Jefferson

City

Bicentennial

Big6^tm Does Local History!

http://www.cityofjeffersonga.com/news/FullStory.php?id=61

SIX STEPS OF PROBLEM-SOLVING:

I. TASK DEFINITION

Our problem: Our school hasn't celebrated the Jefferson City Bicentennial.  We would like to find a way to educate our school population on the Bicentennial as well as to discuss important details and topics from Jefferson history.  Your teachers have suggested doing a historical newspaper which we could print and also put on the website!

Our mission is to create a newspaper to celebrate the Bicentennial of Jefferson City. 

• What creates a town?  Why do people settle in an area?
• What sections are there in a newspaper?
• What resources could I use as a sample newspaper? [Newspaper activity!]
• What kinds of articles would my audience like to read?
• What subject will my group focus on?
• How can my group share responsibilities?  What roles are important to newspapers?

YOUR QUESTIONS:

• Write 10 questions about your topic.
• Find Keywords

II.  INFORMATION SEEKING

• Where could I find information about my topic?
  • Print resources
    • World Book Encyclopedia
    • Almanac
    • Atlas (or local printed maps)
    • Historical Notes on Jackson County, Georgia by Frary Elrod
    • The Early History of Jackson County
    • Jackson County Bicentennial celebration newspaper (1996)
    • Magazines
    • Newspapers (Jackson Herald)
  • Internet resources
    • New Georgia Encyclopedia
    • Digital Library of Georgia
    • Encyclopedia Britannica (need password at home)
    • www.google.com (use a keyword!)
    • Jackson County map online
    • Jackson County Genealogy (includes past issues of Jackson County Historical Newsletters!)
  • Human resources
    • Crawford Long Museum
    • Shields-Ethridge Farm
    • City of Jefferson representatives (your teacher will send your email if you choose to contact!)
    • Grandparents!
    • Community members!  
• What would be the best information to write my article?

III.  LOCATING

• How will I find the print, internet, and human resources?
• How will I know what is important to my article?  (CHECK YOUR QUESTIONS!)
• The Pirate Map example

IV.  USING INFORMATION

• How will I take notes with my information?  Click here for graphic organizer example!
• How will I give credit to my sources?

V.  SYNTHESIS (or bringing it all together!)

• How will we present our information?
• How will we organize the newsletter?  What will make it look historic (and cool)?

VI.  EVALUATION

• Am I proud of my group's article?
• Did my group share the work equally?
• Will JMS student enjoy reading my article?
• Will the community find the article accurate and based on true information?