included in the letters
because students put their names on the outside of envelopes and
sealed them. We will uncover the time capsule in April of 2058; I
told the students that I will still be around (although I will be
42). A plate is being made to mark the location of the time
capsule and remind people to dig it up in 2058. Some students
really spent a lot of time with their envelope and the letter that
went into it. So, as far as changing instruction, I believe that
the focus on passage of time created some reflection for the
students.
Students brought in pictures from 1958 that their families had. One
picture was seen by a community member and she recognized her
grandmother. She did not have that picture, so she really
appreciated the photo album that was brought in by that student.
So, I think that the project personalized instruction to a greater
degree for some students.
4. How did the Academic Environment change?
The academic environment changed for the better. Students individualized
projects based on their interest and skills. The community also was
involved, especially the Middletown Historical society. There was
district-wide participation. I think that the project helped create
a partnership between the various schools in the district and also
between the community and the school. This made the academic
environment more relevant to students. We all learned together,
about 1958.
|