Last spring, I saw images of the incredible heritage
timeline school librarian Paula Januzzi-Godfrey had facilitated at her school
on Facebook and wanted to know more. I reached out to Paula, and over the
summer, she wrote this wonderful description of how it began and developed over
time. Thank you, Paula! Your students are SO lucky to have you.
Last September, I began a new job as an elementary librarian at a
school that serves predominantly Black and Brown children that represent a
variety of cultures and countries of origin. One of my goals was to find
meaningful ways to celebrate heritage months. I saw this as a perfect way to
generate school-wide enthusiasm about our nonfiction book collections and the
many ways we can learn about people, places, history, cultures, and ourselves
through nonfiction literacy instruction.
Inspiration for the heritage timeline project developed organically,
beginning as I was teaching a lesson in January. I had pulled out some of my
favorite books about Martin Luther King, Jr. to share with students. I began
each lesson by showing a photo of MLK, Jr. and asking if anyone recognized him.
The majority of the students were not sure, and some identified him as
another person, such as LeBron James and Barack Obama. This led to rich,
informative discussions about when and why the civil rights movement began,
Black Lives Matter, and why we celebrate certain people on certain days.
people, places, and events in historical context would help student
understanding tremendously. Most importantly, I wanted the children to realize
that what they were learning about the past was relevant to their lives now. I
knew that visual teaching tools like timelines, maps, and photos could play a
powerful role in expanding their knowledge.
Using a document camera, I began sharing timelines from a variety of nonfiction
books. One of my favorites is The Doctor with an Eye for Eyes: The Story of
Patricia Bath by Julia Finley Mosca. I used maps and photos to show where
events on the timelines occurred, and I connected people and events that had
happened across our country or world. These visuals helped students put
everything into perspective.
Next, I told students what year I was born and what was happening in
history when I was their age, and what was happening when their parents and
grandparents were their age. Student engagement was high, and they were asking thought-provoking
questions.
As I thought about building on this momentum in a way that made what
they were learning interactive, I began to envision a life-size heritage
timeline in the main hallway of the school. It would consist of content created
by students, teachers, and staff—the entire school community.
So I used black construction paper secured with putty (so that I could remove it later without leaving any marks on the walls) to layout a timeline that began in 1619 and
ended in 2022. I provided some templates and invited students and teachers to
draw or write about a person or event that we had discussed. Over time, more
and more students and teachers added pieces to the timeline.
There was representation of Black artists, politicians, athletes,
authors, poets, activists, musicians and more. All genders and people with many
shades of black and brown skin tones covered the walls as you entered the
school.
One of our guest speakers was a city councilman who could be found in a
photo on our timeline with his wife, as local business owners.
I began to notice teachers and students stopping in the hallway to read
items on the timeline, and I received feedback about how much our students and
staff were enjoying watching the unfolding of the timeline display. Most
importantly to me, I heard and saw that students and teachers were seeing
themselves reflected in the photos on the timeline.
At the end of the month, I placed two mirrors under the year 2022 along with the words “World Changer”. Our students are our future world changers, so I wanted them to see themselves on the timeline.
The timeline was so well
received that staff members asked if it could be kept on display beyond
February. That inspired me to not only keep it up in the hallway, but to encourage
the school community to keep adding to it for Women’s History Month, Poetry
Month and Asian Pacific Month. I’m hoping we’ll keep adding to the timeline
this year, starting with materials related to Hispanic Heritage month.
Paula Januzzi-Godfrey began her career 37 years ago as a high school
special ed teacher. She then taught grades 4-5, became a literacy coach, and
currently serves as an elementary school librarian at Glenn Elementary School
in Durham, North Carolina. In 1998, she founded and directed a children’s
museum in Durham, NC. She has also served as a board member for nonprofit organizations
that advocate for children, families, and education.
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5 Responses
I love this idea! A great way to get students immersed in their learning!
Amazing idea of creating community and pride in the entire school. Ty for your excellent library leadership and to Melissa for featuring this project. I am going to use it in a toolkit I'm writing for parents and educators for the Choose to Read Ohio book, THE MANY MEANINGS OF MEILAN.
Incredible! I'm sharing this on my author page…but also with my school community.
Thank you so much!
Thank you!