Task 1
Students make a virtual (digital) time capsule to show future generations what school is like now.
Students work collaboratively to decide what items (images, audio, video, text) to include as a record of their school life. They create, collect and organise the digital items and then make their virtual time capsule as a PowerPoint slide show or in other suitable software.
Introducing the task
Draw on students' prior knowledge by asking: 'In the School museum visit videos (the 1880s and 1910) how was school different from today?' Encourage students to talk about their response to how it was in the past. For example, did they think it was interesting, fun, silly, horrible? Why?
Explain: 'Imagine that a child in the future can look back at your school life, just like you looked back at school life for children in the past. What do you think a girl or boy in the future would notice about your school life today?' Make a list of responses on the board, sorting them into categories or topics. If necessary, prompt students by writing some category or topic headings on the board.
Possible category headings
The following categories relate to 'Visit a school museum' video clip topics:
- Starting our school day
- In the classroom
- Reading, writing and arithmetic
- Lesson activities
- Discipline
- Sports and school
- Clothes we wear
- Toys and games
- Teacher tools
Tell students: 'We're going to make a virtual time capsule to show students in the future what school is like now.' Explain to students that a time capsule is a collection of objects or information that tells about a certain place and/or time and is left untouched for people in the future. A time capsule usually consists of real items inside a container that is buried in the ground. Our time capsule however will be 'virtual' because it will be made on a computer. It will include digital images and words, maybe sound or even video.
Respond to students' comments and/or questions about a virtual time capsule. You can read more about time capsules on Wikipedia or complete a Google search.
Preparing items for the time capsule
Ask the class what items they think should be included in their time capsule to show how school is now. Ask students to say why they think an item is important. Prompt students with the lists already on the board. Students might have additional suggestions.
Divide the class into groups and assign each group a topic or area of school life. Ask the groups to discuss and add to the items suggested for their area, and then choose the three they think are most important to add to the virtual time capsule.
Students decide how to present the items (digital image, audio or video recording, text) and then create, gather and prepare them for the capsule. Some items could be presented in more than one media. Students can use existing resources or make new ones. For example students might:
- take a photo of their school assembly or ceremony
- video a sports event and photograph the equipment
- video or photograph a classroom activity, make an audio recording of a student saying why they like the activity, and photograph a page in their workbook related to the activity
- record the sound of the school bell.
Ask the group to write one sentence for each item stating what it is and why it is important to include.
When the items are ready, students add them to a digital time capsule. For ideas on making the capsule, see the next section, 'Creating the virtual time capsule'.
Creating the virtual time capsule
The virtual time capsule could be created in Microsoft PowerPoint or other suitable software. Tools4U: Microsoft PowerPoint can help you get started with this software.
Other resources
Resources to help students create time capsule items and ideas for other software to use:
- Tools4U: Adobe Photoshop Elements – for image editing
- Tools4U: Audacity – for audio recording
- UCreate a slide show
- Tools4U: Window Movie Maker
- Tools4U: SMART Notebook
- Tools4U: Adobe Captivate
The class might begin the PowerPoint time capsule slide show with a title page that has a sentence addressed to students of the future and/or a sentence about school today and the date. The last slide might be the name of the class with or without students' names.
Before adding items to the slide show, students decide how the items will be organised. In what order will the items appear? Will each one be on a separate slide or will some appear on the same slide? These decisions should be made within the groups.
Students type the sentence they wrote about the item. Review the slide show and discuss and make any changes.
View and talk about the finished slide show. Afterwards, it could be put on a CD or USB stick and hidden somewhere in the school. Wrap the device well beforehand.
Task 2
Students conduct an oral history interview with their grandmother, grandfather or older member of the family to get their perspective on what school was like when they were young. The 'Looking back' video clips provide a model for students to use when they conduct their own interview.
Help students to devise open-ended questions
Introduce the concept of open-ended questions.
Students use the think-pair-share strategy to devise two open-ended questions that they could ask an older member of the community to find out about their memories of school. Provide each pair with two question words such as how, when, where, why or what to guide their questions.
Bring the class together and compile the questions in this PowerPoint slide show (.pptx 52kB). Analyse each question and discuss if it is an open-ended question or a closed question and whether it would provide the information required. Students can use the compiled questions as a guide when they prepare their own interview.
Prepare students to conduct an oral history interview
Show students the guide for conducting an oral history interview (.docx 93kB). Read the steps with students focusing on the action verb in bold type.
You might:
- brainstorm ways to conduct an interview other than in person such as via Skype
- suggest ways of recording and sharing the interview such as using a video camera, an mp3 recorder, Audacity or VoiceThread
- talk about and role play ways to show your interest, verbally and non-verbally
- suggest students ask for more information when needed. They might ask 'Can you tell me more about that?'
Students record their own interview questions on the Student interview (.docx 287kB) sheet. You could use these questions (.docx 21.7kB) to assist your students.
Assist students to conduct and present their oral history interview.