Fourth and fifth graders at Brockport's Hill School completed the school's sixth historical calendar recently and donated some of the proceeds to the Emily L. Knapp Museum of Local History in Brockport. Students presented a check for $600 to the museum's director, Mary Lynn Turner, who said the money will be put to good use purchasing acid-free mats, frames and display cases for some of the photos and historical items in the museum. The classes also will donate $600 to the Clarkson Schoolhouse. Students began working on the calendar in the fall, taking field trips around Brockport to learn local history. They borrowed photographs, which are different each year, to research and include in the calendar. "We put notes on our favorite photos, then vote on them when we get back to the classroom," said fifth-grader Haley Markham. Then each group of students is assigned two photos to research and write about. "If we can't get information from a book or the Internet, then we talk to people directly who might know something about the photo," said Alex Crandell, also a fifth grader. In addition to learning local history, how to do research, and how to make a calendar, the project also gives students an opportunity to fine-tune their computer skills. Participating in the project were Mary Wanzer's and Eileen Jungbluth's fourth- and fifth-grade students as well as Lisa Montanaro's and David Resseguie's fourth graders, who helped with the research. "The calendar is a really creative idea and we all learned a lot," said fifth-grader Kevin Carges. "And we raised money for good causes, too. |
