LEARN NC

1.6 Design a town monument

By Kate Allman

Provided by UNC Libraries / Documenting the American South.

In this lesson, students will further their understanding of the commemorative landscape of North Carolina by honoring an important person or event in their local town, city, or county. Students will begin by identifying and discussing important events and people within their local area. Students will then design a monument to honor this person or event and select a location for it. Students will write a letter to the Governor’s office appealing for the creation of their monument.

Learning outcomes

Students will:

  • identify and describe important people and events in their local area.
  • design a monument commemorating a person, event, or idea that deserves to be honored in their area.

Teacher planning

Time required

Two 45-minute classes

Materials/Resources

  • Pencil/pens
  • Drawing paper
  • Crayons and/or markers
  • city or town map
  • Journals or notebook paper

Pre-activities

Facilitate an understanding of important people and events in the local area. Prior to this lesson, teachers could ask students to research important events or people in their county, town, or city. If research has been conducted earlier in the year, facilitate a review or discussion of these important people and events.

Activities

  1. Remind students that monuments have been erected throughout North Carolina to honor people, events, and ideas important to specific groups of people in North Carolina. Students will have the opportunity to design a monument for their own town, city, or county.
  2. Ask students to journal about a person, event, or idea that deserves to be honored in their county, town, or city. Remind students that public monuments often express the values of a group of people, so it should not be a person, event, or idea that is important only to them. Encourage students to describe the qualities of this person, event, or idea and why he, she, or it deserves to be honored with a monument.
  3. Have students share and discuss their journal entries.
  4. Provide students with art materials to create drafts and drawings of their monument. Encourage students to think carefully about the choices they make as they represent what they respect about this person, event, or idea.
  5. After students have finished designing their monument, provide a map of their town, and ask students to select a location for their monument within their town.
  6. After students have designed their monument and made their choices, students will write a letter to the North Carolina Governor’s Office advocating for the erection of their designed monument.

Assessment

  • Evaluate student writing against the information provided through class activities.
  • Gauge student participation in class discussions and activities.

North Carolina curriculum alignment

Social Studies (2003)

Grade 3

  • Goal 1: The learner will characterize qualities of good citizenship by identifying people who made a difference in the community and other social environments.
    • Objective 1.02: Recognize diverse local, state, and national leaders, past and present, who demonstrate responsible citizenship.

Grade 4

  • Goal 3: The learner will trace the history of colonization in North Carolina and evaluate its significance for diverse people's ideas.
    • Objective 3.02: Identify people, symbols, events, and documents associated with North Carolina's history.