Alabama History Class 2014 St. Clair County History Fair Project

Steps to a Successful Project Don’t wait until the last minute! 1 Do Your Research (Online or Library) 2 Make a Plan 3 Execute Plan

Research First research and select a historical site in which to do your project. You will more than likely have to make a trip to the local Odenville or Springville Library. 1

You may also need to make a visit to the St. Clair Co. Archives in Ashville. The Ashville Museum and Archives is located in the historic St. Clair Co. Courthouse at the below address: 78 6 th Avenue Ashville, AL Ph. (205) Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. You should start your search online. You will not find everything you need online, but it’s a good start. St. Clair Co. Archives Website: Research

There are many unique St. Clair Co. sites in which to choose from. These pictures are from Mushroom Rock in Horsepens 40 in Steele. Another website you might want to check out is Research

One option is doing your project on a historic church. There are many interesting, historic churches in St. Clair Co., such as the United Methodist Church in Odenville and the Odenville Presbyterian Church. Research

Want to research a site closer to home? Try the Old Argo Railroad Station. Or, what about the Alabama Fuel & Iron Company that used to be located where you learn today? Yes, the AF&I Co. used to be located on the land around Margaret Elementary School! Research

2 Make a Plan How are you going to get the job done? Again, don’t wait until the last minute!

 Make a list of all materials that will be needed for the build part of your project.  Plan the build in steps. Maybe you need to do the shell of your building first and then the roof. You will need help from your parents. Do not use a hot glue gun by yourself. Also, ask a parent to help you with any nailing or cutting that might need to be done. Safety first!  Create an outline for your narrative. All projects must have at least one paragraph describing why you chose the site, what makes it historic, and how you built your project. This doesn’t have to be a book, but it should be written neatly.  Practice presenting your project. Part of your grade will be presenting your project. You may use notecards during the presentation. Your presentation should prove what you’ve learned by doing this project. Make a Plan

3 Execute Plan Be ready to present what you’ve learned! Practice presenting your project. Practice makes perfect!

 Make sure your project is turned in by February 19 th. In order to make this happen, you cannot wait until the last minute!  You may need to make arrangements to have your project dropped off, as many projects will not fit on the bus. We don’t want you to go through all that effort, just to have your project damaged on the bus!  Don’t stress over this! This should be a fun project that you can do with your family. If you need help with materials, please let me know and I’ll see what I can do to get the materials for you. I’m here to help. Don’t wait until the last minute to ask for help though. Execute Plan

What’s Your Message? If you have questions, please contact any 4 th grade teacher Have fun!