FROM MS. WATKINS

Here is the letter I used to introduce the project.

I was looking for a way to engage students in historical research outside of the usual formats. Most important to me was offering them a truly authentic audience for their work. I didn't want to just pretend we were sending this to someone who'd likely never listen or respond in any way to their work. Mrs. Hopkins does a phenomenal job teaching students social studies to the 5th graders at Cedar Grove so I reached out to her to see if she'd be willing to let her students be our audience. Once she agreed there was no turning back. I discovered many students who'd been in her class before had a desire to impress her with their work. I also learned many of our 8th graders had 5th grade siblings or relatives who'd be listening. We talked a ton about how to synthesize research and present it in a way that engaged their audience. We latched onto the words meaningful and engaging early on as a way to guide their scripts.

I used a lot of things from the Adaptive Schools Training I did this past fall with Jennifer Barth and Carrie Wafford to set up their group work. We discussed collaboration in "small fire chats." I let them choose their own groups, set norms, and have a lot of ownership over that entire process. Establishing Groups for Our Project; Collaborative Groups Small Fire Chat

Christie came into my class and worked with students on the technology aspect. They used this resource.

Our students relied on Synth for recording and BenSound and FreeSound to add sound effects. We had researched podcasting by listening to other examples and identifying how those podcasts engaged their audiences through sounds, catchy hooks/intros, and presentation of information.

They did a few days of research into topic ideas based on questions they had generated about the Revolutionary War. I compiled their ideas and a few of my own into a document for them to choose from.

They had to write a script before they could record. Click here to see their script outline.

Overall I was so pleased with the process. They definitely worked through some of the graduate profile competencies with special emphasis on being effective communicators and productive collaborators. Seeing their creativity flourish through a medium that they hadn't previously been exposed to was really cool to witness. I think for many of them publishing a finished podcast that they could then share with the 5th graders and even their own friends and family opened their eyes to how they could communicate ideas and information to the broader world around them. I like to think we may have sparked not only an interest in historical research but also media production and journalism.