After students finished gathering information, they worked on a presentation. They took their stacks, videos, recordings, photos, and their written information and created a multi-media documentary of the families they researched. Students also produced a video which included all their research material. The video was made available for purchase by community members. Through the project students practiced many technical and academic skills while learning to work together.
Older students shower younger students how to operate the equipment.
The children quickly became proficient and were able to work easily with the elders who had little knowledge of the technical facets of the production process. However, the elders were knowledgeable about many things about which the students were unaware. Nervousness among both groups faded away as the stories began to unfold. One student who usually sat quietly in the back row became a leader in sharing the knowledge he had of his family. I realized how interesting history can be.