Michigan Matters
Michigan Matters "virtual tour" modules are like storybooks come to life, in which upper elementary students can explore the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, investigate Michigan's connections to the Underground Railroad, or traverse the history of Mackinac Island. Each of our modules is in the form of a story that involves protagonists of the approximate age of our student participants.
As the students turn the pages of their virtual storybook, they are prompted with questions to consider. The students' comments are responded to by University of Michigan student mentors, who speak in the voices of the characters in the stories. These mentored conversations continue throughout the tour, offering students a chance to develop writing and research skills while they experience important moments in our state's history (and have fun, too!)
In our project design, we seek to create compelling spaces for students to explore issues of concern to Michiganders of today (and tomorrow), while deepening their knowledge of the social and historical contexts in which those issues emerged. We make use of character play and story to both dramatize and personalize these events and issues, hoping to provide ample space for the exercise of our participants' creative imaginations.
To find out more about Michigan Matters, please view this tutorial and/or contact Jeff Stanzler (stanz@umich.edu. 734-763-5950)