History Surrounds Us

Highlands Aviation and Military Science Academy Middle School is a public magnet school located in Jacksonville, Florida. Jacksonville is home to two U.S. Navy bases. Close by are several other military installations.

For students in this type of magnet school it is important tor these children to learn about the experiences of those who have served their country in the military.

This project would offer students the opportunity to record themselves interviewing active duty military personnel and veterans who have served in the past. The students would garner first hand information about the military lifestyle and be able to hear this aspect of the history of their country.

Students would then use these recorded interviews and any digital stills to create a finished video presentation that they could share with their classmates and which will be sent around to other area schools.

Lesson I: Have Highlands' Military Science instructor discuss background of U.S. Military and what is expected of military personnel.

Lesson 2: Field trip/guided tour to local military base. Opportunity for guide to discuss aspects of their branch of the military. [Arrange with base Public Information officer to ask for volunteers who might be willing to be interviewed by the students at a later date.]

Lesson 3: Speaker from the Jacksonville Historical Society who will discuss collecting oral histories and who will work with the students to cull core questions for the interviews. Students will work on their interview questions in teams of two for this next week.

Lesson 4: Speaker from local university journalism/mass communications department to discuss interviewing techniques.

Students begin taped interviews with active duty military and with veterans. [Veterans had been contacted through the local American Legion and VFW posts.] All interviews take place at school.

Two weeks are spent on interviews.

Lesson 5: Instruction and time for reviewing, editing and creating the video presentation.

Lastly, the finished presentation is shown to classmates and copies of the program will be distributed to interested area schools.