Chix in Town
By:  John Hann

Project at a Glance :

This project is for a middle school History class to understand and the history of hatcheries in Zeeland. They will be tasked with using primary and secondary sources and delivering a lesson to 8th grade History students. 
​
Driving Question:

How can we create and deliver a lesson to Cityside students about Zeeland’s hatchery history.

Standards:

• 6–8.H3.1.1: Explain how historians use primary and secondary sources to answer questions about the past.
• 6–8.H3.1.7: Use case studies or stories about Michigan people or events to analyze the importance of innovation, business, and industry in local history.
• P2.1.1: Use a research process to identify a problem/question, gather resources, and present findings.
• P2.1.2: Analyze and interpret data and information from multiple primary and secondary sources.
• P2.1.4: Use research findings to support a public presentation using appropriate tools and technology.

Team / Culture Building:

• Team culture is built daily in this class with inclusion activities at the start of each period with Wheel of Names​​
• Hopes Fears, and Norms protocol

Entry Event:

• Students took a field trip to the Zeeland Museum.
• They were led in a guided tour of Zeeland's Hatchery exhibits.

Stakeholders:

• Current and future students
• Zeeland community
• Townline Hatchery
• Chick Industry
• Mrs. Huizenga 

Empathy Building:

• Stakeholders Map
• Empathy Map ​

Inquiry / Need to Knows:

• Students used primary sources, museum archives, community media, and interviews to learn about the roots of Zeeland's hatchery history.​

Gaining Insights:

• Students used the Speedboat protocol as the project started to take shape to see what anchors could slow them down.

Incubation:

• Idea Quota
• ​3-12-3​​

• Yes, and Can It....?
• Dot Voting for Presentations
• Field Work: a local film maker was invited to discuss the potential solution of creating a video​

 Checking in:

• Check in daily for review
• The Maitre'd (table for 2)
• Anti-Problem
• Analyzing Analogies: A hatchery is like ________

---

Solution Building:

• Storyboard: Students pitched a storyboard to the school counselor/media producer. He helped with transitions and offered suggestions.​​

Critique and Revision: ​

• John Geerlings from Townline Hatchery visited and the students pitched their final solution to him. He gave them some Yes, and Can It..... suggestions!

Authentic Audience:

• Hatchery​
• Cityside students
• Film producer

Solution Examples:

• Students created an 8 minute video showcasing the History of the Chix​

Title of the Video

• The video included many interesting facts about the history of hatcheries in Zeeland​

Special history part of the video

• Students included fun facts about chickens in the video!
• An interview from Mr. Geerlings from Townline Hatchery was a special part of the video

Click here for teacher's full plan.
Reflection and Feedback:

• Students were evaluated with the Single Point Rubric
• Administration used the NUF test for feedback: (new, useful, feasible/fun)
• "I was very impressed with the quality of the video that Mr. Hann's 3rd hour IRR History class produced! It was fun, exciting, and informative!" ~ Sarah Huizenga
• One word to describe the experience by students: "Masterpiece" ~ Cristian, "Exciting" ~ Cambria, "Delightful" ~ Autum

Interview part of the video with Mr. Geerlings

Mrs. Huizenga evaluated with the NUF test

Click here for the teacher's Journey through PBL on Padlet . . .

Meet the Educator:

​John Hann teachers 6-8th grade Special Education at Cityside Middle School in Zeeland, MI.

          "PBL reminds me to slow down and trust the process. The results of PBL in my class are rarely what I expect and often far beyond my hopes."