Vermont Community History: Hardwick

Sixth Grade

What can we discover about World War II and its effects on Hardwick residents?

How did the students explore this question?

The class read a series of books about World War II to establish a foundation of knowledge about the war, culminating in creating historical time line posters. (See bibliography, below.)
One group of students studied what life was like in Hardwick during the war years by interviewing local residents who were Hardwick residents during that time period. They audio-taped the interviews and then summarized the information.
Another group of students explored what it was like to have been in the services during the war through videotaped interviews with two veterans. These videos were then premiered and aired on the local public access station.
The last group of students received training in collections management and solicited artifacts and memorabilia from those who were interviewed, as well as the community at large. They were responsible for creating a display at the local historical society, showcasing these artifacts.
The music teacher developed a swing dance unit, culminating in a community swing dance hosted by the students. Click on the "Editorial" image below to read an editorial in the Hardwick Gazette about the World War II project.