This could be implemented as a school-wide project, including teachers from a variety of disciplines, and include historical research, interviews, writing, art-making, and more. It could also occur each year to create a record of your school and neighborhood’s history—and what students want to see for its future.

Define the characteristics of your school community based on people, places, and events.  Create a list of the class’s ideas.

Research the history of your school. This might include interviews with teachers, family, and community members as well as finding sources on the internet and in the library.

Discuss how you are learning about history, as well as contributing to and preserving the school and neighborhood’s history.

Share your findings with a larger community. Remember visual arts are a way to understand and exchange ideas, so how can findings be shared visually? Think about the variety of places to share these ideas, including bulletin boards, the yearbook, school newspaper, website, blog, etc.

Discuss how your students’ research and discoveries might lead to visions about the future of their school and the community surrounding it.