As March 31 approached this year, students prepared for a school exhibition about the Treaty of Kanagawa. Signed in 1854 the treaty ended Japan’s long period of isolation known as Sakoku and opened the country to the outside world
Students in grades 8 through 10 worked in groups to create tri-fold presentations each looking at the event from a different angle. Eighth graders focused on culture and daily life, ninth graders looked at technology and power, and tenth graders focused on the key people involved
Each group had to come up with a guiding question and support it with research including a short summary maps images and quotes from historical sources. They also needed a clear thesis so their project was not just information but an actual argument
Mr Douglas said this is the kind of project students do not get enough of and that it is important for them to have chances like this. He explained that history is not just something that happens in the classroom, but something that happens all around us. By making it an event where students can share their work and even compete a little it makes history feel more real and more interesting
The exhibition allowed students to present their work and look at other projects. It was a chance to show what they have learned and see how one event helped shape modern Japan
winning projects wee selected by the audience in each grade level.
