Sophomores draw on memories of senior citizens

Noblesville High School sophomores are combining the use of technology with memories of senior citizens to create unique English projects.

Eighty-two sophomores in Mrs. Judi Kellett's English classes have been matched with 82 senior citizens. The teens and their partners correspond regularly via e-mail about life in the United States during the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s.

The project, entitled "The Way It Wasn't," emphasizes research and writing skills. It also stresses communication with another generation, the people who lived during the time period the sophomores are studying.

The second semester of sophomore English emphasizes grammar and American literature with a focus on the 20th century.

Mrs. Kellett took a new approach to lessons this year and created a curriculum that requires students to research specific topics related to the 20s, 30s, and 40s, and to use e-mail to contact senior citizens to verify information they found and to ask them to share memories of the era.

Before the semester started, Mrs. Kellett started compiling a list of senior citizens who volunteered to work with the sophomores. The only qualifications were that the correspondents could remember life in the 20s, 30s, and 40s - at least the 30s and 40s - and have access to e-mail.

When she introduced the project to the sophomores, she provided a list of 40 topics. Students were required to choose 12 topics to research, one per week for 12 weeks.

"Each Monday we go to the library - or the students go on their own - to look up what they need to learn about the topic they are studying that week," Mrs. Kellett said. "During the last class meeting of the week, we go to the computer lab and they type in the information they have learned."

That information is shared in a letter, sent by e-mail, to the senior partners.

"They share the information they have found with their partners and ask their partner to validate the information, to talk about the topic, and also to share some personal memories," Mrs. Kellett said.

A copy of all letters written by the students is given to Mrs. Kellett who grades each one on content and writing style.

"I try to find everything I can about the topic before I e-mail my person," said sophomore Jeff who first uses books to find general ideas and then looks on the Internet to find more.
Knowing about a topic before sending an e-mail is important, say classmates James and Stephanie. Not only does that knowledge form the base for asking questions, but it lets their partners know they have done their homework.

James finds a lot of his information from the "American Decades" books. He takes his quest for information home where he searches on-line and through electronic encyclopedias to learn as much as he can about his topic before he contacts his partner.

"I go through books related to the topic I'm studying, and I take as many notes as I can," said Stephanie. "When I go to the computer lab, I can give my person a lot of information so they know I know what I'm talking about. Then I ask them questions."

Her "person" is actually a husband and wife. Both share memories and observations with her. She has talked to them about arts, music, fashion, movies, and entertainment.

Jeff's partner was a Marine who served in a tank unit at Imo Jima. Although Jeff has not talked to him about his experiences there, he plans to do so before the project comes to an end.

While many seniors are from the Noblesville area, others live in different areas of the country.
The partners include a man who was a security officer for a POW camp in Virginia, a professional historian, a bombardier who had been stationed in Europe, a recognizance expert from World War II, a former U.S. history and government teacher, and a man whose father designed and oversaw the engineering of Notre Dame's football stadium.

The students have been excited about the responses they have received. Some partners sent a four- to five-page response the first week. One sophomore received four or five responses to one question. Others have received pictures of their partners.

There is more to this project than a weekly exchange of e-mail.

Each student also will be required to research one topic in depth and use his partner as a source, make a time line that will reflect his partner's life during the three-decade period, and compare and contrast life in the 20s, 30s and 40s to life today.

Students are required to read a book about the 20s, 30s, or 40s, or about someone who lived in that time and made their mark on the time.

"We hope to burn a CD and donate it to the public library," Mrs. Kellett said. "The CD will contain history, photos, and photos of artifacts for their collection."

She hopes to provide access to information on the CD from the school district's website.

"This project has been a good way to tap into the community," said Mrs. Kellett. "I've always wanted to do that. We have a valuable resource in our community, and that's our senior citizens. This is a good way to connect two very different interest groups and show they do share some commonalities."

Mrs. Kellett applied for a grant from Family PC magazine for funding for the project. Although she did not win the grant, she received some money and software for being one of 16 national finalists.