There are many Common Core objectives that this project can push and incorporate in your classroom. As has been discussed previously in this unit, the goal behind this project is to get students to know the history of their locality and learn the habits and mindset of the historian. In my classroom, there is a strong focus on working with and understanding the past through primary sources. It is worth noting that non-fiction reading is a major push of the new Common Core standards that are being adopted by several states including Connecticut. This project pushes that standard and the students as they become the recorders and keepers of their local history. Finding and generating the primary sources is only one step of this project. The presentations and analytical writing are also standards in the Common Core.
The critical thinking that it will take to finish this project will definitely push students to new levels of thinking and growth. One of the key things to push is that committing your classroom and your students to this project will really stimulate historical thinking amongst your students. This kind of critical thinking, researching, and writing have been the focus of several studies regarding creating stronger students. As a teacher, monitoring and adjusting the rigor of this project will be of paramount importance to its success. Without considerations regarding rigor, students might find the project either too easy or too hard to complete successfully. Each teacher needs to judge and evaluate what their students can and should be able to accomplish. Connecting history to the daily lives and locality of our students is not an easy proposition, but it is one that has merit and can pay almost unlimited dividends.
The other key aspect that this unit organizes itself around is inquiry-driven learning. This entire project is built around inquiry based learning as the students seek to find out the history of their block. Students will be driven by the questions discussed above as they investigate their neighborhoods and write their analysis. This also aligns with the Common Core requirements about students learning research skills. Students will be conducting "on the ground" research as they investigate their neighborhoods.
Students' learning is best served by a variety of challenges that build upon their strengths and challenge their preconceptions. This unit was designed around my students' strong communication skills and the need to incorporate more research into the class. The nature of the unit allows it to cover a lot of different standards and learning styles which makes for great learning. Even with some modification to meet your students' needs and capacities, the unit can meet many standards of your content field and the Common Core.