by Cori Hilsgen
news@thenewsleaders.com
All Saints Academy-St. Joseph sixth-graders recently discovered the excitement of primary sources as keys to unlock the past at the Stearns County History Museum.
Students learned about the museum while spending some time there researching various primary sources.
Teacher Susan Huls said students are so used to looking for information online that she wanted to show them primary sources that can help them tell interesting factual stories about the county’s past.
One student, for instance, is interested in the 1918 flu epidemic and found a folder full of newspaper articles describing what happened to families in the country when the flu struck.
Another student, whose father works at the St. Cloud Hospital, found a folder with information about what has changed throughout the years at the hospital.
Another student researched interesting features of the Pan automobile, and yet another student researched famed Sauk Centre author Sinclair Lewis and his Nobel and Pulitzer prizes.
Students commented about their experiences with the research.
“I liked learning about the people in Stearns County who fought in the wars,” said Mary Clare Colberg.
“I really enjoyed learning about Sam Pandolfo’s (car-manufacturing) business and his personal story,” Spencer Scholz said.
“I loved going in the back and seeing all their other stuff that wasn’t out on display yet,” said Olivia Kremer.
“I liked choosing a topic and doing more research on it,” Sophia Botz said. “I learned the OK Cafe (in downtown St. Cloud) was open 24 hours.”
“I thought it was cool the research center had articles about events and people back from the early 1900s,” said Emma Zaun.
“I liked watching the other people doing research and watching the helpers help them,” Tyler Smith said.
“I liked seeing all of the documents they had in the folders,” said Ella Morris.
Huls and the students worked with Julianne O’Connell, the museum’s program curator; Steve Penick, director of archives; and Jessie Storlien, archivist.
O’Connell visited the students’ classroom Sept. 21 to discuss museums and what primary sources are. The students and Huls then toured the museum exhibits and archive rooms and went to the research center to begin looking into their topics on Sept. 22.
Penick and Storlien pulled the information from the library and archives for the students, who began their research that day.
“I’m working with All Saints Academy sixth-graders on establishing a relationship between the school and the museum to help students begin to understand what primary resources are and why they are so important,” O’Connell said. “In the age of instant information, students need to know the difference between a primary source and a secondary source in order to sift out misinformation. Finding out the primary source and wanting to find that source of information is (a) solid skill that leads students to hone their critical-thinking skills.”
O’Connell said they want students to question “How do you know that?” “Where does your information come from?” “What proof do you have?” when they are given any information.
“Some parents might get challenged by their children for proof of all parental advice after this lesson, but they’ll be pleased to know their child won’t be sold the Brooklyn Bridge in the future,” she said.
Some students brought copies of the materials back to their classroom to continue their writing.
“The museum is quite a little gem,” Huls said. “I need to spend more time there.”
She said their goal is to develop a display at school called “Stearns County Stories,” with student contributions of two to three paragraphs each, telling the stories of the topics students researched.
The research will help the students prepare for doing their own research for a “Minnesota Counties Fair” exhibit they will be reporting for in May.
The sixth-graders chose counties they would like to learn about at the end of last year. Most chose counties to which they have a connection. Some visited the counties during the summer and picked up materials.
All students wrote letters to the historical museums requesting information, and they have begun receiving materials from those counties.
ASA school students, faculty, staff, parents and friends will be invited to the Minnesota Counties Fair exhibit this spring.
Stearns History Museum archivist Jessie Storlien (right) works with ASA sixth-graders Rhianna Sieben (back) and Olivia Kremer (front) at the research center to gather information.
ASA sixth-graders Spencer Scholz, Tyler Smith, Mary Clare Colberg and Olivia Kremer (clockwise) study their research with teacher Susan Huls (left, back) at the Stearns History Museum Research Center.
ASA sixth-grade teacher Susan Huls (right) works with sixth-graders Spencer Scholz, Tyler Smith and Mary Clare Colberg (clockwise, left table) and Rhianna Sieben (right table) while archivist Jessie Storlien (back, center) pulls materials for student research at the Stearns History Museum Research Center.
ASA parent volunteer Ann Sieben (back right, left table) and sixth-grade teacher Susan Huls (center left, right table) work with sixth-graders Mary Clare Colberg, Rhianna Sieben, Olivia Kremer, Spencer Scholz and Tyler Smith (clockwise) at the research center.
