Lesson Plan for Local History Project
Title: Local History Project
Grade Ranges: 7-12
Subject Areas: History, Sociology, English, Writing

Synopsis: Students will research a local historical site, person or event that is not covered in Wikipedia (http://www.wikipedia.org). They will write an article on that topic that will be posted to wikipedia. Each student will keep a journal of their experience.

Teacher will introduce students to Wikipedia. Students will read 2 or 3 articles on topics of local interest. Students will be asked what they notice about the article (citations, links, etc)The use of a wiki will be explained by the teacher.
Teacher will initiate a discussion on the importance and vulnerabilities of wikipedia.
Through the class discussion, students will generate a list of guidelines for posting articles to the encyclopedia.
Local librarian, historian, or archivist will be invited to speak to the students about interesting local history, what is available in the library on local history, and how to research local history.
Students will be divided into groups of 3.
Each group will choose a topic of local interest about which they will write (examples: local cemetery, historic home, historical figure, famous street, etc).
Students will generate a list of questions about their topic of interest. Members of the group will choose the questions they will find the answers to.
The class will look at each rough draft and suggest changes where necessary.
Final drafts will be reviewed by the local historian, and reviewed for grammar and spelling by the teacher.
Final copies will be posted in wikipedia by the students.

Objectives:
Students will learn how and where local history is archived
Students will experience the process of inquiry and research regarding historical facts
Students will learn how to use a wiki
Students will produce a publishable article on local history.
Students will keep a journal on the process of research and writing.

How relates to Constructivist Approach:

In her paper Constructivist Pedagogy (2003), Virginia Richardson states that these are the five components of constructivism

1. attention to the individual and respect for students’ background and developing understandings of and beliefs about elements of the domain (this could also be described as student-centered);
2. facilitation of group dialogue that explores an element of the domain with the purpose of leading to the creation and shared understanding of a topic;
3. planned and often unplanned introduction of formal domain knowledge into the conversation through direct instruction, reference to text, exploration of a Web site, or some other means.4
4. provision of opportunities for students to determine, challenge, change or add to existing beliefs and understandings through engagement in tasks that are structured for this purpose; and
development of students’ metawareness of their own understandings and learning processes.

This lessons meets each of these criteria in the following way:
Students will use their knowledge of encyclopedia’s and other reference materials to determine a list of guidelines for articles in wikipedia. Students will determine what they will research in regards to their own local history. Formal domain knowledge will be introduced at various stages throughout the process, including teacher guidance in generating the list of guidelines, in reviewing wikipedia and at various unplanned times. Students will generate their own questions in regards to their topic. In seeking answers to the questions they assign themselves, they will no doubt uncover information that will challenge or add to information on another group members topic. When the first drafts are presented to the class, new challenges and questions may arise. Journaling their process of investigation, will provide a metawareness of their learning process

Richardson, Virginia (2003).Constructivist pedagogy. Teachers College Record. 105, 1623-1640.