Passages and Contrived Corridors by Steven Branting “ H Every answered
question generates a new query.
istory,” Napoléon observed, “is the version of past events that people have decided to agree upon.” Local lore is no exception. Students are always surprised to learn that many
of their childhood memories are, in fact, reconstructions of their parents’ recollections. Every community harbors anecdotal problems, many of which can be solved by even middle school students. This is especially true when answering the questions necessitates access to current technologies that can analyze and portray spatial patterns. Towns are laid out in grids, and buildings arise oriented to streets; artificial patterns are superimposed on the natural environ- ment. Some of the most interesting puzzles are presented in our communities’ cemeteries. A touch of the unusual will intrigue anyone, as we shall see.
Uncovering a Riddle
In the fall of 2001, I introduced the study of geographic information systems (GIS) into the junior high school curriculum in an effort to create a foothold for spatial science. After assur- ing the seventh-grade students’ proficiency with the software, I designed a seemingly benign lesson to be delivered in a local cemetery. The city gave its permission for the fieldwork, as unaware as we were that the project would span the decade and require the assistance and cooperation of many professional entities—local, regional, national and international. As one student later remembered, “This project proved to be a riddle with many interesting twists.” A fundamental management precept for success in field projects is to match the problem
with the appropriate resources. We knew that the city had moved its cemetery in the 1890s. Was there a pattern to the reburials? The students used their first field tool—GPS units—fix- ing the position of the new locations of bodies exhumed from the old graveyard. It all seemed simple enough, even an adventure. “Be careful going in search of adventure,” wrote novelist William Least Heat-Moon. “It’s ridiculously easy to find.” A pattern of graves did emerge, and its discovery garnered international recognition from
ESRI, the world’s leading GIS software developer. However, every answered question gener- ates a new query.
GPS survey, 2001 Inquiry Opens the Way
Asking the right questions opens doors to authentic experi- ences inside and outside the classroom, especially when the answers unearth a real mystery. We soon found ourselves with a new problem: What was done with the unidentified remains? An analysis of death records revealed that at least 400 people had been interred in the old cemetery. Only 128 reburials could be verified. The discrepancy was beyond the scope of the city or even GIS. The existence of an unmarked mass burial was based on hearsay, but the city was not about to let us sink a test shaft into the site to gather evidence one way or the other. New resources, new tools, and new mentors would be required. We needed to peer below the grass without disturbing it. Thus began
PAGE 4 • Connect ©SYNERGY LEARNING • 800-769-6199 • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2012
Journeys through Cunning
shann branting
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