Brewster Students Get Creative While Learning About the 1920s

For a recent project in US History, Brewster High School juniors wrote, painted and even rapped about the 1920s as part of a project in Kayla Corvino and Richard Tivnan’s class. Students were asked to research a topic, write an essay answering a prompt and then complete a creative project to share their learning. From videos and mini-newspapers to fashion sketches and more, students’ creativity was on full display.

“This is probably one of the most frustrating projects for students because they have to try and fail over and over again to get the information they need,” Corvino said. “It is about learning how to find reliable sources, determining what information you need and what is fluff and being able to present it in a way that others can understand — all while crediting where you received the information.”

After getting a quick introduction to the 1920s, students chose to research one of the following topics: prohibition, sports, music, technology, politics, art, the Harlem Renaissance and the Palmer Raids. They then began their research and decided on an essential question to answer in their essay, which included in-text citations as well as a citation page at the end. From there, students had to find a creative way to share their discoveries with classmates.

While Corvino and Tivnan helped guide students in finding relevant, reliable information, they left it to students to decide what details were significant and to make connections.

“We want to teach students how to find information and make their own informed decisions,” Corvino said.

She noted that while students are generally excited about the freedom this project allows them, it challenges them.

“They go through a process of doubting their choices once the research starts,” she said. “It is one of the best projects to learn how students think because they will verbalize their frustrations and their ‘a-ha’ moments.”

Jordyn Young, who researched Prohibition, felt especially challenged during the planning stages of the project.

“Looking at the project from a larger scope, I was overwhelmed by the load of the work,” Jordyn said. “With the due date so near, I kept telling myself ‘There’s no way I can finish this.’ However, when I took the project one step at a time, spreading out and planning my work day by day, I was able to complete the project in a timely manner with my best effort.”

Jordyn also experienced the self-doubt Corvino referenced.

“Another challenge I faced was the constant thought of ‘Is this good enough?’” Jordyn said. “It motivated me to work to the best of my ability and to remind myself that as long as I put my best effort into this, I will be sure to get a good grade.”

While researching, Jordyn was surprised not only by the amount of information out there, but by what she uncovered while researching bootlegging businesses.

“I learned about who was at the top of this illegal alcohol distribution, such as Al Capone, as well as the scale of how many businesses there were. I was shocked at the fact that there were tens of thousands of these illegal businesses in the U.S. during Prohibition. Additionally, I was surprised by how many people were willing to break the law to consume alcohol solely for recreational purposes. The extent to which people went against Prohibition, creating speakeasies, using bribery, and illegal manufacturing, left me shocked. These surprises left me asking even more questions, which improved my research.”

While challenging, Jordyn enjoyed the project.

“Projects like this never cease to provide a sense of accomplishment afterward, which is the best part,” Jordyn said. “Also, watching my classmates present their projects is a great way to learn so many new things in class.”

Corvino also enjoyed the presentations.

“This project really allows students to display their talents and creativity,” Corvino said. “My favorite projects are always from students who create a work of art, write music, or make movies. Our students have so many talents.”