Learning Social Studies Through Service

I am really excited about the service learning lesson I planned. Entitled, "Preserving Primary Sources (An Interview with a Person Born Prior to 1940) A Burbank Service-Learning Project," the National Service-Learning Clearinghouse describes it thus: "Students interview someone over the age of 65 about what their life was like when they were the same age as the students. The students write a paper comparing the life of the person they interviewed and themselves. The students compile and submit their documents, as a booklet, to the Burbank Historical Society or a Senior Citizen Center."

I think I could list the benefits of this lesson forever; it covers every benefit we have listed on the Inquiry in Social Studies concept map. This exercise requires students to think like historians by having them research a time period and then interview someone who lived during that time. This prior knowledge allows students to ask interview questions that reflect critical thinking. The students truly take ownership of their work as they compare the life of a local senior to their own. One of the most important benefits of this lesson plan is that the students' work is compiled and given to a local museum or senior center. This allows students to relate history to their lives and creates more meaning in their learning.

This lesson plan sets out a clear method that guides the students in their inquiry:
1. The students analyze the differences between primary and secondary sources.
2. The students visit a local museum and study the time period during which their interviewees lived.
3. In pairs, the students practice their interview skills before interviewing their senior.
4. The students interview a local senior, gather information about their life as a teenager, and compare what they learned with their own lives.
5. In small groups, students share their reflections and consider what they learned during this process.
6. The students' work is displayed at school, given to the local museum, and/or given a local senior center.
The method outlined here is a good structure to guide them through the process. It provides ample preparation and allows time for students to celebrate and recognize their accomplishment.

This Primary Sources lesson plan exemplifies many of the best practices listed on the concept map. It makes the content relevant to the students' lives and allows students to work together throughout certain parts of the process. Overall, this inquiry learning promotes hands-on involvement in the content and enables students to create their own meaningful learning.

The creator of this lesson did an excellent job at predicting and mitigating potential challenges. Prior to conducting their interview, students have opportunities to research, generate interview questions, and practice their interview with other students, all under the guidance and supervision of the teacher. In this way the teacher does everything he or she can to prevent the students' feelings of disequilibrium during their inquiry. Some of the learning here is dependent upon the student, but given the structure of the lesson plan, I wouldn't think too many students would be too overwhelmed. I think most kids would be really interested to talk to a senior citizen about their life experiences, especially knowing that their work will be a contribution to the community's primary document resources.

As a history major, this lesson really interests me. I would love to do something like this with my students someday. Who knows, maybe they will be inspired to record their family history, or investigate some other aspect of their community's history. I also think it would be neat to have students write their own biographies and keep them in the classroom. If you teach for a while, you could have students 10 years down the road read about your former students' lives. Preserving history in your own classroom!!