Examples+-+History+and+Culture

= = =**Examples of PBE: History and Culture**=

=** The Maine Studies Program **=

**Summary** The purpose of this program is to bring "students together so they can better understand why they are different and why they are the same" (Flood, 1994, p. 30). In this program, middle school students (6-8 grade level) learn about Maine by camping out and exploring the geography. Through the program, the students learn about themselves, the history of Maine and Maine’s diverse populations (Flood, 1994).

Academic Impact / Ties to Standards
For students in the sixth grade, the program designs a curriculum that encourages learning through a variety of activities. These activities include mapping, a slide show connecting Maine’s history and present, a tour of the town on a bus, a study of local cemeteries and review of various families’ genealogy. In addition to these activities, students take a day hike to a pond in order to learn about the wetlands, study survival skills and learn about the influence of Mt. Katahdin on Native Americans. Also, students are taken to a local museum where Native American volunteers describe their lifestyles, traditions and culture (Flood, 2004). In the sixth grade, teachers do their best to ensure students learn all about and appreciate local geography and Native American culture, in order to increase "community pride, curiosity, and excitement about Orrington" (Flood, 1994, p. 31).

 In the seventh grade, students set out on a three-day camping trip where they visit and learn about local places. Accompanying students on the camping trip are teachers and community volunteers who work together to plan classes, lectures and learning experiences. On this camping trip, it is expected that students learn about leadership, self-reliance, self-confidence and form a deeper understanding and admiration of Maine and all its diverse residents (Flood, 1994).

 In the eighth grade, students embark on a camping trip to the Cobscook Bay area in early May for three days and two nights. During the trip, students learn about the area, as well as visit local plants and stations. In addition to the tours, students are given lessons on each place they visit. Students enroll in classes that teach them about orienteering, art, music, first aid, science and rescue skills.

 Lastly, middle school students participate in a program that provides them with the knowledge of Maine’s cultural diversities, "that makes students aware of geography and its effects on the past, present, and future" (Flood, 1994, p. 31). The program includes four Maine middle schools, each one located in a different part of Maine (an average of 400 miles apart), and therefore, representing a different culture. Instead of camping out, students learn about the cultural diversities in Maine through field trips to the other participating schools, teacher exchanges, workshops, swapping videos, letters, and photographs with other Maine students. The point of this program is for students to learn, understand and respect numerous cultures, as well as for them to “appreciate their likenesses and differences, and shatter stereotypes” (Flood, 1994, p. 32). One important lesson for students to learn is that “language, fashions, hobbies, customs, and ideas differ, they differ for a reason- often related to geography” (Flood, 1994, p. 32). In this program, students teach others about their backgrounds and traditions, and they learn about the traditions and lifestyles of others.

Assessment
The outcomes are for students to learn, understand, and appreciate their local community as well as the state of Maine. In addition, students learned about the diversity of the population of Maine, and why such differences exist. These outcomes were measured from what was written in journals that students kept throughout the three years. These journals included personal comments, opinions and ideas, as well as observations. The article did not mention sources of funding.

=== References: Flood, P.S. (1994). Maine students learn to appreciate diversity. //NASSP Bulletin, 78: 30-33 // . doi: 10.1177/019263659407856406 ===