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?