Service Learning Project: Your Community Through the Ages

Title: Your Community Through the Ages

Area of Service: Community Development and Oral Histories

Grade level/setting: 8th Grade

Subject Area: American History

Unit Description:
During a unit on the Cold War era, students will do a study of its influence on their community by choosing a local landmark or person to research. If a person is chosen, students will conduct a recorded interview of that person using questions previously formulated. Students will then take the information discovered in the interview and create a biographic article based on that person’s experience and the research they will conduct individually. If a landmark is chosen, such as a mural, students will individually research the significance behind it and frame an article comparable to the articles developed based on human experience. If possible, students will video themselves talking about the landmark on location. Students will then take the completed articles and upload them onto a wiki. Articles must include a picture of the person interviewed or the landmark at all costs. The recorded interview or video will also be uploaded. Students from the entire community and beyond will be invited to participate in this service learning project with the intension of expanding the wiki to cover more the community’s history than the Cold War. Through a partnership with the local newspaper, various student articles will be published every day bringing awareness to the existence of the wiki and the request for community involvement on the wiki. This is a truly hands-on way to make history relatable by bringing it to the student’s backyard.

Goals:
 Students will apply inquiry skills to study American History using primary sources.
 Students will research the role of men and women of diverse backgrounds in the Cold War era and the different impressions experienced because of the period .
 Students will better understand the influence and background of the Cold War and its impact still felt today.
 Students will appreciate their local community and its contribution to our history.
 The Community as a whole will connect and acceptance will increase because of the shared experience.

Standards:
SS.8.A.1.1: Provide supporting details for an answer from text, interview for oral history, check validity of information from research/text, and identify strong vs. weak arguments.

SS.8.A.1.4: Differentiate fact from opinion, utilize appropriate historical research and fiction/nonfiction support materials.

NETS:
Communication and Collaboration: Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.

Research and Information Fluency: Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.

Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making: Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources.

Technologies/Web applications:
 Wikis will be used in this project to launch the research material. Wikispaces.com offers an advisement free environment while also being easy-to-use.
 Along with the wiki, students will employ digital cameras, video cameras, recorders, and laptops to complete the assignments.
 Students will also be required to upload podcasts onto the wiki.

Assessment:
Students will be graded based on their wiki participation. A rubric will be provided to explain the wiki requirements. Requirements include understanding of the concept research, thoroughness, and creativity.
The wiki will be a portion of the student’s research paper grade.