School Culture
What is school culture?
Shared traditions, values, beliefs, activities & experiences that make a school unique.
What is history?
A record or study of past events.
What is a tradition?
A custom, activity or practice repeated over time.
What is an interview?
What are the 5 Ws?
Who, what, when, where, why.
Name two things that can contribute to school culture.
Traditions, athletics, clubs, academics, fine arts, school spirit, relationships, values
What is heritage?
The traditions, history, and values passed down from previous generations.
Why are traditions important to a school?
They create identity, belonging, school spirit & connections between generations.
Which is a better interview question? A. Did you have fun? B. What was your favorite part of the event and why?
B
What additional question is often added to the 5 W's?
How?
T or F: School culture only includes major events like homecoming and graduation.
False
What is legacy?
Something handed down or left behind for future generations.
T or F: Every school tradition has to be decades old.
False
What type of question encourages more than a one-word answer?
An open ended question
What makes a strong yearbook story?
Meaningful details, people, emotion, specific experiences, memorable moments
Why is it important for a yearbook to document school culture?
To preserve the people, traditions, experiences and memories that tell the story of the school.
What is an archive?
Collection of preserved records, documents, photo or historical materials.
What questions could you ask to help tell the story behind a school tradition?
Why are direct quotes valuable in a yearbook?
They give personality, authentic voices, perspectives, and emotion to a story.
T or F: Only major school events deserve to be included in a yearbook.
False.
Imagine a new student visits your school. What are 3 things they might notice that reveal the school's culture?
Answers vary.
Name one source a yearbook staff member could use to research school history.
Old yearbooks, photos, interviews, newspaper articles, school records, alumni, teachers, etc.
Explain how a yearbook can preserve a tradition even after students graduate.
By documenting it through photos, stories, captions, interviews and quotes.
Turn "Was the game fun?" into a stronger interview question.
Answers vary.
Explain the difference between documenting an event and telling the story of an event.