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The 2004 grade 7 Computer class was based on curriculum from the Young Historians Program, an initiative created by Baldwin parent Heather Miller at the Comparative Media Studies (CMS) Program at MIT. This innovative and inter-disciplinary project brought together history, technology, drama, literacy, media literacy and humanities to the study of the Irish Famine in the 19th Century. Our partners on this project were a technology high school in Killkenny, Ireland, with Harvard University’s Certificate in Technologies in Education, and also the United Nations agency, UNESCO.
We started in the fall by analyzing web sites about Ireland and the Irish Famine and rated the web sites. Among other projects, we have been writing back and forth between Ireland and Cambridge on an Internet blog. We tracked Irish families who emigrated during this period to Boston and Cambridge and the Cambridge Historical Commission presented a wonderful look at emigration from Ireland to Cambridge from the 19th century. In the spring, we wrote plays and monologues about our knowledge of Irish Immigration and we used the skills we learned in our Media Literacy Class to videotape the finished plays. In addition, small groups of students and teachers took pictures of our own city of Cambridge, “Sights and Sounds of Our City”, to share worldwide on the UNESCO web site and our school web site.
Here are the "Sights and Sounds of Our City":
Special thanks are due to all the Baldwin teachers and staff and others for their support and encouragement throughout the year: Mary Eirich, Principal, Social Studies and ancient Irish history; Nancy Rial, Media-Library Specialist, research, play writing and drama; Espedito Rivera, Technology Specialist, tech support and special effects; Chris Buttimer, teaching assistant; Mariane Adams, Drama Specialist; Ms. Heather Miller, project creator and curriculum support; Kit Rollings, Cambridge Historical Commission; Mary Woodilla, 7th grade homeroom teacher; Philip Harrington, 7th grade homeroom teacher; Dr. Catalina Laserna, Director, Certificate in Technologies in Education, Harvard University.
LINKS: 7th & 8th Grade Curriculum | Academics
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