The R.O.A.D. I Travel
(Research, Observe, Analyze, Discover)

School: Perry Meridian Middle School, Indianapolis, Ind.

Applicant: Leslie Preddy, Library Media Specialist

Read the full application narrative here

Click here to view an archived version of a free webinar with 2014 Jaffarian Award winners Leslie Preddy and Suzanne Walker, originally held on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2014.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_{Jaffarian Award winning applicant Leslie Preddy (c) with program partner Suzanne Walker (l),
and award committee chair Nancy Keane (r), at the 2014 ALA Annual Conference in Las Vegas}

 

Program Summary

Over the course of one semester, librarians assisted five eighth-grade classes and nearly 500 in researching their family histories online and in historical newspapers on microfilm.  The students visited the Indiana State Library and the Indiana Historical Society, learning from historians and preservationists how to interpret historical photos and preserve family documents.  Students also interviewed family members and caregivers to learn more of their family history, developing valuable memories as well as in-depth learning skills.  The R.O.A.D. I Travel project culminated in each student's creation of a personal research goal and plan, with an independently developed personal family research project presented at a community project fair.
 

Program Images


_{Students conduct online research}
 

_{A student learns to use microfilm at the Indiana State Library}
 

_{Instruction on the card catalog at the Indiana State Library}
 

_{Perry Meridian students at the Indiana Historical Society}
 

_{Instruction on preservation}
 

_{Learning to preserve family documents through hands-on activities}
 

_{Community project fair at Perry Meridian Middle School}

 

Press

Indianapolis middle school wins 2014 Sara Jaffarian School Library Program Award