Cal State L.A. students from Honors English 101 recently collaborated with the Autry National Center on a quarter-long project that culminated with an exhibit exploring the stories of students’ families and their migration to the American West.
The project was led by Professor Jennifer Hicks, who developed a curriculum based on author Lisa See’s family memoir, On Gold Mountain. Hicks worked with Rebekah Harding, assistant managing editor for education outreach at the Autry, to create a unique learning opportunity for students in the class.
On a field trip to the Autry, students toured See's family gallery and learned about museum displays and curating exhibits. They also took part in a workshop on family research. The Autry gave students access to the genealogy website Ancestry.com, which they used to do research for their final project.
The final project was a research paper about students' family histories and presentations that were used to create the one-day exhibit that was displayed at the Autry on December 6. The Autry, which is located in Griffith Park, is dedicated to sharing the history, culture and stories of the American West.
Photo: Honors English students presented an exhibit at the Autry National Center that was part of a quarter-long class project. (Photo credit: Robert Jackson)
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