Introduction

This blog has been designed for 7th grade students learning about Waterbury, Connecticut. 


Student research different aspects of Waterbury, synthesize their information, and design and present a non-fiction booklet describing some interesting aspect of Waterbury, past or present.  Your intended audience will be elementary school students.  



Proceed carefully because younger students are counting on you to provide accurate, relevant, and interesting information. 

The Task

As writers for children, you will tell the story of Waterbury as an interesting place to live. Not only do you want to prove Waterbury to be a fascinating place but also you are a proud citizen. You want to encourage younger students to respect all Waterbury has accomplished.

Each of you will be responsible for creating a short story presented in a booklet that promotes the best of Waterbury, Connecticut.

The Process

You will develop an area of expertise. This might include education, business, transportation, neighborhood life, religion, a landmark, a historical event, or social activities.

Once you have an area of expertise, each of you must visit three websites and write 5-8 facts each about your topic from each of these websites. Record the facts in your notebooks. Your facts do not need to be written in complete sentences at this point.

Once you have completed your thorough investigation of the sites and have written your notes, you are to use the writing process to tell a simple story about your point of interest in Waterbury.  Once your draft is complete, you will create a booklet with illustrations appropriate for a child to read.

Please include the following:

√  An engaging opening

√ Details that focus on your area of expertise

√  An ending that tries to “clinch” the deal. Answer the following question:  Why should citizens feel proud of Waterbury?

√  A Works Cited (Remember to identify your sources--including sources of images.) 

In the end, you will present your work to the class in an oral presentation.

Relevant Websites

City Hall

Connecticut History Online

Downtown Waterbury Tour

Flood of 1955

Fulton Market

Fulton Park

Greater Waterbury History

The Green

The Green 2

Historic Downtown

Historic Buildings

Historic Photos

Historic Photos II
Holy Land Photos

Holy Land Murder Story

Holy Land for Sale

Holy Land I

Holy Land II

Mattatuck Collections

Monuments

Post Office (Architect)

Waterbury's Official Site

Waterbury's Cemeteries

Waterbury Neighborhoods

Waterbury Public Schools

Waterbury Regional Chamber

Waterbury's Slave Owners

Waterbury Watch

World War II

Landmarks

Leatherman

Leatherman 2

Leatherman 3

Leatherman 4

Library of Congress Local Histories

Assessment

Your booklet will be assessed based on the following criteria:

• There is an engaging introduction.
• There is accurate, relevant, and interesting information in the body.
• The conclusion helps the reader feel proud of Waterbury.
• The sources of information (including images) are cited.
• Spelling, punctuation, and grammar are correct.
• Images are appropriate in content and size.
• It is completed on time.