Process Paper

How did I choose this topic?

 I focused on the history of the Wisconsin Idea and the School of Human Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison because I personally benefited from the work being done in the school. When I was eight years old, I was one of six girls who participated in an event at the University called "Knitting to Learn Math and Science." It was the first event to take place in the School of Human Ecology’s new building and it continued the school’s long history of offering educational opportunities to people in the community. In addition to learning how to knit, we conducted laboratory experiments to learn about the chemical properties of wool, silk, and cotton. We also learned about microbes and how bacteria and fungus are such a central part of our ecosystem. The event was such a positive experience for me, so I chose to focus on the Wisconsin Idea and how the School of Human Ecology helps people in the state of Wisconsin learn.

How did I conduct my research?

  I started my research by looking at photos from the "Knitting to Learn Math and Science" event that I attended in the School of Human Ecology in 2012. Because my mother teaches at the School of Human Ecology, I visited the school to learn about research projects and courses that are taught in the school. I then searched for information about the Wisconsin Idea and the history of Human Ecology. Next, I decided to focus on the school's Child Development Lab becuase it reflects the Wisconsin Idea's goal of helping people in the community through teaching, research, and outreach.

Why did I choose to make a website and how did I construct the website?

  I chose to create a website for National History Day because it was an efficient, interactive, and highly visual way to organize the different types of information that I collected. A website was also a great way to include a lot of historical photographs and quotes to represent the changes that were taking place in society and how women's voices were starting to be recognized. I constructed my website using information provided on the National History Day website and by looking at examples of students’ websites from past years.

How does my topic relate to this year’s NHD theme?

 The Wisconsin Idea is an excellent example of “Breaking Barriers in History” because it created educational opportunities for people across the state of Wisconsin and for the first time in history, it gave women in the late 1800s and early 1900s access to the same educational opportunities as men. Women who benefitted from this education were able to acquire valuable skills, work outside the home, and bring attention to issues that were important to them as wives and mothers. Women’s status and position in the home, labor force, and society changed dramatically and women's domestic work was deemed valuable and essential to creating a healthy society.