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What is the role of nutrition when treating disease? The assignment asked students to look historically at this question with respect to cancer, heart disease, and other ailments. Students also needed to understand the research process when looking at historical documents. The archives does not have a large representation of disease-related records except for one hospital—the Nova Scotia Sanatorium.

Audience: Undergraduate students in Nutrition (advanced)

Objectives: To allow students to personally experience the element of “discovery” as they do research.

Ingredients:

• Selected books from the Sanatorium’s medical library
• Archival records, textual and graphic
• B.A. thesis about the Sanatorium
• Slips of paper with the word “research”

Method:

Prep time: 2 hours to assemble resources; 10 mins to prep the room
Divide the students into groups and seat each group at a separate table.

Exercise time: 10 mins

1. Each student has a small slip of paper with the word “research” and lots of writing space.
2. Ask the students to do a word association with “research”, writing down their own word.
3. Ask students to yell out their word. This is an opportunity to explain more about the process of research, primary vs. secondary sources, and understand what level of experience the students have had with doing research.

Exercise time: 50 mins

1. Allow 15-20 mins for the students to explore the sources put on their table. They are not given any direction as to how to what to look for within the sources.
2. Use the time to circulate to each group and talk about handling procedures and interesting items.
3. Pass around the sheet of questions, now giving each group a purpose for looking at the material. Allow 5 mins. Here are their instructions: - Select one interesting document, and - Answer a few specific questions about the item
4. After the students have completed the questions, encourage each group to discuss their findings to their group members. Allow 5 mins.
5. Allow 10 mins for the groups to discuss a set of pre-determined questions relating to documents in the box (e.g., the purpose/meaning, bias, etc.)
6. Bring the group back together for a larger discussion about doing research, how to use the Archives, and the materials. Allow 10-15 mins.

Wrap up the session (5 mins)

1. Request that each student complete a departure pass with the questions: What happened in the past? Why does it matter?

Nutritional archival sources now being served

How has nutrition been taught over the last century? This assignment required students to piece together how nutrition programs have developed in universities, colleges, and schools.  Exposing the students to the archives and how to do historical research was the immediate task at hand.

Audience: Undergraduate students in Nutrition

Objective:  To challenge the students to broaden their understanding of research as they critically read both past and present resources.

     To demonstrate cooperation between the Archives and the Library.

Ingredients:

• Table set up in room, white tablecloth, napkins
• Photographs of former dining hall
• Published descriptions of former dining hall
• Academic calendars, all decades represented
• Archival records concerning the activity of dining and nutrition
• Home economics textbooks, hygiene textbooks, from special collections
• Nutrition-related secondary sources from the Library, in print and online

Method:

Prep time: 4 hours to assemble resources; 10 mins to prepare room

Exercise time: 5 mins

1. Address the dining room table. Describe the history of former dining hall, challenging the students to identify the building that still exists on campus but has been re-purposed.
2. Contrast this dining experience to the current dining hall.

Exercise time: 15 mins

1. Distribute Acadia University calendars, explaining that the students should look for courses that relate to nutrition.
2. Investigate and discuss the findings, decade by decade. Students are called upon to report on their findings as part of the discussion, “How has the education of Nutrition changed on this campus?”

 Exercise time: 35 mins

1. Distribute records and books while explaining the process of speed dating.
2. During the speed dating, students take a few minutes to review the item and answer a few questions.
3. As part of the speed dating, students take a minute to discuss their findings with the student next to them.
4. Do this six times, three times with round one questions and three times with round two questions.

Speed dating questions:

Round One – title; publishing date; intended audience; ne spark-point/one thing that you have learned

Round Two – title; publishing date; what do I expect of this title?; what is the purpose of this item?

Wrap Up the session: (10 mins)

1. Ask the students to explain their assignment.
2. Ask the students how the Archives can help with their assignment.
3. Request that each student complete a Departure Paper.

Departure paper questions:

What did you expect of this session?

How will you use the Archives to help you with your assignment?