WCSS Conference 2015: Researching, Writing, and Displaying Local
History and Culture: A Collaborative Approach
Slinger High School
Presenters: Nate Grimm and Jeff Wolf
______________________________________________________________________________Start
with the end in mind. Wisconsin Teacher of Local Culture leader,
Mary Hoefferle.Teachers often describe their discoveries as 'I
didn't know what I didn't know', about themselves, about their
communities, about their students." Patty Bowman (Folklorist)
Folklore has centrality because it is so accessible: more than any
other discipline, it studies everyday life-the ordinary worlds that
students inhabit. Wisconsin Teacher of Local Culture Leader, Anne
Pryor
Slingers End:1) A community night where multiple generations of
the community could interact. Students would share cultural and
historical data they researched from October to May using displays.
Students would gather more data that night via
microphones/computers/data sheets.2) Students and the Slinger Area
History/Culture Committee would organize data digitally for
archival preservation (website)3) The project increases
communication and working relationships between departments at the
high school, between community groups and the high school, and
between the administration and the staff. Collaboration is a
wonderful life-long skill.Some Ideas that worked at Slinger that
might work for you:*Look for courses at your school that are
research-based/skill based including skills like writing, reading,
art, photography, video, etc. Weve embedded these skills into U.S.
History and Sociology but we also work with other departments.
Sometimes we can overlap with projects already going on in other
departments or give them a content idea with this assignment. ELA,
Art, Technical Education, Science, Music, Business departments all
worked with SS dept. members for last years Community Night. Some
in small ways. Some in large ways. The sophomore U.S. History
students and Junior/Senior Sociology students (CAPP option) were
two social studies courses that took the overall lead for Slinger
Area History/Culture Project *Create driving questions for
research. Have students and community stakeholders create driving
questions as well. What is the community interested in? What are
students interested in? Dig deeper than the obvious to why things
are the way things are. Dont shy from the hard questions, but
channel positive community events and topics in the first year of
the project. Big Idea: What is the cultural identity in the Slinger
School District today? How did it get to be that way?1) Year One
Project Themes: Music and Recreation in the Slinger School
District
2) Other Topics for Year One: Foundation Stories and Timely
Stories
*Schools (100th graduating class) led to One Room School
Research * Fire Departments (just finished anniversary) led to
district fire dept. research *More: Quilting, Family Recipes,
Gathering Spaces, Showing Cows (Interviewee had Health Issues) Go
where the stories are *Sample Subcategories within Recreation
*Racing (Slinger Speedway), Skiing (Little Switzerland), Hiking,
Biking, Snowmobiling, Hunting/Fishing, Softball/Baseball, Fistball,
Sheepshead, Golf, and more! YEAR ONE: GET MODELS FOR YEAR
TWO_____________________________________________________________________________________*Get
to know the Wisconsin Teachers of Local Culture organization. They
are a network of teachers, museum administrators, culture resource
specialists who promote place-based education and building
integrated units connecting the community to curriculum. They model
how to engage local culture with tours and workshops. The Bringing
It Home training in the summers of 2013 and 2014 was the catalyst
for us. We had some basic ideas and projects started, but the WTLC
leaders helped us build a thorough, layered, and professional
framework. They broadened our view to include folklore and
increased the value of capturing the living. They helped show value
in researching culture today and not just the past. History passes
through us Mark Wagler (WTLC leader, folklorist) Here is a link to
the Bringing It Home project website.
http://csumc.wisc.edu/wtlc/?q=node/73
Here is the WTLC website: http://csumc.wisc.edu/wtlc/Subscribe
to their Local Culture List-serv: [email protected]
"The most important stories are not the ones we are told, but
the ones we live." Michael Umphrey
*Get to know local community groups and historical societies.
The WTLC group pushed us to connect with at least one community
group for the Bringing It Home project and I can see why. The
community groups were immensely helpful in helping us get started.
Sometimes, their work created the discovery question. Here is a
photo. What can we find out about it? Is this object still relevant
today? (Slinger Advancement Association Sesquicentennial book
photo). Sometimes, a document became the model. Here is an excerpt
from a one-room school member in Barton. What can you find out
about the people at the one-room schools listed from the Slinger
School District? (Washington County Historical Society Washington
County One-Room School booklet)*Start with the geographic
boundaries of the school district before branching out. Students
come from across the school district (Slinger is a long north to
south district). Stories should be across the school district.
Unifying potential. Making all students feel like their areas are
important. End of Year Community Night: Bring in older community
members (Old Slinger) with newer district members (New Slinger).
What is the community identity
today?______________________________________________________________________________Timelines
and Connections: *Hold a summer meeting with community
stakeholders. We had administrators, community groups, people who
know people, and multiple members of the social studies
departments. Have a general topic or two concerning local history
and culture and have them help you brainstorm people and places to
connect students. Follow up with phone calls. One or two
enthusiastic interviews led to more people who interviewed well.
This also when we created our categories/themes of research.
-Administrators were looking for ways to celebrate the 100th
graduating class at SHS. Social Studies students got involved. The
Race track in town changed ownership and wanted to reach out to
multiple generations of racers and businesses. The social studies
students got involved. The Park and Rec dept was getting community
data for a potential new park in town. The social studies students
and tech ed students got involved. The social studies teachers
wanted to help students access the Slinger Historical Album
researched so well by the Slinger Advancement Association. The
social studies teachers got involved. The Slinger Area Music
Boosters Association was looking to archive some SHS music history.
The social studies department got involved. The art teacher built
an art gallery (Owl Gallery) and was looking for themes to showcase
the gallery. The social studies students and art students got
involved. In 2014-2015, the FFA and administrators were looking for
a way to acknowledge the 65th anniversary of FFA. The social
studies and agriculture students got involved. -After a general
topic is picked, the human connections are brainstormed. We worked
as a committee to identify subcategories, people in district who
should be talked to about the theme, and people who could connect
to those people. The majority of people on the committee were
alumni or grew up in the Slinger area. They knew the right people
to contact. *Hold a fall meeting, a second semester meeting, and
then a meeting before the Community Night.*Locate like-minded
people as well as those you would never expect might be interested.
Break down barriers. Go where the story leads you. Be willing to
connect with community members in students presence or prior to
students connect with community members. *Teach students secondary
sourcing as well as how to utilize and cite primary sources. Our
sophomores are working on disciplinary literacy, reading and
writing like historians. Our sociologists are working on writing
like a sociologist, using sociological imagination, and
sociological perspective. Build off of other courses in school
(scientific method in Science classes, narrative writing in ELA).
*Consider having an adult from the committee at the high priority
interviews. We conducted many of our interviews in the district
office conference room in study hall periods. The administrators
often popped in to listen. There is nothing wrong with helping
students transition with key questions or helping add context to
the interview. At the Bringing It Home conference sponsored by
Wisconsin Teachers of Local Culture, instructors encouraged
teachers to model interview
skills._____________________________________________________________________________Sample
Curriculum ties:U.S. History: American System leads to Chicago,
Chicago leads to Milwaukee, Milwaukee leads to Washington County,
Washington County leads to Slinger School District. First Semester:
Snapshot Local History Year One: One-Room Schools (100th graduating
class at Slinger High School Events), Music, and Recreation. Second
Semester: Oral History (A Life Story) Stage One: The Interview
Stage Two: The Narrative or TranscriptsStage Three: Preparing for
Public DisplaySociology: CAPP Sociology class (Dr. Paul Van Auken
of UW-Oshkosh advisor) *Neighborhood Project (used Van Auken
methodology and adapted it to Slinger) What is your Neighborhood?
(Field work skills, Learning to Look, Demographics) Survey Monkey
(School District Survey) Semester One, Analyze it Semester Two
*Semester Research: Create a sociological question. Research it
with support Most of our cultural data came from this class
Neighborhood Project got feet wet in first 3 weeks of class
*Material Culture (Architecture, body ornamentation, occupations,
Food ways (Cooking, Food Diaries/Pantry or Fridge concepts),
Grocery Store visits, Gardens, yards, clothing, celebrations, etc.
Food stories, Canning, etc. *Sociological Perspective: Values/Norms
(We found that Family was an agent of socialization in many topics.
Time, or lack thereof, impacted many choices regarding food
consumption, canning, having a garden, etc.), Make Big Picture
generalizations at the end. Document the conclusions. These come in
handy on Display Night. Displays of sociological questions in big
letters. Student data on display.
____________________________________________________________________________________Note
on CAPP class: Along with the support of the Wisconsin Teachers of
Local Culture, UW-Oshkosh sociology teacher, Paul Van Auken, was
and is instrumental to our work. As part of our collaboration with
CAPP, I attended several classes and summer workshops led by Paul.
He showed how he was using They Say, I Say: The Moves that Matter
in Academic Writing by Birkenstaff and Graff as a model for
academic writing. He encouraged me to read Flora/Floras Rural
Sociology and analyze capital types. He showed how they were
integrating Michael Perry (our conference keynote) and Jerry Apps,
a Wisconsin farm author, in his upper level Rural Sociology Course.
Our Neighborhood Project was an adaptation of Pauls neighborhood
project with the Oshkosh North Communities School. We added a
multi-generational interview component. I fused his lesson on using
Census 2010 to analyze local demographics. Students benefited from
learning about the characteristics of their neighborhood before
making a deeper connection with the community. Dr. Van Auken
requires a community project within his sociology 101 class and
encourages students to get out in the community and experience it.
In addition to using demographics, he taught me several frameworks
which I shared with students which helped them analyze a community
(values, capital types, third places, asset-based community
development, etc). Lastly, Dr. Van Auken invited sociology CAPP
instructors to be part of a Community Advisory Board in the Oshkosh
area to encourage dialogue between community stakeholders and
sociology teachers regarding opportunities for sociology students
to showcase their skills in various organizations.
_____________________________________________________________________________________Website
for Slinger 2013-2015 work: www.slingerhistoryculture.com
Website tips: 1) Find a community sponsor or pitch this to your
School District administration and see if there is server space for
your website if you can. This will ensure long-term sustainability
of archival information. We were able to get some storage space for
archival purposes on our server. (Note: We made some copies of
select interviews and papers and donated to the County Historical
Society research center. There were some things we collected that
added to their themes)
2) Be open minded. Students are good with technology. There are
many free websites and storage places using Google Sites, Wix,
Weebly, Word Press, Dropbox, Soundcloud, and more. WARNING: You
have limited storage space. OPPORTUNITY: You and students may learn
a thing or two about website designs.
When a community sponsor was not coming forward in year one, I
customized a project where two students who were looking at IT or
design as a career, would help me in their study halls for course
credit. We met weekly to work on the website look and archival
process. Reflection was a key component to this venture.
Sociological themes can be addressed within design projects as
students reflected on community organization and often were
spending time making decisions that reflect higher level thinking
skills as they contextualized the various subjects for a larger
audience. Be prepared for trial and error on any digital resources
out there AND always back up your documents and photos on a jump
drive or portable hard drive. Be prepared to spend time archiving
and organizing. (Just think, back in the old days, youd have to
fill your basement with paperwork/artifacts. There are advantages
and disadvantages of virtual museum type projects. I think there is
nothing better than the real thing and artifacts need to be
preserved, but advantages of a virtual museum are it saves physical
storage space and it connects 21st century students to things they
dont have access to or that they wont look for in libraries,
historical societies, and basements. Accessibility is a big thing
for todays students)
_____________________________________________________________________________________Sample
Project One: First Semester History students get a feel for
primary/secondary sourcing. Here is the assignment descriptor for
One Room Schools from Fall 2013. Note: students are including
folklore questions (games, customs, foods, school routines and
traditions, transportation, etc.)
Snapshot Local History Sample Topic: One-Room Schools
Overview: Recently, we discussed settlement patterns in early
United States history and how the building of school houses showed
evidence that education was valued. If you remember, even the
orderly system of breaking up land parcels as part of the Land
Ordinance of 1785 included encouraging public education by setting
aside section 16 of every township for school buildings (Danzer et.
al page 139). Weve analyzed early New England community norms, the
intellectual growth trend during the Enlightenment period, Horace
Manns push for public education, and just the other day, we looked
at Washington County town maps and noticed some regional patterns
from the 1830s to 1880s. Most of the time, one-room schools were
the norm in Washington County. Many of these schools were the
educational center for families in the area. In the Slinger School
District, youll find that most of these one-room schools
consolidated between 1930 and 1969. For many people who were
students or teachers at these schools, the memories remain strong.
Lets see if we can find some stories. Your job is to find out more
about these schools through both primary and secondary sources.
Note-taking from Primary/Secondary sources to provide a content
base for your own primary research: Take notes on what youve
learned from the handouts provided by your teacher OR additional
sources youve found on your own. (Handouts from the Rural Education
in Washington County book are provided and broken up into the three
townships in Slinger School District where there were one-room
schools. An excerpt from Jerry Apps book on One Room Country
Schools is provided. Handout three concerning Cooney River School
is a sample of how your primary source writing could go. Its
provided by local historian and SHS Tutor Aide, Elizabeth Weninger.
She interviewed her mother.
Primary Source: Locate someone who attended a one-room school in
the Slinger School District. Call them, e-mail them, or visit them.
Record the conversation if you can. If not, have them write the
story and attach it. Include a photo if you can. What was the name
of the school? What memories do they have about how it operated?
What were some things they did at the one-room that may have been
different than schools today? Anything unique about the building or
the area where the school was? (See the sample stories written by
several West Bend residents who went to one room schools in
Washington County)
NOTE: The consolidation of one-room schools into the larger
school districts in the area is important, but we are also looking
for stories about the early days of Slinger High School before
consolidation occurred. According to records, this year is the
100th anniversary of the first graduating class of Slinger High
School. If there is not a story of a one-room rural school for you
to share from family/neighbor archives, we would like to hear a
story about the main school in Slinger prior to consolidation and
as close as possible to 1913-1914 school year.
Sources: Apps, Jerry. One Room Country Schools. Amherst Press.
2004Danzer et al. The Americans. Holt McDougal. 2012Timm, Beulah.
Waechter, Lorna. Lickel, Lisa. Retired Educators of Washington
County. Rural Schools of Washington County. 2000Weninger,
Elizabeth. Cooney River School: An Interview with Theresa (Kubicek)
Merten. September 2013
Note: Sociology students reflected on the Lip Dub. The principal
and dean of students and business/technology teachers created a
video at Slinger High School Clubs for the 100th graduating class
and recorded a video. See bottom of schools section on website. You
need to see it to understand
it_____________________________________________________________________________________Sample
Project Two: Oral History Narratives (a life story)*Email me for
more information/rubrics. I presented at WCSS conference in 2011
about oral history.
For the last sixteen years, students have conducted an interview
with a family member or community member. This year, we created a
list of about 100 different community members with an agriculture
or food story. We interviewed some of them, audio recorded it for
archival purposes, wrote transcription or a narrative, and the
transcription or narrative as well as photos will be displayed at
the May Slinger Area History/Culture Night.
Sample Interview Subjects for 2014-2015: Owner of local dairies
(past and present), Charter members of the FFA, current and past
restaurant and grocery store owners, owner of home with old
creamery, Century Farm owners, any farmer, Milk transport workers,
Feed mill workers, Truck drivers, Food Service workers, Canners,
Bakers, Farmers Market vendors, Greenhouse owners, Florists, 4-H
stand workers, Concession stand workers, Farmers during G.
Depression/World War two, and
more____________________________________________________
Sample Project Three: Sociology Field WorkSociology students
gather field research in two stages. Stage One is a Neighborhood
Project and Stage Two is a community themed project. Here is the
Neighborhood Project that I adapted from Dr. Van Aukens work at
Oshkosh. Thanks to Paul Van Auken for sharing.
WHAT IS YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?(95 points)
Slinger Area Neighborhood Activity
To explore the definition of neighborhood and to get to know
people in this class and this area better, you will complete a
multi-part activity based on UW-Oshkosh sociology professor Paul
Van Aukens work with Communities school at Oshkosh North High
School.
This will serve as an opening activity in the multi-part and
multi-year research of the culture of the Slinger area for the
Slinger History/Culture project. The Slinger History/Culture
project is designed to help students become more aware of the
cultural identity of the Slinger Area (Demographics, Music, Art,
Recreation, Transportation, Occupations, Religion, Agriculture,
Groups and Identities, Gathering Places, etc) as well as raise
awareness of community issues (both past and present) in the
Slinger area. Student work in this activity may help students learn
more about themselves and also the community around them.
This also serves as an excellent way to start to apply what you
are learning about the sociological perspective, sociological
imagination, and the definition of culture in the first two weeks
of the semester.
(Students: Please read the handout from Field Working: Reading
and Writing Research by Bonnie Stone Sunstein and Elizabeth
Chiseri-Strater, 2007 prior to completing this activity. Pay
particular note to page 198 and Emilys description of her
neighborhood. Note: We will go to the computer lab and I will show
you how to work demographics into your paper as Dr. Van Auken has
included some helpful tips of how to use Census 2010 including
sample paragraphs from Walnut Way/Lindsay Heights area)
Dr. Van Aukens methodology:
Step 1: Draw a map of your neighborhood. Simply take a pen and
paper (the larger the better) and draw:
The boundaries, clearly marking the northern, southern, eastern,
and western boundaries (streets or physical features), of the area
that you consider to be your neighborhood.
Then, draw in the following details within those boundaries, as
they apply to you and your neighborhood:
Major streets Landmarks (natural features, historical buildings,
etc. that are well known to people in this area) Parks Stores,
restaurants, bars, etc. Houses of worship Other gathering places
The place where you currently live The place where you currently
work (if its within those boundaries) Places where people you know
on a first name basis live; and, anything else of importance in
your neighborhood
This map doesnt have to be drawn to scale, to look good, or
necessarily be accurate. The purpose is to simply see how you think
about your neighborhood. Hang onto the map as youll use it for the
next two steps of the process. (MAP-25 points)
Step Two: Take photographs around your neighborhood (as defined
by your map) that fall into the following categories:
Places or things that you value (for social, economic, cultural,
ecological, and/or recreational reasons) Places or things that you
have believed have changed in recent years Places or things that
you believe should be preserved and/or fixed or modified When you
are thinking of your neighborhood, places/landmarks that come to
mind People who you feel may represent who lives in your
neighborhood Your most important neighborhood hangout (a place this
is not home, not work) One image that best captures the overall
essence of the neighborhood (what its all about)
Take at least one photo for 6 or more bullets but no more than
12 pictures total. Everyone has to do the last bullet. Save them on
a computer, on a disc, etc. if you cannot keep them on your camera,
phone, etc. because we are going to do some cultural evidence work
later in the semester and we may need these photos again. Send the
one image that best captures the overall essence of the
neighborhood to my Google4Education account (labeled Neighborhood
and your last name). Bring the device where your pictures are
stored, or print the photos to bring to class for discussion day
(DUE: ____) PHOTOS: 25 Points
Step Three (Mr. Grimms addition to Dr. Van Aukens methods): Find
someone in your neighborhood who is a generation or two older than
you and preferably not family or someone living in the same house.
Make sure you shake hands, look them in the eye, and introduce
yourself if you are not on a first-name basis. Hand them this
assignment descriptor, explain you are a sociology student and
discuss the assignment, and then, if they agree to participate,
encourage them to complete as many of Step One or Step Two
components that they are comfortable completing or have time to
complete. Make sure you give them at least a week to complete and
arrange for a time where you can meet and share maps, perceptions
of the neighborhood, key landmarks in neighborhood, and your one
image that best captures the overall essence of the neighborhood.
At this meeting at least a week later, I would like for someone to
take a photo of you and your neighbor holding your maps or photos
and send it to me on my Google4Education mail. Label it
(NeighborShot and your last name). Ask your neighbor if they would
like to keep their map/photo or if you could bring it to class for
discussion. Bring it to class if its fine with the neighbor. Thank
them and let them know that you may be in touch with them at a
later date concerning local history and culture stories for
research. PHOTO: 15 POINTS
Step Four (Dr. Van Aukens methods): We will have a discussion
day in class on (Date) ______. I will arrange you in small groups
according to neighborhoods. You will be sharing photos and maps and
discussing the content of your discussion with your neighbor. You
will define your neighborhood (pictures and text). After that
discussion, you will write an individual definition of your
neighborhood including details from the first three steps. You will
list activities and places. You will include flora and fauna and
environmental components of the neighborhood as well.
DISCUSSION DAY PARTICIPATION: 15 pts
WRITTEN REFLECTION: Demographics and description of
neighborhood: 15 pts
TOTAL: 95 POINTS
This assignment sets the stage for our focus on demographics,
mapping, and community based research later in the semester
(Slinger Area History/Culture project).. In addition to helping you
practice sociological perspective, it should also create some
discussion about local examples of key concepts well address in
upcoming units (groups, roles, culture, socialization,
stratification, communities and change, sustainability, etc.)
____________________________________________________________________________________Neighborhood
Project - Regions
Rural/Suburban
Student Sample One:
My neighborhood lies in the Town of Hartford. According to the
2010 Census Tract 4401.05, 126 people own houses in the
neighborhood and the bulk of the homeowners are ages 35 to 54. In
terms of sex of the people who live in my neighborhood, 193 of them
are male and there are 184 females. Using the same age range of the
homeowners in my neighborhood, 98.2% of the people have at least
their high school diploma, and 27.3% of homeowners have a bachelors
degree or higher in my neighborhood. As far as their occupations
go, 75.1% of the people who are 16 years or older are employed. As
for the town of Hartford, there are a total of 3,636 homeowners
with the highest amount of people between the ages of 40 and 49.
The amount of males and females in the Town of Hartford is almost
split 50/50, too. 96.2% of the residents in the town have attained
at least their high school diploma, while only 23.6% have earned
their bachelors degree or further. Finally, 72.3% of the 3,636
residents in the town who are over the age of 16 are currently
employed.To begin with, I consider my subdivision to be what I call
my own neighborhood. My neighborhood is located about a five minute
drive northwest of Slinger High School and is also just west of the
Rubicon River, which is one of the only landmarks of any
significance near my neighborhood. I consider it to be a pretty
basic, quiet, and normal neighborhood with a few dozen houses and
generally full of nice and quiet people. The backyard of my house
points at a forest, one of the only other points of interest in my
neighborhood in my opinion, which provides a nice view and
something that some of my other neighbors cannot experience because
they live across the street. Even though the forest is a nice
symbol of my neighborhood, looking the opposite direction out my
front window is the picture that I chose that was the most symbolic
picture of my neighborhood. I chose that picture because that is
what I see all the time from where I spend most of my time. When I
look out that window, that is what I see and that is the main
reason why I chose it. Finally, to touch base on the interview that
I conducted with my mother, she also had an appreciation for the
forest behind our house because of her love for nature with things
such as flowers and birds. In all, it was interesting to see the
different perspectives of how what other people considered to be
their neighborhoods and just the general idea of this project was a
good experience.
Student Sample Two:
My neighborhood falls into Block 1037, Block Group 1, Census
Tract 4401.05, Washington County, Wisconsin. This is north east, of
Pike Lake State Forest, and HWY 60. Some of Washington Countys
demographics are its population. Its population is 132,661 people.
31,308 of those people are under the age of 18. 101,353 of those
people are over the age of 18. This shows how many people in live
in Washington County, and how many of those people are under 18,
and over 18 years old. In my neighborhood, which is Block 1037,
Block Group 1, Census Tract 4401.05, Washington County, Wisconsin.
There are 377 people living in this Census Tract. 118 of these
people are under the age of 18, and 259, are over the age of 18.
Another demographic fact, would be the average household size by
age. In Washington County, 12% of households have people living
there under the age of 18, and 88% are over the age of 18. In my
neighborhood, only 9% of the people living in the houses are under
the age of 18. This census information is relevant, as of 2012. My
neighborhood is a place that I call home. It is a big subdivision
with over 4 different roads, and over 100 houses, and over 377
people living in those houses. My subdivision consists of Elaines
Way, Royal Ave, Kings way, and Queens way. Some special landmarks
would include the BP gas station, close to my house, and what used
to be called Ubersville. Ubersville is a little corner, by the
railroad tracks, just south of my house. It is a house that raises
goats, ducks, and chickens. The lady that I interviewed was Rose
Nelson. She agreed with me when she heard what I considered my
neighborhood (Queens Way, Elaines Way). She also stated that she
considered the BP gas station, and Ubersville, to be a part of our
subdivision. One other thing that she considered significant would
be the Rubicon River, which is located right next to my house. The
Rubicon River also runs through a farm field, and the County
properties, that are right next to my house. When I asked her, what
her perspective of the neighborhood was, she stated that it was
more of a country neighborhood, or a rural neighborhood. I would
say that I have to agree with her on that.
Lake CultureStudent Sample One:
My neighborhood is named Cedar Lake Hills and is located off of
144. My neighborhood has a lot to it but isnt extremely big. I feel
my neighborhood is special because Big Cedar Lake is a big part of
it. There's a boat launch and marina here also. If you live in my
neighborhood you are guaranteed a pier to keep your boat there. I
would say the lake is the most symbolic part of my neighborhood.
Second I would consider the park/beach area a huge part and also a
huge hangout place for everyone who lives here. Its great for
little kids because they love to play in the sand and also great
for teens and young adults because theres a huge amount of space to
do different activities. You will see people playing frisbee to
soccer to any kind of yard games in the summer. In the winter you
will see tons of ice fishers to snowmobilers to cross country
skiers on the lake. There are endless activities to participate in
that all involve the lake/park. The other symbolic item I thought
of would be the flag located at the park. I feel like it brings our
neighborhood together in hard times because of the fact that when
someone passes away it does go to half mass. It shows how much all
of our neighbors care about each other and how much we really
support each other. I also think there are certain houses that are
of importance. My best friends house is located just up the hill
from my house and there are several of my classmates who live in
this subdivision. Regarding the map I drew to outline my
neighborhood I included the lake and park/beach area and just the
street I live on and also labeled the important houses. The person
I interviewed basically drew every street and also included the
lake and park/beach area. His map was more vague and not detailed
or labeled. It was just a general view of the area. The one thing
the interviewee and I agreed on is the lake is the most significant
part of this neighborhood and is basically what its known for and
what it has always been known for.
Student Sample Two:
The place that I consider to be my neighborhood is about ten
minutes away from Slinger High School and five minutes away from
Little Switzerland Ski Hill, the place where I am employed. My
neighborhoods name is Cedar Lake Hills. The name is taken from the
hilly landscape within its boundaries, as well as from Big Cedar
Lake, the lake that the edge of the neighborhood rests on. The main
feature that the neighborhood offers is the beach, park, and
marina. It is about four acres, and offers a fun spot for the
neighborhood to come together as a community. The community feel is
completed by the potlucks, football parties, movie nights,
volleyball tournaments, and round robins that are quite frequent.
There are many homes in the neighborhood, and since it is a
relatively old neighborhood, there are many trees. There is also a
lot of wildlife that is attracted to the lake. My neighborhood
falls into block 2017, block group 2, census tract 4501.05,
Washington County, Wisconsin Country Subdivision. It is located
just a few minutes north of Slinger and on the very south end of
Big Cedar Lake. My neighborhood is made up of a total of 56 people,
17 of whom are under the age of 18. The median age is 44 years old.
There are 19 households in my subdivision. 14 of them are family
households with a husband and a wife. In 2 of the homes, the
homeowner lives alone and the other three are non-family
households, but the homeowner does not live alone in the house. My
neighborhood is in Polk town, Washington County, Wisconsin. There
are is a total of 3,920 people living here, in a total of 1,457
households. 880 of the people living in Polk town are under 18
years old and the median age is 45.8 years old. 1,174 of the
households are family homes. The other 283 households are
non-family, and 227 of these homeowners live alone.
Student Sample Three:
I live in a somewhat medium neighborhood. There are roughly 136
homes in my neighborhood. Living in Slinger Wisconsin there isnt
much diversity. The Caucasian race is dominant at 98.3%. The
average family income is $55,607 which is around $3,000 above the
average for Wisconsin so that is a pretty good thing. The crime
rates are also very low in the area. Significantly lower than the
state average. This is probably due that the abundance of families
living in the area. My neighborhood is either filled with old
retired couples or young couples with a family. This helps with the
crime. Not much happens it is a little quiet. There are roughly 30%
families in the slinger area but a little over 50% of the people in
the area are married. That why this is such a great place for
families and just a great place to live. People are close and
everyone knows everyone.It is cool to live in the neighborhood that
I live in. Everyone knows each other and we all get along well. We
are a very close neighborhood. The place that people cherish the
most in our neighborhood is definitely the park and beach located
on Big Cedar Lake. I am lucky enough to live in a neighborhood that
has access to the lake and a nice beach. The beach is enjoyed by
all so everyone in the neighborhood chips in to help maintain the
park. That is what makes everyone get close with one another
because we do these things together. At least once a month there is
a work bee that many people participate in. This helps maintain the
park. In the spring months they work hard to make it ready for the
summer. There are a bunch of wooden picnic tables spread out
allowing people to have lunch on the beach by the lake. There also
is a volleyball court that gets used a lot and forms friendships
among neighbors. This is all located next to the marina where
everyone parks there boat. This is also a place that I used to
always fish as a kid. Now I see kids fishing there all the time
just as I did. There is this one tree that many people know about.
The reason is it is very big and easy to climb. Kids are always in
the tree climbing and playing. Ive even seen some family take
family photos in this tree. Also located in the park is a bonfire
pit. It has benches around it and open to the neighborhood. This is
the reason why our neighborhood is so close together. Every weekend
this park is packed with the same people and we love each others
company all the time. There are also some features that have
nothing to do with the park. There is a big hill going up to the
upper level of the subdivision. This hill is very steep and it is
known by all the kids as they bike, longboard, and scooter down
this hill because you can go very fast. Our subdivision is split up
into three levels, the lower, middle and upper. I live on the lower
level and had friends that lived in the upper and as a kid it
wouldnt be good for me to walk up the big hill on the street to get
there. There is a path that is located on the lower level. I used
to always take this trail that cuts through the woods that are
behind some houses. There are a lot of memories that I hold but
when I talked to my neighbor he also had a lot of memories. The
thing that he remembered is that the park that I enjoy today wasnt
as nice and clean as It was when he lived there as a kid. It is not
till recently when we started to take care of the park. But he also
remembers that the neighborhood has always been close. The park is
obviously the most prized portion of the neighborhood. It allows
the familys to get together and enjoy beach activities together. I
think thats why we are so close. There are many activities
available such as boating, fishing, volleyball, bonfires, or just
relaxing on the beach. We enjoy it together and I am lucky to live
in a neighborhood like I do.
Urban
Student Sample One:
According to the 2010 census, at the block level, 82.8% of the
people rent a house, rather than owning. Of the people that rent,
79.2% of them are living by themselves. The statistics show that
the fewer people there are, the more likely they are to be renting,
where as if it was a larger family (4+ people) they are most likely
to own a house. Also of the 46 people that live nearby me, about
1/3 of the people are under the age of 18. Compared to one level
up, the village level, the statistics tell something a little
different. It says that more that only about 25% of the people in
the village rent, and the other 75% either own a house or are
mortgaging/loaning their house. Of those people, the correlation is
still pretty similar as at the block level. With 30% of the rented
population living with one person, and another 30% for a family of
two. Whereas the people who own a house show high stats for 1
person and 2 person(23.4% and 37.7% respectively). At the village
level, 30% of the population is under the age of 18.
Student Sample Two:My neighborhood falls into Census Tract
4501.6 in the village of Slinger, Wisconsin. Block 1024 block group
1, Washington County, Wisconsin (Census 2010). I live off of County
Highway Aa on Speedway Ct, Slinger Wisconsin. In this block there
is a total population of 69 people all of whom are white. This is
surprising because the U.S. has so many people of different races
and ethnicities. My neighborhood consists of about 13 houses all in
a line. They road we live on is Speedway Ct. right off of County
Highway Aa. We live right next to the Slinger Super Speedway, and
also across the street from Little Switzerland. Our neighborhood is
very busy when it comes to traffic almost all year round; we have
the races during the summer and the ski hill during the winter. The
restaurant that is in the lodge is also a busy place, that is, it
would be more so if the owner of the speedway who previously owned
it didnt ruin its reputation. As you come off of our street and
head down the hill, you come into the heart of slinger. You come
into town and see the popular sub shops, Heroes, as well as the
newly redesigned Slinger House. Slinger is a humble and peaceful
town and I am glad to be a part of its community.
SAMPLE PROJECT FOUR: District Survey (Survey Monkey)
Semester One sociology students got permission from the
administration to conduct baseline research using a simple survey
of residents in the district today. In 2013, it helped us get ideas
for school district trends and what to study further as well as
helped Village Park and Recreation officials gather input beyond
the village borders to the district level for what amenities to
have in a new park. In 2014-2015, we gathered basic agriculture and
food data. Some of the best teachable moments occurred when we
discussed how to build a survey using Survey Monkey or Google Forms
and then looking at the results and making conclusions.
Sample Survey Monkey question on next page (once we found out
where people liked going for fish, we followed up with that
restaurant). Weve used Survey Monkey and Google Forms for
Recreational Norms, Fire fighting norms, Racing norms, and
Agriculture and Foodway norms. Survey Monkey is easier to
analyze.
____________________________________________________________________________
Bringing It Home Documentation: A Sample of What was presented
at the end of the Bringing It Home Project (see other
handouts)___________________________________________________Changes
from 2013-2014 School Year to 2014-2015 School Year*October Field
Site visit to local meat market, local grocers, Growing Power/Sysco
in Jackson, Milwaukee Public Market, Third Ward, and Arts@Large
WITH art students. Sociology/Art student collaboration.
Sociology/Art students brainstorm. Sociology data next to art.*More
time created for creation of displays, stronger rubric (see Linda
DAcquisto book on Student Museums), more time spent on student
reflection before and after the Community Night concerning what
OTHER students researched. *March interview day on a Saturday
morning at the school. Helps provide adult presence and helps out
teacher/committee schedule *Agriculture and Food ways photo
assignment within Digital Photography class. Last year, technical
education students built digital stories and videos. We are looking
to still do that but to add a year-long photo contest and an
assignment within the
curriculum___________________________________________________2014-2015
Documentation: A Sample of Agriculture and Food ways research
collected Sample Driving questions: Is agricultural welding still
significant in the Slinger area today? What type of farming is done
today in the Town of Polk? How does food go from farm/garden to
table? What food customs are in your family today? Trace the
history. Are Slinger area farmers selling food at area farmers
markets? Are Slinger area residents buying food at local farmers
markets? Are gardening/canning norms in the Slinger School District
today? Why? Why not? What are the trends in food consumption in the
Slinger Area? What cultural changes have taken place among
meat-market customers? What agricultural based businesses influence
the Slinger area residents?Etc
Student researching family recipes (Lefse). Photo by Ben
Moeller
Student visiting Allenton Farmers Market for interview (Photo by
Lauren Schuh)
Students visiting Gehrings Meat market in St. Lawrence to
discuss butchering, processing, and customer buying patterns today
(Photo by Nate Grimm)
Richfield Thresheree Days (above). Students attending
agriculture and food events in the area to gather information.
(Photo by Hunter Schrank)
Next Page: 1) Village of Slingers Risse Meat market (example of
business no longer here. HST students dug up stories from family
members, workers, customers)
2) Retired Food Service Workers being interviewed about food
service customs from the 1960s to 1990s. Current Food Service
Director was interviewed to compare. Retirees stuck around for a
tour of the current kitchen and some lunch. They were amazed at the
changes.
Photos by Nate Grimm and Nancy Schilling-Genz
Larry, an employee of Sysco, and Joel, an employee of Growing
Power, discuss the Cooperative Farm in Jackson, WI. (Photos by Nate
Grimm) Above and next page
Students in History, Political Science, Forestry, Sociology,
Art, and Architecture learned about Cedar Creek (unincorporated)
and the former Densmore Maxon homestead. Current Event: County
plans to widen road which affects some historic and natural assets.
Students looked at the property and the road widening project from
multiple perspectives. A select group was able to make a site visit
to the property for a tour and photos. (Photos by Nate Grimm)
To show you that we are not done researching last years
categories, this year we had some music students continue to
conduct music interviews, one with a concertina player and one with
a Slinger student, Hannah Mrozak, who made it to Hollywood Week and
was one of the Top 40 contestants in 2015s American Idol. We wanted
to document her feelings while they were fresh so future students
could learn about her learning experience. (Photo by Melena
Mrozak)________________________________________________________________________
Michael Perry, Thank Yous, Resources, and Contact Information
Its March. Growing season is coming. Winter is almost done (I
think). Below is an excerpt that we used in class this week from
Michael Perry before we head out into the field to talk to farmers
and a green-house owner.
"In part to mitigate the barren state of the earth, I have
decided to order seeds for my garden. I possess the perfect
armchair for the task, a saggy old green thing that came from my
grandmother's basement and now sits on a rug beside my homemade
bookshelves. Sinking into the worn cushions, I spend the remainder
of the afternoon leafing through seed catalogs and recharging my
chamomile tea. It is if a sunlamp has been turned toward my soul.
My winter bound spirit thaws, releasing sense memories--the shink
shink sound of a hoe cleaving sandy soil, the press of a hard seed
between the pad and thumb and forefinger, the scratchy hiss of
squash leaves moving in a warm breeze. I amthisclose to writing a
poem." Michael Perry, from Truck: A Love Story
Thank Yous:
Thank you to Barb Herther, Nancy Schilling-Genz, Bette Weninger,
Jeff Wolf, Dave Hanke, Steve Acker, Daren Sievers, Larry Gundrum,
Mike Schuetz, Dean Goneau, Mike Hamm, Melissa Stolaski, Chris
Ziegelbauer, Tami Dorzok, Emily Lofy, Duane Apel, Russ Hermann,
Chris Graziano, Rob Selzler, Erika Guth-Degner, Phil Ourada, Jenny
Boyd, the Washington County Historical Society, the Venerable Fire
Museum, the Slinger area fire departments, the Slinger Park and
Recreation Department, Slinger Advancement Association,
Slinger-Allenton Rotary, Slinger Area Music Booster Association,
and many other Slinger area citizens for their help with this
project. Also, a special thank you to the Wisconsin Teachers of
Local Culture, Mary Hoefferle, Paul Van Auken, Mark Wagler, Anne
Pryor, Ruth Olson, Jim Matthews, Bill Collar, the Wisconsin Arts
Board, the Chippewa Valley Museum, Arts@Large, and the National
Endowment for the Arts for local learning leadership and
inspiration.
In the spirit of the Wisconsin Idea, thank you to WCSS for
allowing us to present our work concerning local Slinger history
and culture outside of Slinger, WI. Good general resources:
Wisconsin Teachers of Local Culture, Wisconsin State Historical
Society, County Historical Societies, University of Oshkosh
Sociology Department (Paul Van Auken), Ruth Olson and the Center
for the Study of Upper Midwestern Cultures (at UW-Madison), any
books by Jerry Apps, Michael Perry, and John Gurda, C.A.R.T.S.,
www.wisconsinfolks.org, Wisconsin People and Ideas, people in your
community
Some References for this projectBowman, Patty, and Hamer, Lynne,
editors. Through the School House Door: Folklore, Community,
Curriculum. Utah State University Press, Logan Utah,
2011.DAcquisto, Linda. Learning on Display: Student-Created Museums
That Build Understand. Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development, Alexandria, VA. 2006. Sustein, Bonnie Stone, and
Chiseri-Strater, Elizabeth. Field Working: Reading and Writing
Research, 4th Edition. Bedford/St. Martins. Boston, MA. 2007Wagler,
Mark, Olson, Ruth, and Pryor, Anne. Kids Guide to Local Culture.
Madison Childrens Museum. 2004.Timm, Beulah. Waechter, Lorna.
Lickel, Lisa. Retired Educators of Washington County. Rural Schools
of Washington County. 2000
Van Auken, Paul, Golding, Shaun, and Brown, James. Prompting
with Pictures: Determinism and Democracy in Image-Based Planning,
American Planning Association, 2012.
OUR
EMAILS:[email protected]@slingerschools.org
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