Something
Important Happened Here!
Teacher:
Sylvia Martinez, Campbell High School
Overview: This assignment allows students to
explore not only a portion of their history, but also shows them that
a physical place has value and should be remembered.
Materials: Students should have access to
one-time use cameras that ideally they could share.
Time: Approximately 20 minutes to introduce
and then allow students a week to complete the assignment.
Instructional Sequence:
- Brainstorm what students think
"place" means. What kind of images or things do they think
of when they hear the word "place?"
- Discuss with them the idea that
often a physical place holds a sentimental spot in our histories such
as: the place you experienced your first kiss, a fall off of your bicycle,
a fight, a time of crying about your parents' ensuing divorce, etc.
- Then, ideally, share with the
class a picture from your history accompanied by a short paragraph explaining
the significance of the place.
- Tell students to identify a
place that plays a role in their life history. Have students brainstorm in groups or
pairs.
- Students
will take a picture of the place and write a paragraph explaining the
significance of the place.
Evaluation:Through
a presentation of their pictures, the teacher will look for a clear picture
of the place and a clear effective explanation of the significance of
the place to the student's history. A clear effective explanation includes
but is not limited to describing the place, what event took place there,
when the event took place, and why that moment is considered an important
moment in their history.
Notes: This lesson can easily be adapted
to a more in-depth project by having the students do a series of pictures
or by having the students ask their parents for a "guided tour"
(with a camera in hand) of their own important places. If working with
their parents' stories and places, students could create a family history
album.
