Based on their professional dedication and teaching innovation, Oakdale-Bohemia Middle School teachers Mary McGonnell and Dr. Carmela Gustafson were selected to present at the National Council for the Social Studies in Austin, Texas, on Nov. 22-23.  

Their presentation, “Bringing History Home: Your School as Historical Inquiry,” invited teachers and administrators to learn how to plan and implement a collaborative local history project. This presentation was based on the work of the social studies department at Oakdale-Bohemia Middle School to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the school.  

For that project, each grade created a different learning opportunity for its students. In sixth grade the students completed historical research on the history of the building by reviewing yearbooks, time capsules and resources from the local community. The seventh grade interviewed former teachers and administrators to create an oral history of the building. The eighth grade completed historical research on demographic, economic and social changes over the last 50 years in and around the school.