History is made by real people!
Be aware of the life you are living, history is created in the present. The things that you see and do today become history for people in the future.
The idea behind the Living History Project is to take advantage of the history that has been seen by people that we know. Naturally, older people have lived through more history than younger ones have in their lifetime.
You will be writing letters to your Living History partners throughout this first semester, telling them about you and asking them about their lives. In this way we will learn about history from people who were actually there.
My Living History Partner is: _____________________________
My relationship with that person is: ________________________
His/Her mailing address is: ________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Dear Fifth Grade Students and Parents,
I hope that everyone has enjoyed the summer. I am excited about the upcoming school year and the fun projects we have planned. One is the Living History project, which is a letter exchange between your child and an older person. We would like the students to get first hand accounts of history from people they know.
Whom should we invite to be a partner?
Students should select an older person in their life to be a partner. Some examples include grandparents, great-grandparents, great aunts and uncles, godparents, family friends, distant relatives, a neighbor, etc.
Consider the demands of the project and the energy and availability of the partner. He/she will need to write a total of four letters between September and December in response to the students’ letters. A firm commitment is very important from each child’s partner, as his/her involvement in the letter exchange depends upon receiving the partner’s letters.
When considering whom to ask, please share the guidelines for this project on the next page with the prospective partner. Think about your partner’s flexibility, travel schedule and ability to make that commitment. For example, your great-aunt who is on a world tour during the month of October may not be in a position to send or receive mail. Your ninety-nine year old great uncle may find this an excessive demand.
How does the program work?
According to a monthly calendar we have outlined, students and their partners will alternate sending their letters to one another. Student letters will be mailed approximately once a month, and we are asking the partners to mail their responses about ten days later.
As part of our Social Studies curriculum, we encourage the students to become historians and take advantage of the resources that exist in their lives. Throughout the fifth grade year we will be looking at primary source documents and would like students to get first hand accounts of history from people they know. This project, Living History, strives to achieve the goal of reconnecting generations in hopes of building a bridge between generations today.
Can we just use email?
No. This is a letter exchange. The students will be organizing the letters and artifacts in a personal book, developing their own primary source document.
What are the responsibilities of the partner?
· Read and respond to your partner. Please read what your partner had to say and write a response that will show you have read what was written. If you are asked questions, please feel free to answer in any manner comfortable to you, but do answer in some fashion.
· Add something about yourself. Always add something new to the letter about yourself, your activities, your interests, your thoughts, etc. Your partner will be interested to know all about you and your life and the times you have lived through. These may include memories, ideas, “what-ifs,” dreams, goals, happy and sad experiences.
· Ask a question or two. Some questions can be easy and factual, others may require further thought. Ask questions for which you really have an interest in discovering the answers. Explore the world together through these letters.
· Share personal artifacts from your life. Include images, documents, drawings, photos, etc. Your partner will enjoy exploring your history through such important personal primary documents. You may send copies if you like.
· Be creative! Be thoughtful, be spontaneous, have fun!
We are excited to watch these relationships grow! Enjoy. Invest. Cherish the treasures your partner has to share with you. Please return this form by August 31.
Mrs. Bitonti
Just a reminder: What are the responsibilities of the partner?
· Read and respond to your partner. Please read what your partner had to say and write a response that will show you have read what was written. If you are asked questions, please feel free to answer in any manner comfortable to you, but do answer in some fashion.
· Add something about yourself. Always add something new to the letter about yourself, your activities, your interests, your thoughts, etc. Your partner will be interested to know all about you and your life and the times you have lived through. These may include memories, ideas, “what-ifs,” dreams, goals, happy and sad experiences.
· Ask a question or two. Some questions can be easy and factual, others may require further thought. Ask questions for which you really have an interest in discovering the answers. Explore the world together through these letters.
· Share personal artifacts from your life. Include images, documents, drawings, photos, etc. Your partner will enjoy exploring your history through such important personal primary documents. You may send copies if you like.
· Be creative! Be thoughtful, be spontaneous, have fun!
Please contact me if you have any questions, suggestions, concerns, etc. We are excited to watch your relationships grow as we create history!
Please mail your letters to:
(Name of your partner) Contact person:
5th Grade – Mrs. Bitonti’s class Mrs. Bitonti
Incarnate Word Elementary School: 314-576-5366
13416 Olive Blvd. cbitonti@incarnate-word.org
Living History Letter Writing Steps
We will begin writing letters to our partners the week before we are assigned to mail them. We will begin brainstorming the week’s theme and begin drafting letters within the topic.
During the first week, once we have received a letter, students will read, reflect, and respond to their partner’s letter. Students will work on the assigned topics.
By Monday of the second week, students will be finished drafting letters to their partners. Editing begins and the final drafts will be written in your best handwriting. Begin with a self- edit and then a teacher edit.
Wednesday, the letters are completed, envelopes addressed and sent to the partners.
During our letter-writing week, I will give you an outline of the assigned letter writing topics. Upon completion of each topic, place a check mark next to the topic.
Got it? Have fun!
Dear __________________
We are very excited that you are going to participate in our 5th grade Living History Project! Students will learn firsthand the value of recording their own histories and will develop rewarding relationships with their partners.
The letter-writing schedule is as follows:
Letter # Who is writing? Mail on this date
1 Students Wed. Sept. 9
3 Students Wed. Oct. 7
4 Partners Wed. Oct. 21
5 Students Wed. Nov. 4
6 Partners Wed. Nov. 18
7 Students Wed. Dec. 16
8 Partners Wed. Jan. 13
Please mail your letter as close to the “mail on” date as possible. It is important that the students receive the letters on time to read, reflect, and respond to your letters. If a letter will not arrive through the mail on time, you may email or fax the letter as a last resort. However, we would still like to receive the original letters so students can collect them in their letter exchange journals.
Please mail your letters to:
(Name of your partner)
5th Grade – Mrs. Bitonti’s class
Incarnate Word Elementary
13416 Olive Blvd.
Chesterfield, MO 63017
Contact person:
Mrs. Bitonti
School: 314-576-5366
cbitonti@incarnate-word.org