Public School / College Student Projects

 

Collaborative Educational Efforts of Oberlin College & the Oberlin City Schools

 

Oberlin History as American History:

Demonstration Collaborations between Oberlin College Students and Public School
(facilitated by Professor Carol Lasser, Oberlin College History Department)

 

1998

Oberlin History as Oral Histories - Robin Detterman

Prospect School third graders interviewed Oberlin College graduates from different eras.

The Lorain County News During the Civil War - Jenny Stewart

Biographical sketches of the editors of Oberlin's newspaper during the war years; in preparation to work with Mrs. Moroney's fifth grade class at Prospect School to make a mock newspaper for Oberlin during the war years.

Teaching Tolerance Project - Libby Welch

A project with Mrs. Welburn's Langston eighth graders to understand racism against Japanese Americans and African Americans during the Second World War.

Langston Middle School, A History -Josh Raisler Cohen

A project with Mrs. McDaniels' class to collect memories from people who had attended school in the building that now houses Oberlin's Langston Middle School

Fair Housing in Oberlin: The Case of Porter v. Oberlin - Jessica DuBois and Beth O'Brien

A project to help Langston eighth graders understand the struggle against discrimination in housing that took place in Oberlin in the early 1960s.

 

1999

Oberlin Architecture - Matias Stebbings

Matias and his High School students explored Oberlin architecture, in particular the significant local works by Frank Lloyd Wright and Cass Gilbert, the innovative architecture of the just-completed Lewis Environmental Studies Center, and the classic Meeting House.  Matias sees his field trips to Mudd Library and the Art Library, as well as to the various buildings themselves, as particularly rich experiences.  He is enthusiastic about his students achievements and comments: "I hope to be able to do some more work in the high school in the future."

Oberlin History Math Workbook - Marisa Katz & Michael Kish

Marisa and Michael worked with Langston Middle School Sixth Grade math teacher Mr. Walter Thompson to collect and present Oberlin history that could be used to create mathematics questions, using , for example, chronologies,  population, numbers of businesses, and  numbers of structures.  They praise his "openness and willingness to let us gear the project in a way that we, the researchers, saw fit....Our collaboration was a great experience."

Documenting Langston Middle School - Aurelie Cabou & Julia Handleman

Aurie and Julia continued the project that seventh-grade teacher Mrs. Sue McDaniel began last year on the history of the building that is now Oberlin's Langston Middle School and the students who have attended school in the building.  Together, they created a website with a "virtual tour" of the current building, including map, photos and students' comments on each of the rooms.  "Ms. McDaniel was a wonderful partner," they comment. early 1960s.

 

2000

Oral Histories - Teachers: Pat Price & Kurt Russell

It all began with the idea of integrating American History with American Literature to allow characters' stories to enhance understanding of historical eras. Mr. Kurt Russell and Mrs. Pat Price were so intrigued by the concept, they decided to extend it to real life stories----and the Oral History Project was born. Oberlin College's Carol Lasser helped the project become reality through instruction, equipment and enthusiasm. The Oberlin Public Library was the location where forty Oberlin High School juniors, transported by school bus, and armed with new tape recorders, met with nineteen community volunteers on five separate dates. Questions, formulated during history class were asked, answered and summarized on this website. Besides gaining historical perspective, bridges were built joining school with community, teens with adults.