Social Education 71(5), pp 261–266, 271 ©2007 National Council for the Social Studies Elementary Education A School-Wide Effort for Learning History via a Time Capsule C. Glennon Rowell, M. Gail Hickey, Kendall Gecsei, and Stacy Klein The time is early fall of 2004. For thousands of elementary school students of “memory books” that have been cre- throughout the country, routines for beginning a new school year are similar. Students ated by students through the years? are getting to know their teachers and anticipating the activities ahead in subjects from As in any school-wide project, interest reading to social studies. They are getting acquainted with new content area books grows daily; the entire school popula- and materials and new media center library books. And across the nation, students tion is focused on one event—closing are catching up with classmates they have not seen during the summer months and down the older building and moving to getting acquainted with new classmates. a newer one. And in this context, in the fall of 2004, students, teachers, admin- For the 370 students in kindergar- the 10 principals who have served the istrators, and staff respond to a unique ten through fifth grade at Ridgedale school since its opening in 1954. call to develop a time capsule that (1) Elementary School in Knoxville, The current principal is puzzling gives a history of Ridgedale Elementary Tennessee, there is a special buzz in the over what she should say in a letter that School (1954–2005) and (2) reflects the air that makes this school year unique. expresses her thoughts about the unique- uniqueness of 50 years of education in Students are busy writing down the rea- ness of Ridgedale and the challenges of a building now outgrown for the com- sons they love Ridgedale Elementary. moving to a larger, more modern, school munities it serves. They are contemplating the most memo- building. In addition, the principal and One of the authors of this paper rable events they have experienced at her staff are strategically planning how (Rowell) worked with 15 pre-service Ridgedale. Meanwhile, teachers, in best to make the move while carrying on teachers in a yearlong elementary grade-level meetings, are pondering with the all-important task of provid- school internship with an accompany- what messages they would like to pass ing the best instruction possible during ing methodology course that included on to those who will be teaching 50 years the 2004–2005 school year. Students’ social studies. These interns, placed in from now (in 2055), in the new building learning must go forward even as the three other schools and Ridgedale, were that the school will move into the follow- community prepared for the future big asked to complete the following assign- ing year. Teachers are also reflecting on change. The staff and students are con- ment designed to help them focus on changes that have taken place in teaching sidering what memorabilia best depict instruction that targeted individuals and during the past 50 years. what Ridgedale Elementary School families as makers of history: Parents who are leaders in Ridgedale has stood for and for which it should Time lines and time capsules are Elementary’s Parent-Teachers be remembered during its 50 years of in Chapter 6 of Hickey’s Bringing Association (PTA) are culling through existence in its present building. Is it a History Home. Read this chap- historical accounts of Ridgedale’s past picture of the school’s mascot that wel- ter carefully, but then go back in newspaper clippings, minutes of the comes students as they walk through the to pages 14 and 15 in Chapter 1 many meetings held during the school’s entrance each morning? Is it a banner (“Family History”), where time history, and accounts of interactions with with the school’s colors? Is it a collection lines for a week in school or an S EPTEMBER 2007 261 These pictures illustrate materials packaged for Ridgedale Elementary School’s Time Capsule. individual student’s young life to students in their respective classes. photographs to place in the time capsule. to date are explained. Select an The survey would ask each student to Items that were eventually placed in the appropriate approach to using a identify favorites such as books, movies, time capsule are listed below: time line with students in the class subjects in school, and television shows. where you are interning and have The last question on the survey would • a 2004-2005 yearbook of the students develop a time line. call for the student’s favorite memory of Ridgedale Elementary School Relate the use of a time line to the current year in school. Students were • a PTA scrapbook containing how history can be viewed when also invited to write an essay on “Why I minutes of meetings, photographs, teaching your students, after they Love Ridgedale Elementary School.” and newspaper stories from 1958, have done the time-line assign- Students at Ridgedale were told that 1964, 1975, 1980, 1995, and ment above. Create a time-line their contributions would be placed 2000. assignment or lesson on a segment in the time capsule so that when the of history from another part of capsule was opened 50 years from • a Reading Book Record from 1978, the regular social studies cur- now at the new building site (renamed telling about books students were riculum (Here students may work Amherst Elementary School because of reading most and how students with a partner or in small groups). its location on Amherst Road), students were encouraged to read Write a report of both the initial could read about the thoughts of the last • three newspaper articles about the teaching of a time line and the one group of students to attend Ridgedale new school done in the extended segment of Elementary. There was an overwhelm- • a file containing past newspaper the social studies curriculum for ing response, sparking the special buzz clippings your grade. in the air that set the beginning of this Two of the pre-service interns at school year apart from other school • a 2004-2005 school-wide photo- Ridgedale Elementary School asked years. graph to create or make a time capsule for • a flag of the current school, the new school in lieu of the time-line Students’ Roles in the Time Ridgedale assignment, because the year was espe- Capsule • a list of past awards given to stu- cially unique in the history of the school. Perceiving themselves as a part of history dents These interns had already spoken to was new to many students as they began the school’s principal and their respec- in earnest writing their essays on why • old photographs, some in scrap- tive mentoring teachers and received they loved Ridgedale Elementary School. books enthusiastic endorsements. Since it was (Figure 1 is a representative essay by an • Time for Kids magazine for current early in the school year, the two interns upper elementary school student. Figure 2 events had almost eight months to complete highlights the work of two primary-grade • a Ridgedale Elementary School the project. students.) Students also eagerly gave sug- bumper sticker After obtaining permission to gestions in several of the classrooms and develop a time capsule for the school, to the two interns about what should • a shaker depicting the school's col- the two interns sent out letters to vari- go into the time capsule. Photographs, ors ous individuals and groups, explain- school emblems, yearbooks, and the ing plans for the time capsule and how school flag were just a few of the items that By writing essays about their school they could help with the project. A letter students suggested to their teachers or to and being able to suggest what artifacts was written to the teachers requesting a the two interns. Students especially liked should be placed in the time capsule, stu- time that a survey could be administered helping decide which scrapbooks of old dents observed how history embraces S OCIAL EDUCATION 262 Figure 1. both written accounts as well as artifacts students, give your all, keep the fun in The current principal, who would left by a group of people—in this case learning, and challenge your students be the last principal at the Ridgedale students of a school that spanned the to do their best. Always!” One group location and the first principal at the years between 1954-2005. of teachers (the kindergarten teachers) new, much larger school, was asked to described the school day at Ridgedale submit a letter giving her thoughts on Teachers/Other School in terms of starting and closing times, the transition from the old to the new Associates’ Roles in the what students wear to school, the ratio of building. She told about the excitement Time Capsule students to teacher, and lunch prices. in watching the new building being con- Teachers, by grade level, wrote a letter The president of the PTA wrote a his- structed (about five miles away from the about the current conditions of teach- tory of Ridgedale’s PTA, telling about current school). She also enclosed a book ing in general, and about teaching at the various PTA-sponsored projects (What Principals Do When No One is Ridgedale, in particular. One group such as the provision of playground Looking) for the time capsule. wrote about the national requirements equipment, the purchase of additional All written accounts by grade level embedded in the No Child Left Behind books and computers for the school’s were placed in booklets.