Middleborough 4th graders create museum

A first grade class enjoys a presentation about the Eastern Woodlands.

Reading books and writing reports is one way to study history and learn about other cultures. But throughout Baltimore County Public Schools, as teachers and administrators continually raise the level of academic rigor, creative educators seek additional ways to make lessons more tangible and engaging for students.

Middleborough Elementary School fourth grade teacher Laura Ferrante created a successful initiative to support her students in learning about Native Americans. By challenging them to create a museum to educate others, she feels that they studied Native American cultures more intimately than they would have through more traditional methods.

Students created “museum exhibits” on various Native American tribes. In addition to a map showing the location of each tribe, each exhibit included natural resources used by specific Native American groups and showcased the foods they ate, clothing they wore, housing they lived in, and tools and weapons they used. Some students chose to display other items, too, that represented Native American culture, like jewelry and musical instruments.

On February 9, 2006, Ferrante’s class opened their temporary museum (housed in the school’s gym) to parents, community members, and other Middleborough students. At each exhibit, Ferrante’s students made oral presentations in which they shared important information about the tribes.

One parent said she was “ecstatic with the accomplishments exhibited in this program.”

Another said, “It was evident that the students conducted a great deal of research, and a lot of creativity was put into each and every display. It was like being welcomed to an actual museum!”

Story by Douglas Elmendorf, assistant principal and Good News Ambassador, and Diana L. Spencer, communications officer. Photos courtesy of Middleborough Elementary School.