This document provides guidance for students on conducting a community history project. It discusses why such projects are beneficial, including enhancing learning skills, involving students with their community, and building pride. The document then outlines the steps to take, including studying other examples, gathering information from primary sources, designing the project, collecting documentation through methods like interviews, and completing a final multimedia product to share what was learned. Groups are shown researching sources, examining archives, and recognizing partners who helped with the project.

1. Uncovering the History
of a Community
David McMullen Cindy Alcaraz
Sherrie Pardieck Mary Ann Hanlin
Dean Cantú Chris Herridge
Bradley University Katie Janovetz
Elmwood School
District

2. Why Study a Community?
 enhances performance in interdisciplinary
learning, team participation, and
presentation skills.
 involves
students with their families,
neighborhoods, and the community around
them, and increases civic awareness.
 builds
self-esteem and pride in self,
community, and cultural heritage.

3. Why Study a Community?
 providesan opportunity for students to
contribute to their community in
meaningful ways.
 fostersawareness and tolerance of cultural
diversity.
 encourages the interpretation, synthesis,
and evaluation of various kinds of cultural
information.

4. Why Study a Community?
 developstechnological expertise and skills
with documentary equipment.
 promotes school-community partnerships.
 offers
learning opportunities that value
each student's life and experiences.

5. Conducting a
Community History Project
 Study other community
history projects
 Gather information
 Design the project
 Collect documentation
 Complete the product

6. Conducting a
Community History
Project:
Study other projects
 American Life Histories: Manuscripts from the Federal Writer's Project,
1936-1940
 Explore Your Community: A Community Heritage Poster for the Classroom
 Learning About Immigration Through Oral History
 Local Legacies
 Oral History and Social History
 Locate research guides
 Locate primary sources

7. Conducting a
Community History
Project:
Design the Project
 Discuss the types of local landmarks,
traditions and customs that could be project
subjects
 Create a concept map with the community at
the center to help decide which topics to
include in the final product
 Divide work assignments

8. Conducting a
Community History
Project:
Collect Documentation
 Investigate, collect and document (full
references) primary sources (photos,
documents, newspapers, books, maps,
etc.)
 Capture the community with photographs
and video
 Conduct interviews with area residents

9. Student Research Teams

10. Examining Primary Sources

11. Primary Sources on Microfiche

12. Conducting a
Community History
Project:
Complete the Product
Digitize all primary sources
Write a script that tells a story
Assemble the final product as a multimedia
presentation with narration, titles, etc.
Create movie posters advertising the
documentary

13. Digitizing Primary Sources

14. Sample video

15. Special Thanks to
Bradley University
Dominican University
Illinois Wesleyan University
Illinois Council for Social Studies
National-Louis University

16. Questions?
David McMullen mcmullen@bradley.edu
Sherrie Pardieck sherrie@bradley.edu
Dean Cantú dcantu@bradley.edu
Cindy Alcaraz calcaraz@elmwood322.com
Mary Ann Hanlin ma_j_h@hotmail.com
Chris Herridge cherridge@elmwood322.com
Katie Janovetz kjanovetz@elmwood322.com