WCSS Conference 2015: Researching, Writing, and

Displaying Local History and Culture: A Collaborative

Approach

Slinger High School

Presenters: Nate Grimm and Jeff Wolf

______________________________________________________________________________
Start with the end in mind. Wisconsin Teacher of Local Culture leader,
Mary Hoefferle.
Teachers often describe their discoveries as 'I didn't know what I didn't
know', about themselves, about their communities, about their students."
Patty Bowman (Folklorist)
Folklore has centrality because it is so accessible: more than any other
discipline, it studies everyday life-the ordinary worlds that students inhabit.
Wisconsin Teacher of Local Culture Leader, Anne Pryor

Slingers End:
1) A community night where multiple generations of the community could
interact. Students would share cultural and historical data they
researched from October to May using displays. Students would
gather more data that night via microphones/computers/data sheets.
2) Students and the Slinger Area History/Culture Committee would
organize data digitally for archival preservation (website)
3) The project increases communication and working relationships
between departments at the high school, between community groups
and the high school, and between the administration and the staff.
Collaboration is a wonderful life-long skill.
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Some Ideas that worked at Slinger that might

work for you:
*Look for courses at your school that are research-based/skill based including
skills like writing, reading, art, photography, video, etc. Weve embedded
these skills into U.S. History and Sociology but we also work with other
departments. Sometimes we can overlap with projects already going on in
other departments or give them a content idea with this assignment. ELA,
Art, Technical Education, Science, Music, Business departments all worked
with SS dept. members for last years Community Night. Some in small
ways. Some in large ways. The sophomore U.S. History students and
Junior/Senior Sociology students (CAPP option) were two social studies
courses that took the overall lead for Slinger Area History/Culture Project
*Create driving questions for research. Have students and community
stakeholders create driving questions as well. What is the community
interested in? What are students interested in? Dig deeper than the
obvious to why things are the way things are. Dont shy from the hard
questions, but channel positive community events and topics in the first year
of the project.

Big Idea: What is the cultural identity in the Slinger School

District today? How did it get to be that way?
1) Year One Project Themes: Music and Recreation in the Slinger School
District
2) Other Topics for Year One: Foundation Stories and Timely Stories
*Schools (100th graduating class) led to One Room School Research
* Fire Departments (just finished anniversary) led to district fire
dept. research
*More: Quilting, Family Recipes, Gathering Spaces, Showing Cows
(Interviewee had
Health Issues) Go where the
stories are
*Sample Subcategories within Recreation
*Racing (Slinger Speedway), Skiing (Little Switzerland),
Hiking, Biking,
Snowmobiling, Hunting/Fishing, Softball/Baseball,
Fistball, Sheepshead, Golf,
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and more!

YEAR ONE: GET MODELS FOR

YEAR TWO
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*Get to know the Wisconsin Teachers of Local Culture organization.

They are a network of teachers, museum administrators, culture resource
specialists who promote place-based education and building integrated units
connecting the community to curriculum. They model how to engage local
culture with tours and workshops. The Bringing It Home training in the
summers of 2013 and 2014 was the catalyst for us. We had some basic
ideas and projects started, but the WTLC leaders helped us build a thorough,
layered, and professional framework. They broadened our view to include
folklore and increased the value of capturing the living. They helped show
value in researching culture today and not just the past. History passes
through us Mark Wagler (WTLC leader, folklorist) Here is a link to the
Bringing It Home project website.
http://csumc.wisc.edu/wtlc/?q=node/73

Here is the WTLC website: http://csumc.wisc.edu/wtlc/

Subscribe to their Local Culture List-serv:

localculture@lists.wisc.edu

"The most important stories are not the ones we are told,
but the ones we live." Michael Umphrey
*Get to know local community groups and historical societies. The WTLC
group pushed us to connect with at least one community group for the
Bringing It Home project and I can see why. The community groups were
immensely helpful in helping us get started. Sometimes, their work created
the discovery question. Here is a photo. What can we find out about
it? Is this object still relevant today? (Slinger Advancement
Association Sesquicentennial book photo). Sometimes, a document became
the model. Here is an excerpt from a one-room school member in
Barton. What can you find out about the people at the one-room
schools listed from the Slinger School District? (Washington County
Historical Society Washington County One-Room School booklet)
*Start with the geographic boundaries of the school district before branching
out. Students come from across the school district (Slinger is a long north
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to south district). Stories should be across the school district. Unifying

potential. Making all students feel like their areas are important. End of
Year Community Night: Bring in older community members (Old Slinger) with
newer district members (New Slinger). What is the community identity
today?
______________________________________________________________________________

Timelines and Connections:

*Hold a summer meeting with community stakeholders. We had
administrators, community groups, people who know people, and multiple
members of the social studies departments. Have a general topic or two
concerning local history and culture and have them help you brainstorm
people and places to connect students. Follow up with phone calls. One or
two enthusiastic interviews led to more people who interviewed well. This
also when we created our categories/themes of research.
-Administrators were looking for ways to celebrate the 100th
graduating class at SHS. Social Studies students got involved. The Race
track in town changed ownership and wanted to reach out to multiple
generations of racers and businesses. The social studies students got
involved. The Park and Rec dept was getting community data for a potential
new park in town. The social studies students and tech ed students got
involved. The social studies teachers wanted to help students access the
Slinger Historical Album researched so well by the Slinger Advancement
Association. The social studies teachers got involved. The Slinger Area
Music Boosters Association was looking to archive some SHS music history.
The social studies department got involved. The art teacher built an art
gallery (Owl Gallery) and was looking for themes to showcase the gallery.
The social studies students and art students got involved. In 2014-2015,
the FFA and administrators were looking for a way to acknowledge the 65th
anniversary of FFA. The social studies and agriculture students got involved.
-After a general topic is picked, the human connections are
brainstormed. We worked as a committee to identify subcategories, people
in district who should be talked to about the theme, and people who could
connect to those people. The majority of people on the committee were
alumni or grew up in the Slinger area. They knew the right people to
contact.
*Hold a fall meeting, a second semester meeting, and then a meeting before
the Community Night.

*Locate like-minded people as well as those you would never expect might
be interested. Break down barriers. Go where the story leads you. Be
willing to connect with community members in students presence or prior to
students connect with community members.
*Teach students secondary sourcing as well as how to utilize and cite primary
sources. Our sophomores are working on disciplinary literacy, reading and
writing like historians. Our sociologists are working on writing like a
sociologist, using sociological imagination, and sociological perspective.
Build off of other courses in school (scientific method in Science classes,
narrative writing in ELA).
*Consider having an adult from the committee at the high priority interviews.
We conducted many of our interviews in the district office conference room
in study hall periods. The administrators often popped in to listen. There is
nothing wrong with helping students transition with key questions or helping
add context to the interview. At the Bringing It Home conference sponsored
by Wisconsin Teachers of Local Culture, instructors encouraged teachers to
model interview skills.
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Sample Curriculum ties:

U.S. History: American System leads to Chicago, Chicago leads to Milwaukee,
Milwaukee leads to Washington County, Washington County leads to Slinger School
District.
First Semester: Snapshot Local History Year One: One-Room Schools
(100th graduating class at Slinger High School Events), Music, and Recreation.
Second Semester: Oral History (A Life Story)
Stage One: The Interview
Stage Two: The Narrative or Transcripts
Stage Three: Preparing for Public Display
Sociology:

CAPP Sociology class (Dr. Paul Van Auken of UW-Oshkosh advisor)

*Neighborhood Project (used Van Auken methodology and

adapted it to Slinger)
What is your Neighborhood?

(Field work skills,

Learning to Look,
Demographics)
Survey Monkey (School District Survey) Semester One, Analyze it
Semester Two
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*Semester Research: Create a sociological question. Research it

with support
Most of our cultural data came from this
class
Neighborhood Project got feet wet in first 3
weeks of class
*Material Culture (Architecture, body ornamentation, occupations,
Food ways (Cooking, Food Diaries/Pantry or Fridge concepts), Grocery Store visits,
Gardens, yards, clothing, celebrations, etc. Food stories, Canning, etc.
*Sociological Perspective: Values/Norms
(We found that Family was
an agent of socialization in many topics. Time, or lack thereof, impacted many
choices regarding food consumption, canning, having a garden, etc.), Make Big
Picture generalizations at the end. Document the conclusions. These come in
handy on Display Night. Displays of sociological questions in big letters. Student
data on display.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Note on CAPP class: Along with the support of the Wisconsin Teachers of Local
Culture, UW-Oshkosh sociology teacher, Paul Van Auken, was and is instrumental to
our work. As part of our collaboration with CAPP, I attended several classes and
summer workshops led by Paul. He showed how he was using They Say, I Say: The
Moves that Matter in Academic Writing by Birkenstaff and Graff as a model for
academic writing. He encouraged me to read Flora/Floras Rural Sociology and
analyze capital types. He showed how they were integrating Michael Perry (our
conference keynote) and Jerry Apps, a Wisconsin farm author, in his upper level
Rural Sociology Course. Our Neighborhood Project was an adaptation of Pauls
neighborhood project with the Oshkosh North Communities School. We added a
multi-generational interview component. I fused his lesson on using Census 2010 to
analyze local demographics. Students benefited from learning about the
characteristics of their neighborhood before making a deeper connection with the
community. Dr. Van Auken requires a community project within his sociology 101
class and encourages students to get out in the community and experience it. In
addition to using demographics, he taught me several frameworks which I shared
with students which helped them analyze a community (values, capital types, third
places, asset-based community development, etc). Lastly, Dr. Van Auken invited
sociology CAPP instructors to be part of a Community Advisory Board in the Oshkosh
area to encourage dialogue between community stakeholders and sociology
teachers regarding opportunities for sociology students to showcase their skills in
various organizations.
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Website for Slinger 2013-2015 work:

www.slingerhistoryculture.com
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Website tips:
1) Find a community sponsor or pitch this to your School District
administration and see if there is server space for your website if you
can. This will ensure long-term sustainability of archival information.
We were able to get some storage space for archival purposes on our
server. (Note: We made some copies of select interviews and papers
and donated to the County Historical Society research center. There
were some things we collected that added to their themes)
2) Be open minded. Students are good with technology. There are many
free websites and storage places using Google Sites, Wix, Weebly,
Word Press, Dropbox, Soundcloud, and more. WARNING: You have
limited storage space.
OPPORTUNITY: You and students may learn a
thing or two about website designs.
When a community sponsor was not coming forward in year one, I
customized a project where two students who were looking at IT or design as
a career, would help me in their study halls for course credit. We met weekly
to work on the website look and archival process. Reflection was a key
component to this venture. Sociological themes can be addressed within
design projects as students reflected on community organization and often
were spending time making decisions that reflect higher level thinking skills
as they contextualized the various subjects for a larger audience. Be
prepared for trial and error on any digital resources out there AND always
back up your documents and photos on a jump drive or portable hard drive.
Be prepared to spend time archiving and organizing. (Just think, back in the
old days, youd have to fill your basement with paperwork/artifacts. There
are advantages and disadvantages of virtual museum type projects. I think
there is nothing better than the real thing and artifacts need to be preserved,
but advantages of a virtual museum are it saves physical storage space and
it connects 21st century students to things they dont have access to or that
they wont look for in libraries, historical societies, and basements.
Accessibility is a big thing for todays students)
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Sample Project One: First Semester History

students get a feel for primary/secondary
sourcing. Here is the assignment descriptor
for One Room Schools from Fall 2013. Note:
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students are including folklore questions

(games, customs, foods, school routines and
traditions, transportation, etc.)
Snapshot Local History Sample Topic: One-Room
Schools
Overview: Recently, we discussed settlement patterns in early United States history
and how the building of school houses showed evidence that education was valued. If
you remember, even the orderly system of breaking up land parcels as part of the Land
Ordinance of 1785 included encouraging public education by setting aside section 16 of
every township for school buildings (Danzer et. al page 139). Weve analyzed early
New England community norms, the intellectual growth trend during the Enlightenment
period, Horace Manns push for public education, and just the other day, we looked at
Washington County town maps and noticed some regional patterns from the 1830s to
1880s. Most of the time, one-room schools were the norm in Washington County.
Many of these schools were the educational center for families in the area. In the
Slinger School District, youll find that most of these one-room schools consolidated
between 1930 and 1969. For many people who were students or teachers at these
schools, the memories remain strong. Lets see if we can find some stories. Your job is
to find out more about these schools through both primary and secondary sources.
Note-taking from Primary/Secondary sources to provide a content base for your
own primary research: Take notes on what youve learned from the handouts
provided by your teacher OR additional sources youve found on your own. (Handouts
from the Rural Education in Washington County book are provided and broken up into
the three townships in Slinger School District where there were one-room schools. An
excerpt from Jerry Apps book on One Room Country Schools is provided. Handout
three concerning Cooney River School is a sample of how your primary source writing
could go. Its provided by local historian and SHS Tutor Aide, Elizabeth Weninger. She
interviewed her mother.
Primary Source: Locate someone who attended a one-room school in the Slinger
School District. Call them, e-mail them, or visit them. Record the conversation if you
can. If not, have them write the story and attach it. Include a photo if you can. What
was the name of the school? What memories do they have about how it operated?
What were some things they did at the one-room that may have been different than
schools today? Anything unique about the building or the area where the school was?
(See the sample stories written by several West Bend residents who went to one room
schools in Washington County)

NOTE: The consolidation of one-room schools into the larger school districts in the
area is important, but we are also looking for stories about the early days of Slinger
High School before consolidation occurred. According to records, this year is the
100th anniversary of the first graduating class of Slinger High School. If there is
not a story of a one-room rural school for you to share from family/neighbor archives,
we would like to hear a story about the main school in Slinger prior to consolidation and
as close as possible to 1913-1914 school year.
Sources:
Apps, Jerry. One Room Country Schools. Amherst Press. 2004
Danzer et al. The Americans. Holt McDougal. 2012
Timm, Beulah. Waechter, Lorna. Lickel, Lisa. Retired Educators of Washington
County. Rural Schools of Washington County. 2000
Weninger, Elizabeth. Cooney River School: An Interview with Theresa (Kubicek)
Merten. September 2013

Note: Sociology students reflected on the Lip Dub. The principal and dean of
students and business/technology teachers created a video at Slinger High School
Clubs for the 100th graduating class and recorded a video. See bottom of schools
section on website. You need to see it to understand it
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Sample Project Two: Oral History Narratives

(a life story)
*Email me for more information/rubrics. I presented
at WCSS conference in 2011 about oral history.
For the last sixteen years, students have conducted an interview
with a family member or community member. This year, we created
a list of about 100 different community members with an agriculture
or food story. We interviewed some of them, audio recorded it for
archival purposes, wrote transcription or a narrative, and the
transcription or narrative as well as photos will be displayed at the
May Slinger Area History/Culture Night.

Sample Interview Subjects for 2014-2015: Owner of local dairies

(past and present), Charter members of the FFA, current and past
restaurant and grocery store owners, owner of home with old
creamery, Century Farm owners, any farmer, Milk transport
workers, Feed mill workers, Truck drivers, Food Service workers,
Canners, Bakers, Farmers Market vendors, Greenhouse owners,
Florists, 4-H stand workers, Concession stand workers, Farmers
during G. Depression/World War two, and more

____________________________________________________
Sample Project Three: Sociology Field Work
Sociology students gather field research in two stages.
Stage One is a Neighborhood Project and Stage Two is a
community themed project. Here is the Neighborhood
Project that I adapted from Dr. Van Aukens work at
Oshkosh. Thanks to Paul Van Auken for sharing.
WHAT IS YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?
(95 points)
Slinger Area Neighborhood Activity
To explore the definition of neighborhood and to get to know people in this class and this
area better, you will complete a multi-part activity based on UW-Oshkosh sociology
professor Paul Van Aukens work with Communities school at Oshkosh North High School.
This will serve as an opening activity in the multi-part and multi-year research of the culture
of the Slinger area for the Slinger History/Culture project. The Slinger History/Culture
project is designed to help students become more aware of the cultural identity of the
Slinger Area (Demographics, Music, Art, Recreation, Transportation, Occupations, Religion,
Agriculture, Groups and Identities, Gathering Places, etc) as well as raise awareness of
community issues (both past and present) in the Slinger area. Student work in this activity
may help students learn more about themselves and also the community around them.
This also serves as an excellent way to start to apply what you are learning about the
sociological perspective, sociological imagination, and the definition of culture in the first two
weeks of the semester.

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(Students: Please read the handout from Field Working: Reading and Writing Research by
Bonnie Stone Sunstein and Elizabeth Chiseri-Strater, 2007 prior to completing this activity.
Pay particular note to page 198 and Emilys description of her neighborhood. Note: We will
go to the computer lab and I will show you how to work demographics into your paper as Dr.
Van Auken has included some helpful tips of how to use Census 2010 including sample
paragraphs from Walnut Way/Lindsay Heights area)
Dr. Van Aukens methodology:
Step 1: Draw a map of your neighborhood. Simply take a pen and paper (the larger the
better) and draw:
The boundaries, clearly marking the northern, southern, eastern, and western boundaries
(streets or physical features), of the area that you consider to be your neighborhood.
Then, draw in the following details within those boundaries, as they apply to you and
your neighborhood:

Major streets
Landmarks (natural features, historical buildings, etc. that are well known to people
in this area)
Parks
Stores, restaurants, bars, etc.
Houses of worship
Other gathering places
The place where you currently live
The place where you currently work (if its within those boundaries)
Places where people you know on a first name basis live; and,
anything else of importance in your neighborhood

This map doesnt have to be drawn to scale, to look good, or necessarily be accurate.
The purpose is to simply see how you think about your neighborhood. Hang onto the map
as youll use it for the next two steps of the process. (MAP-25 points)
Step Two: Take photographs around your neighborhood (as defined by your map) that fall
into the following categories:

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Places or things that you value (for social, economic, cultural, ecological, and/or
recreational reasons)
Places or things that you have believed have changed in recent years
Places or things that you believe should be preserved and/or fixed or modified
When you are thinking of your neighborhood, places/landmarks that come to mind
People who you feel may represent who lives in your neighborhood
Your most important neighborhood hangout (a place this is not home, not work)
One image that best captures the overall essence of the neighborhood (what its all
about)

Take at least one photo for 6 or more bullets but no more than 12 pictures total. Everyone
has to do the last bullet. Save them on a computer, on a disc, etc. if you cannot keep them
on your camera, phone, etc. because we are going to do some cultural evidence work later
in the semester and we may need these photos again. Send the one image that best
captures the overall essence of the neighborhood to my Google4Education account
(labeled Neighborhood and your last name). Bring the device where your pictures are
stored, or print the photos to bring to class for discussion day (DUE: ____)
PHOTOS: 25 Points
Step Three (Mr. Grimms addition to Dr. Van Aukens methods): Find someone in your
neighborhood who is a generation or two older than you and preferably not family or
someone living in the same house. Make sure you shake hands, look them in the eye, and
introduce yourself if you are not on a first-name basis. Hand them this assignment
descriptor, explain you are a sociology student and discuss the assignment, and then, if
they agree to participate, encourage them to complete as many of Step One or Step Two
components that they are comfortable completing or have time to complete. Make sure you
give them at least a week to complete and arrange for a time where you can meet and
share maps, perceptions of the neighborhood, key landmarks in neighborhood, and your
one image that best captures the overall essence of the neighborhood. At this meeting
at least a week later, I would like for someone to take a photo of you and your neighbor
holding your maps or photos and send it to me on my Google4Education mail. Label it
(NeighborShot and your last name). Ask your neighbor if they would like to keep their
map/photo or if you could bring it to class for discussion. Bring it to class if its fine with the
neighbor. Thank them and let them know that you may be in touch with them at a later
date concerning local history and culture stories for research.
PHOTO: 15 POINTS
Step Four (Dr. Van Aukens methods): We will have a discussion day in class on (Date)
______. I will arrange you in small groups according to neighborhoods. You will be
sharing photos and maps and discussing the content of your discussion with your neighbor.
You will define your neighborhood (pictures and text). After that discussion, you will write
an individual definition of your neighborhood including details from the first three steps.
You will list activities and places. You will include flora and fauna and environmental
components of the neighborhood as well.
DISCUSSION DAY PARTICIPATION: 15 pts
WRITTEN REFLECTION: Demographics and description of neighborhood: 15 pts
TOTAL: 95 POINTS

This assignment sets the stage for our focus on demographics, mapping, and community
based research later in the semester (Slinger Area History/Culture project).. In addition to
helping you practice sociological perspective, it should also create some discussion about

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local examples of key concepts well address in upcoming units (groups, roles, culture,
socialization, stratification, communities and change, sustainability, etc.)

____________________________________________________________________________________

Neighborhood Project - Regions

Rural/Suburban
Student Sample One:
My neighborhood lies in the Town of Hartford. According to the 2010 Census Tract
4401.05, 126 people own houses in the neighborhood and the bulk of the homeowners are
ages 35 to 54. In terms of sex of the people who live in my neighborhood, 193 of them are
male and there are 184 females. Using the same age range of the homeowners in my
neighborhood, 98.2% of the people have at least their high school diploma, and 27.3% of
homeowners have a bachelors degree or higher in my neighborhood. As far as their
occupations go, 75.1% of the people who are 16 years or older are employed. As for the
town of Hartford, there are a total of 3,636 homeowners with the highest amount of people
between the ages of 40 and 49. The amount of males and females in the Town of Hartford is
almost split 50/50, too. 96.2% of the residents in the town have attained at least their high
school diploma, while only 23.6% have earned their bachelors degree or further. Finally,
72.3% of the 3,636 residents in the town who are over the age of 16 are currently
employed.
To begin with, I consider my subdivision to be what I call my own neighborhood. My
neighborhood is located about a five minute drive northwest of Slinger High School and is
also just west of the Rubicon River, which is one of the only landmarks of any significance
near my neighborhood. I consider it to be a pretty basic, quiet, and normal neighborhood
with a few dozen houses and generally full of nice and quiet people. The backyard of my
house points at a forest, one of the only other points of interest in my neighborhood in my
opinion, which provides a nice view and something that some of my other neighbors cannot
experience because they live across the street. Even though the forest is a nice symbol of
my neighborhood, looking the opposite direction out my front window is the picture that I
chose that was the most symbolic picture of my neighborhood. I chose that picture because
that is what I see all the time from where I spend most of my time. When I look out that
window, that is what I see and that is the main reason why I chose it. Finally, to touch base
on the interview that I conducted with my mother, she also had an appreciation for the forest
behind our house because of her love for nature with things such as flowers and birds. In
all, it was interesting to see the different perspectives of how what other people considered
to be their neighborhoods and just the general idea of this project was a good experience.
Student Sample Two:
My neighborhood falls into Block 1037, Block Group 1, Census Tract 4401.05,
Washington County, Wisconsin. This is north east, of Pike Lake State Forest, and HWY 60.
Some of Washington Countys demographics are its population. Its population is 132,661
people. 31,308 of those people are under the age of 18. 101,353 of those people are over
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the age of 18. This shows how many people in live in Washington County, and how many
of those people are under 18, and over 18 years old. In my neighborhood, which is Block
1037, Block Group 1, Census Tract 4401.05, Washington County, Wisconsin. There are
377 people living in this Census Tract. 118 of these people are under the age of 18, and
259, are over the age of 18. Another demographic fact, would be the average household
size by age. In Washington County, 12% of households have people living there under the
age of 18, and 88% are over the age of 18. In my neighborhood, only 9% of the people
living in the houses are under the age of 18. This census information is relevant, as of
2012.
My neighborhood is a place that I call home. It is a big subdivision with over 4
different roads, and over 100 houses, and over 377 people living in those houses. My
subdivision consists of Elaines Way, Royal Ave, Kings way, and Queens way. Some
special landmarks would include the BP gas station, close to my house, and what used to
be called Ubersville. Ubersville is a little corner, by the railroad tracks, just south of my
house. It is a house that raises goats, ducks, and chickens. The lady that I interviewed was
Rose Nelson. She agreed with me when she heard what I considered my neighborhood
(Queens Way, Elaines Way). She also stated that she considered the BP gas station, and
Ubersville, to be a part of our subdivision. One other thing that she considered significant
would be the Rubicon River, which is located right next to my house. The Rubicon River
also runs through a farm field, and the County properties, that are right next to my house.
When I asked her, what her perspective of the neighborhood was, she stated that it was
more of a country neighborhood, or a rural neighborhood. I would say that I have to agree
with her on that.
Lake Culture
Student Sample One:
My neighborhood is named Cedar Lake Hills and is located off of 144. My
neighborhood has a lot to it but isnt extremely big. I feel my neighborhood is special
because Big Cedar Lake is a big part of it. There's a boat launch and marina here also. If
you live in my neighborhood you are guaranteed a pier to keep your boat there. I would say
the lake is the most symbolic part of my neighborhood. Second I would consider the
park/beach area a huge part and also a huge hangout place for everyone who lives here.
Its great for little kids because they love to play in the sand and also great for teens and
young adults because theres a huge amount of space to do different activities. You will see
people playing frisbee to soccer to any kind of yard games in the summer. In the winter you
will see tons of ice fishers to snowmobilers to cross country skiers on the lake. There are
endless activities to participate in that all involve the lake/park. The other symbolic item I
thought of would be the flag located at the park. I feel like it brings our neighborhood
together in hard times because of the fact that when someone passes away it does go to
half mass. It shows how much all of our neighbors care about each other and how much we
really support each other. I also think there are certain houses that are of importance. My
best friends house is located just up the hill from my house and there are several of my
classmates who live in this subdivision. Regarding the map I drew to outline my
neighborhood I included the lake and park/beach area and just the street I live on and also
labeled the important houses. The person I interviewed basically drew every street and also
14

included the lake and park/beach area. His map was more vague and not detailed or
labeled. It was just a general view of the area. The one thing the interviewee and I agreed
on is the lake is the most significant part of this neighborhood and is basically what its
known for and what it has always been known for.
Student Sample Two:
The place that I consider to be my neighborhood is about ten minutes away from
Slinger High School and five minutes away from Little Switzerland Ski Hill, the place where I
am employed. My neighborhoods name is Cedar Lake Hills. The name is taken from the
hilly landscape within its boundaries, as well as from Big Cedar Lake, the lake that the edge
of the neighborhood rests on. The main feature that the neighborhood offers is the beach,
park, and marina. It is about four acres, and offers a fun spot for the neighborhood to come
together as a community. The community feel is completed by the potlucks, football parties,
movie nights, volleyball tournaments, and round robins that are quite frequent. There are
many homes in the neighborhood, and since it is a relatively old neighborhood, there are
many trees. There is also a lot of wildlife that is attracted to the lake.
My neighborhood falls into block 2017, block group 2, census tract 4501.05,
Washington County, Wisconsin Country Subdivision. It is located just a few minutes north of
Slinger and on the very south end of Big Cedar Lake. My neighborhood is made up of a
total of 56 people, 17 of whom are under the age of 18. The median age is 44 years old.
There are 19 households in my subdivision. 14 of them are family households with a
husband and a wife. In 2 of the homes, the homeowner lives alone and the other three are
non-family households, but the homeowner does not live alone in the house. My
neighborhood is in Polk town, Washington County, Wisconsin. There are is a total of 3,920
people living here, in a total of 1,457 households. 880 of the people living in Polk town are
under 18 years old and the median age is 45.8 years old. 1,174 of the households are
family homes. The other 283 households are non-family, and 227 of these homeowners live
alone.
Student Sample Three:
I live in a somewhat medium neighborhood. There are roughly 136 homes in my
neighborhood. Living in Slinger Wisconsin there isnt much diversity. The Caucasian race is
dominant at 98.3%. The average family income is $55,607 which is around $3,000 above
the average for Wisconsin so that is a pretty good thing. The crime rates are also very low
in the area. Significantly lower than the state average. This is probably due that the
abundance of families living in the area. My neighborhood is either filled with old retired
couples or young couples with a family. This helps with the crime. Not much happens it is a
little quiet. There are roughly 30% families in the slinger area but a little over 50% of the
people in the area are married. That why this is such a great place for families and just a
great place to live. People are close and everyone knows everyone.
It is cool to live in the neighborhood that I live in. Everyone knows each other and we
all get along well. We are a very close neighborhood. The place that people cherish the
most in our neighborhood is definitely the park and beach located on Big Cedar Lake. I am
lucky enough to live in a neighborhood that has access to the lake and a nice beach. The
beach is enjoyed by all so everyone in the neighborhood chips in to help maintain the park.
That is what makes everyone get close with one another because we do these things
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together. At least once a month there is a work bee that many people participate in. This
helps maintain the park. In the spring months they work hard to make it ready for the
summer. There are a bunch of wooden picnic tables spread out allowing people to have
lunch on the beach by the lake. There also is a volleyball court that gets used a lot and
forms friendships among neighbors. This is all located next to the marina where everyone
parks there boat. This is also a place that I used to always fish as a kid. Now I see kids
fishing there all the time just as I did. There is this one tree that many people know about.
The reason is it is very big and easy to climb. Kids are always in the tree climbing and
playing. Ive even seen some family take family photos in this tree. Also located in the park
is a bonfire pit. It has benches around it and open to the neighborhood. This is the reason
why our neighborhood is so close together. Every weekend this park is packed with the
same people and we love each others company all the time. There are also some features
that have nothing to do with the park. There is a big hill going up to the upper level of the
subdivision. This hill is very steep and it is known by all the kids as they bike, longboard,
and scooter down this hill because you can go very fast. Our subdivision is split up into
three levels, the lower, middle and upper. I live on the lower level and had friends that lived
in the upper and as a kid it wouldnt be good for me to walk up the big hill on the street to
get there. There is a path that is located on the lower level. I used to always take this trail
that cuts through the woods that are behind some houses. There are a lot of memories that
I hold but when I talked to my neighbor he also had a lot of memories. The thing that he
remembered is that the park that I enjoy today wasnt as nice and clean as It was when he
lived there as a kid. It is not till recently when we started to take care of the park. But he
also remembers that the neighborhood has always been close. The park is obviously the
most prized portion of the neighborhood. It allows the familys to get together and enjoy
beach activities together. I think thats why we are so close. There are many activities
available such as boating, fishing, volleyball, bonfires, or just relaxing on the beach. We
enjoy it together and I am lucky to live in a neighborhood like I do.
Urban
Student Sample One:
According to the 2010 census, at the block level, 82.8% of the people rent a house,
rather than owning. Of the people that rent, 79.2% of them are living by themselves. The
statistics show that the fewer people there are, the more likely they are to be renting, where
as if it was a larger family (4+ people) they are most likely to own a house. Also of the 46
people that live nearby me, about 1/3 of the people are under the age of 18. Compared to
one level up, the village level, the statistics tell something a little different. It says that more
that only about 25% of the people in the village rent, and the other 75% either own a house
or are mortgaging/loaning their house. Of those people, the correlation is still pretty similar
as at the block level. With 30% of the rented population living with one person, and another
30% for a family of two. Whereas the people who own a house show high stats for 1 person
and 2 person(23.4% and 37.7% respectively). At the village level, 30% of the population is
under the age of 18.

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Student Sample Two:

My neighborhood falls into Census Tract 4501.6 in the village of Slinger, Wisconsin.
Block 1024 block group 1, Washington County, Wisconsin (Census 2010). I live off of
County Highway Aa on Speedway Ct, Slinger Wisconsin. In this block there is a total
population of 69 people all of whom are white. This is surprising because the U.S. has so
many people of different races and ethnicities.
My neighborhood consists of about 13 houses all in a line. They road we live on is
Speedway Ct. right off of County Highway Aa. We live right next to the Slinger Super
Speedway, and also across the street from Little Switzerland. Our neighborhood is very
busy when it comes to traffic almost all year round; we have the races during the summer
and the ski hill during the winter. The restaurant that is in the lodge is also a busy place, that
is, it would be more so if the owner of the speedway who previously owned it didnt ruin its
reputation. As you come off of our street and head down the hill, you come into the heart of
slinger. You come into town and see the popular sub shops, Heroes, as well as the newly
redesigned Slinger House. Slinger is a humble and peaceful town and I am glad to be a part
of its community.

SAMPLE PROJECT FOUR: District Survey (Survey

Monkey)
Semester One sociology students got permission from the administration to
conduct baseline research using a simple survey of residents in the district
today. In 2013, it helped us get ideas for school district trends and what to
study further as well as helped Village Park and Recreation officials gather
input beyond the village borders to the district level for what amenities to
have in a new park. In 2014-2015, we gathered basic agriculture and food
data. Some of the best teachable moments occurred when we discussed
how to build a survey using Survey Monkey or Google Forms and then
looking at the results and making conclusions.

Sample Survey Monkey question on next page (once we found out

where people liked going for fish, we followed up with that
restaurant). Weve used Survey Monkey and Google Forms for
Recreational Norms, Fire fighting norms, Racing norms, and
Agriculture and Foodway norms. Survey Monkey is easier to
analyze.
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____________________________________________________________________________

Bringing It Home Documentation: A Sample of

What was presented at the end of the Bringing It
Home Project (see other handouts)
___________________________________________________
Changes from 2013-2014 School Year to 2014-2015
School Year
*October Field Site visit to local meat market, local grocers, Growing
Power/Sysco in Jackson, Milwaukee Public Market, Third Ward, and
Arts@Large WITH art students. Sociology/Art student collaboration.
Sociology/Art students brainstorm. Sociology data next to art.
*More time created for creation of displays, stronger rubric (see Linda
DAcquisto book on Student Museums), more time spent on student
reflection before and after the Community Night concerning what OTHER
students researched.
*March interview day on a Saturday morning at the school. Helps
provide adult presence and helps out teacher/committee schedule
*Agriculture and Food ways photo assignment within Digital
Photography class. Last year, technical education students built digital
stories and videos. We are looking to still do that but to add a year-long
photo contest and an assignment within the curriculum

___________________________________________________
2014-2015 Documentation: A Sample of
Agriculture and Food ways research collected
Sample Driving questions:
Is agricultural welding still significant in the Slinger area today?
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What type of farming is done today in the Town of Polk?

How does food go from farm/garden to table?
What food customs are in your family today? Trace the history.
Are Slinger area farmers selling food at area farmers markets?
Are Slinger area residents buying food at local farmers markets?
Are gardening/canning norms in the Slinger School District today?
Why? Why not?
What are the trends in food consumption in the Slinger Area?
What cultural changes have taken place among meat-market
customers?
What agricultural based businesses influence the Slinger area
residents?
Etc

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Student researching family recipes (Lefse). Photo by Ben

Moeller

Student visiting Allenton Farmers Market for interview (Photo by

Lauren Schuh)

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Students visiting Gehrings Meat market in St. Lawrence to discuss

butchering, processing, and customer buying patterns today (Photo by Nate
Grimm)

Richfield Thresheree Days (above). Students attending agriculture and food

events in the area to gather information. (Photo by Hunter Schrank)

Next Page:
1) Village of Slingers Risse Meat market (example of business
no longer here. HST students dug up stories from family
members, workers, customers)
2) Retired Food Service Workers being interviewed about food
service customs from the 1960s to 1990s. Current Food
Service Director was interviewed to compare. Retirees stuck
around for a tour of the current kitchen and some lunch.
They were amazed at the changes.
Photos by Nate Grimm and Nancy Schilling-Genz

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Larry, an employee of Sysco, and Joel, an employee of Growing Power,

discuss the Cooperative Farm in Jackson, WI. (Photos by Nate Grimm)
Above and next page
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Students in History, Political Science, Forestry, Sociology, Art, and

Architecture learned about Cedar Creek (unincorporated) and the former
Densmore Maxon homestead. Current Event: County plans to widen road
which affects some historic and natural assets. Students looked at the
property and the road widening project from multiple perspectives. A select
group was able to make a site visit to the property for a tour and photos.
(Photos by Nate Grimm)

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To show you that we are not done researching last years categories, this
year we had some music students continue to conduct music interviews, one
with a concertina player and one with a Slinger student, Hannah Mrozak, who
made it to Hollywood Week and was one of the Top 40 contestants in 2015s
American Idol. We wanted to document her feelings while they were fresh so
future students could learn about her learning experience. (Photo by Melena
Mrozak)
________________________________________________________________________

Michael Perry, Thank Yous, Resources, and Contact

Information
Its March. Growing season is coming. Winter is almost done (I think). Below is an excerpt that we used in
class this week from Michael Perry before we head out into the field to talk to farmers and a green-house
owner.

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"In part to mitigate the barren state of the earth, I have decided to order seeds for my
garden. I possess the perfect armchair for the task, a saggy old green thing that came
from my grandmother's basement and now sits on a rug beside my homemade
bookshelves. Sinking into the worn cushions, I spend the remainder of the afternoon
leafing through seed catalogs and recharging my chamomile tea. It is if a sunlamp has
been turned toward my soul. My winter bound spirit thaws, releasing sense memories-the shink shink sound of a hoe cleaving sandy soil, the press of a hard seed between
the pad and thumb and forefinger, the scratchy hiss of squash leaves moving in a warm
breeze. I am this close to writing a poem." Michael Perry, from Truck: A Love Story

Thank Yous:
Thank you to Barb Herther, Nancy Schilling-Genz, Bette Weninger, Jeff Wolf, Dave
Hanke, Steve Acker, Daren Sievers, Larry Gundrum, Mike Schuetz, Dean Goneau,
Mike Hamm, Melissa Stolaski, Chris Ziegelbauer, Tami Dorzok, Emily Lofy, Duane
Apel, Russ Hermann, Chris Graziano, Rob Selzler, Erika Guth-Degner, Phil Ourada,
Jenny Boyd, the Washington County Historical Society, the Venerable Fire Museum,
the Slinger area fire departments, the Slinger Park and Recreation Department,
Slinger Advancement Association, Slinger-Allenton Rotary, Slinger Area Music
Booster Association, and many other Slinger area citizens for their help with this
project.
Also, a special thank you to the Wisconsin Teachers of Local Culture, Mary Hoefferle,
Paul Van Auken, Mark Wagler, Anne Pryor, Ruth Olson, Jim Matthews, Bill Collar, the
Wisconsin Arts Board, the Chippewa Valley Museum, Arts@Large, and the National
Endowment for the Arts for local learning leadership and inspiration.

In the spirit of the Wisconsin Idea, thank you to WCSS for allowing us to present our
work concerning local Slinger history and culture outside of Slinger, WI.

Good general resources:

Wisconsin Teachers of Local Culture, Wisconsin State Historical Society, County
Historical Societies, University of Oshkosh Sociology Department (Paul Van Auken),
Ruth Olson and the Center for the Study of Upper Midwestern Cultures (at UWMadison), any books by Jerry Apps, Michael Perry, and John Gurda, C.A.R.T.S.,
www.wisconsinfolks.org, Wisconsin People and Ideas, people in your community

Some References for this project

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Bowman, Patty, and Hamer, Lynne, editors. Through the School House Door:
Folklore, Community, Curriculum. Utah State University Press, Logan Utah, 2011.
DAcquisto, Linda. Learning on Display: Student-Created Museums That Build
Understand. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Alexandria,
VA. 2006.
Sustein, Bonnie Stone, and Chiseri-Strater, Elizabeth. Field Working: Reading and
Writing Research, 4th Edition. Bedford/St. Martins. Boston, MA. 2007
Wagler, Mark, Olson, Ruth, and Pryor, Anne.
Madison Childrens Museum. 2004.

Kids Guide to Local Culture.

Timm, Beulah. Waechter, Lorna. Lickel, Lisa. Retired Educators of Washington

County. Rural Schools of Washington County. 2000
Van Auken, Paul, Golding, Shaun, and Brown, James. Prompting with Pictures:
Determinism and Democracy in Image-Based Planning, American Planning
Association, 2012.

OUR EMAILS:
Nathaniel.grimm@slingerschools.org
Jeffrey.Wolf@slingerschools.org

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