The That Was Then, This Is Now project of the Burke Vermont Town School was designed to provide fourth grade students with information about agriculture, schooling, and life in general in 1800s Vermont, so that students could compare the past with the present. The project was presented as an integrated Social Studies curriculum unit underway in the Burke Town School, while moving toward becoming part of the district curriculum. This portfolio entry documents the evolution of the project over two years and analyzes the growth of the project through the lens of Entry 1: Student Learnings and Contributions (See Entry 1 Directions and Rubric). The portfolio features eight samples of student work from two students (Megan and Brittany) produced over the course of one year, along with the instructional context of each sample of work. Additional pieces of evidence accompanying the portfolio include the written curriculum for the Agriculture and Schoolhouse units, student assessment rubrics, and community reflections.

The makers of the Burke portfolio conducted a self-assessment of the
That Was Then, This is Now project, by asking teachers, students, and community members to review the portfolio. Using the Entry 1 rubric, the self-assessment team highlighted the rubric language that they felt best described their progress towards the place-based learning goals of Entry 1. The results of their self-assessment are included as a special addition to the exhibits.