Curriculum Development Project – Mizel Museum, Denver

By

Marilyn Cullen-Reavill

Doctoral Student, University of Denver

November, 2003

This project was more of a curriculum writing project than a CBR project, but it was definitely community based.

I was involved in a summer community project writing curriculum material for Ellen Premack at the Mizel Museum, a Jewish museum in Denver, Colorado. The project was actually the undertaking of a Communications doctorate student at the University of Denver named Robert Margesson. The Mizel museum wanted Rob to write the narrative/stories of three non-Jewish immigrants here in the Denver-Metro area and lesson plan activities to go with each one. Although narratives are Rob’s specialty he asked the College of Education to suggest a graduate student who could help him with the lesson plans. That is how I became involved.

The Mizel Museum’s goal was to broaden their Immigrant Adventure program by including the stories of immigrants of various nationalities. Up until this point, they had only included Jewish immigrants. They wanted to make their program more culturally diverse in order to meet the needs and interests of more of the Denver-Metro area students and teachers. I wrote the curriculum materials with this in mind and also wrote the lessons to meet the Colorado
State Standards.

I did several things in order to meet these objectives. First, I wrote an article on the Statue of Liberty at a fifth grade reading level and then wrote lesson plans and materials for teachers that addressed several of the Colorado State Reading Standards. I met with Rob and each of the three immigrants to discuss the elements of their culture and life that would be of interest and value to children so that I could incorporate these things into the lessons. I wrote lesson plans for three cultural activities (one for each story) that the docents would do with students during their presentations. I purchased materials for the three activities and set up a container for each one with a list of what should be present in order to make it easy for the docents to replenish materials as needed. I then gave a presentation/in-service to the docents on how to present and teach the activities.

This project was extremely enlightening for me. First, the history of the Statue of Liberty was fascinating. There was so much about it that I did not know and I am now even more inspired to go and see it. Second, I learned so much about the immigration process past and present that it helped me gain a greater appreciation of what this country has to offer. Third, and most importantly, I had the wonderful opportunity of meeting three amazing immigrants. Hearing their stories has touched my heart and changed my life. I am sure that when students hear these stories through this exciting Mizel Museum Immigrant Adventure Program they will feel the same way.