History+of+Wasatch+Academy

By: Luke Austin and Jason Friedman
Overview/ Big Idea: Wasatch Academy has a vast history and a legacy that is constantly growing. Chronicling and archiving this history will require an endeavor that is larger than a single class or even a single school year. However, in order to create a sustainable repository and a usable past, the challenge involves teaching archival skills as well as locating and actually archiving various mediums of material. This will involve, visual, print, and oral media as well as other non-traditional sources.

The Essential Question: What is Wasatch Academy's place in history and the world? How do we create a usable past?

Guiding Questions: How do we do this? How do break this down into manageable parts? Where do we start? What technical skills does this project require. How do we deal with uncomfortable history.

Guiding Activities:

(for example ...)


 * Who was Duncan McMillian and what did he do during the Civil War?
 * How did the "victory bell" come to be a campus landmark.
 * When did Wasatch Academy integrate or were they always integrated? (Racially and Gender)
 * How did Wasatch Academy tackle the idea of evolution vs. creationism (1924 / Tennessee v. Scopes)
 * What did WA alumni do during the Vietnam War? (Who served? Who dodged, etc.)

Hi guys: love this idea. Joe Porter and I talked a bit about this and brainstormed some similar ideas. Let's work together to make tis happen.