1. 10th Grade Life Story Project
Fosston High School
Fosston, Minnesota
With Essentia Health Services

2. Session Agenda: 1. Goals of Project 2. Overview of Process 3. iMovie 4
Session Agenda: 1. Goals of Project 2. Overview of Process 3. iMovie 4. Question/Answer

3. Background Information. Mary Hanson, English Teacher
Background Information *Mary Hanson, English Teacher *Joan Dufault, Essential Health Volunteer Coordinator

4. Project Goals
Students will create Life Story books that will be presented to the resident. These books will be a valuable and lasting tribute to the resident’s family.

5. Project Goals
The Life Story Books will be shared with the staff at the facility in order to provide more “person-centered” care for the resident.

6. Project Goals
The resident will form cross- generational relationships and learn about today’s students.

7. Project Goals
Students may investigate potential careers by discussing the residents’ work experiences.

8. Project Goals
The books will serve as a way to share the lives of our elderly population with our community.

9. Project Goals
This project will provide our students an opportunity for a real-world learning experience while meeting a myriad of language arts standards and developing 21st century skills.

10. Timeline: Summer Joan: Grants Meetings with school personnel
Determine needs
Permission
a. Residents
b. Parents of students

11. Timeline: Beginning of School Year: Prepped students for project
Essentia staff/Joan talked with students
a. Privacy
b. What to expect
c. Volunteerism

12. Timeline, cont’d:
2. Read online articles and blogged about issues facing the elderly in our society

13. Timeline, cont’d:
3. Read the novel Memory Boy by Will Weaver

14. Timeline, cont’d: Prepared questions for students to ask residents
a. Questions grouped by topic
b. One topic per week

15. Timeline, Cont’d: First of October: *Prepared calendars
*Students began visiting residents
In pairs/trios
Two days/week
Nothing on Fridays
Non-Visiting Days were spent writing

16. Timeline, Cont’d: By Thanksgiving Week:
Students were done with first drafts of narratives
TOTAL: ALMOST TWO MONTHS, 2 times/week/30 minutes per session

17. Timeline, Cont’d: December 1 to middle of January:
Students worked on Shutterfly to create 8-11” hardcover books with photographs and narratives included

18. Timeline, Cont’d: Friday, January 27
Students and community gathered at Essentia for celebration and presentation of books to residents

19. Timeline, Cont’d: Friday, January 27
Author Will Weaver was present and spoke to the audience
Kevin Gish, Director of Health Services at Essentia, spoke

20. Timeline, Cont’d: Friday, January 27 Showed iMovie
Students presented books to their residents
We had pizza, lemonade, and punch

21. Thoughts for next year:
More time spent on pre-teaching of narrative writing
Move project to a start date after Christmas to allow for more preparation

22. Thoughts for next year:
More technology: QR Code embedded in book?
4. More pre-teaching on questioning techniques/follow- ups
5. More boy/girl teams!

23. challenges: Possibility of residents passing away
Time – never enough, but when does project get too long?
10th Grade Curriculum: what can go?

24. Successes: Students and residents formed lasting bonds
Books turned out beautifully, each unique with its own individual style

25. Successes:
3. Students hopefully found the Living Center and Assisted Living Center not such a scary place!
4. Positive relations between Essentia and School

26. Successes:
5. Students/volunteers/staff gave almost unanimous positive feedback about the project.
6. Project won Promising Practices Award, to be presented at State Capital on May 25.

27. Successes:
Project also won the Star of Innovation Gold Award from Horace Mann through the NW Association of Secondary School Principals

28. iMovie

29. Questions?/H andouts