Summer SAVY, Session 5 Day 4, “Writing History: Truth and Lessons in the Past” (7th-8th)
Day Four! This was a WOW! A day in the life of the Writing History class. Students were given several actual resources: numerous newspaper clippings from the Nashville area around the time of WWII, actual war letters received between a husband and wife, black and white photos, and a selection of certificates and official letters tracing the history of the 30th Division out of Old Hickory, TN, through WWII.
Students spent the morning perusing the resources. They created a template in their journals chronicling title, date, type, important facts, points of interest, and questions they wanted to know. Before lunch, students were vested in writing a piece of history based on the resources they analyzed. Students shared their “riveting, suspenseful, emotional” recounts of specific periods that resonated with them. They were willing to share their beautifully written pieces with the rest of the class and receive the praise and accolades they all deserved. Although you will have to wait until their binders come home to see their great efforts, it will be worth the wait.
Students ended the day in the lab. Some are continuing topics from previous days (burning of the capital, Frederick Douglass, Emily Dickinson), and some are exploring the WWII topic of today.
Questions to ask:
- What was easy about writing today?
- What was challenging?
- What did you learn about the process of writing in today’s class?