| DECEMBER 9, 2009 -- Fairfield Warde High School U.S. History teacher Jim D'Acosta believes in the power of youth. If he didn't, he wouldn't have his students use their research projects to educate elementary school children on a myriad of subjects.
Many of D'Acosta's students teach at Stratfield, North Stratfield, and Jennings elementary schools four times a year. It is a concept that school officials support. In fact, Dr. Gary Rosato, director of curriculum, instruction and assessment, and Jack Boyle, deputy superintendent of schools, asked D'Acosta at the end of 2008 to submit a program to FairTV based on the teaching exchange that is a part of his classroom curriculum.
Word of what D'Acosta is doing is spreading throughout the community and beyond. He recently accepted an invitation for a few of his students to present their projects at the Nov. 10 dinner meeting of the Norfield Grange in Weston.
"This kind of support and encouragement from a local civic group is tremendous because it demonstrates to my students that they can help educate the public and that the public is interested in their work," said D'Acosta.
The presentation at Norfield Grange was filmed by FairTV and it has since been airing as the first in a series of "Teach To Learn" programs. Teach To Learn is intended to showcase the creative work and field trips of teachers and students throughout the district at all grade levels. Students love D'Acosta, who also has the respect of his contemporaries. He had two chapters -- titled "Crafting Individualized Research Projects" and Life-Changing Field Trips" -- included in the book Best Practices for Teaching Social Studies, which was published by Corwin Press last year.
Laurie Bock, a senior at Fairfield Warde who presented her project at the Norfield Grange, can't say enough about D'Acosta. She said, among other things, that she'll be taking economics next semester "because he's teaching it."
"He's very interested in what the students have to say. He's interested in our opinions," said Bock.
When Bock, 17, was in D'Acosta's U.S. history class, she and the rest of the students went on three different field trips. The far away ones were Gettysburg and Washington, D.C., and the third trip -- more local -- took the teens to various churches, mosques and temples.
Student research projects have ranged from a mural of Frank Lloyd Wright's influence in architecture to a mural of various aspects of slavery, from a board game based on Bonnie and Clyde to a copy of a famous painting depicting the Salem Witch Trials.
When Bock was given her assignment, she could have researched anything from the 1849 to the Roaring `20s. As a person who enjoys crafts and making quilts, she decided to make a Baltimore Album quilt, reminiscent of the quilts women made in 1850s era America. The Maryland Historical Society notes that women, via these quilts, wrote their lives in visual format. The quilts are made up of a number of squares called blocks.
Many different women contributed to a quilt. Some were made to honor someone who died. The quilt, when finished, would be given to the deceased person's family, according to Bock. In addition to various designs, many of the squares had poetry or verses on them. Making quilts is not something today's teens are really into. However, Bock and her mom used to sew a lot and attended "Saturday samplers," where they got the family sewing machine.
"Every month we'd make a patch, a square on a quilt," said Bock, who was in the seventh and eight grade at the time.
Bock is currently making 24 baby quilts for a neonatal facility in Bridgeport. She's done the "tops" and now just needs to do the other side of the quilts. She juggles her quilting between school, homework and volleyball (which just wrapped up for the season).
The Norfield Grange wanted a presentation on Colonial times, so Bock's research project was apropos. She said she was just a little nervous before she made her presentation to the audience in Weston, admitting that speaking in front of adults is "different than talking to your peers."
In addition to D'Acosta's students teaching elementary school-age children -- and now others in the area like the group at Norfield Grange -- the high schoolers also educate one another. In fact, one of D'Acosta's tests is based on all of the different research projects. In addition, the students come up with the questions that will be on the test.
"Students write the questions for the third test," said D'Acosta. "Each student writes three questions based on their research projects: one multiple choice, one true/false, one fill-in-the-blank. I choose from among these questions when writing the last test.
"These questions help students reflect on the most important aspects of their research projects and help them focus their presentations to their peers in class. Since the questions are simple, I don't count this test as highly as the other two each quarter."
Two other students presented at the Norfield Grange but the Grange responded enthusiastically to Bock's project because quilt-making fits the lifestyle and values of the organization, which promotes farming and old-fashioned family activities, according to D'Acosta.
Graham Cooke and Emily Bard, juniors at Fairfield Warde currently taking D'Acosta's U.S. history class, presented a children's book which they wrote together explaining the lasting importance of the Supreme Court case of Marbury vs. Madison.
"The children's book received applause and was recognized for its value and skill but Laurie and her quilt struck a chord with the families gathered at the dinner meeting," said D'Acosta.
D'Acosta said his goal in teaching American history is to inspire curiosity and excellence in students by demonstrating that "history helps us understand and improve ourselves."
He added, "Crafting individualized research projects for students throughout the year gives students the freedom to study topics of personal interest and to present their research in creative ways. They have fun and they learn a lot while working hard."
Bock said the research projects reinforce what is taught, allowing for better retention of what is learned during the course. In making her quilt, Bock got a sample of what the women of the mid-1900s went through.
"Mine was machine made, but back then, it would have been hand-made. Mine didn't take nearly as much time as it would have taken them." Even so, Bock's quilt was the culmination of about 50 to 60 hours of labor.
When Bock finished her presentation at the Norfield Grange, women were coming up to her, offering up some of their techniques. Everything has come full circle. She educated students younger than her on Baltimore Album Quilts, and now those with far more experience are passing down their quilt-making knowledge to her.
The Teach To Learn program, featuring Bock, Graham and Cooke, is currently airing on FairTV Channel 78. As of Tuesday, it was running every day at 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 9:30 p.m., and 11:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays the first show plays at 10:30 p.m. instead of 9:30 p.m.
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