I have been struggling with deciding which of my final topics to choose - butterfly gardens or sewing machines. I am leaning toward investigating butterfly gardens. With exploring the class readings, I feel this topic may lend itself better to the inquiry project. I could interview member(s) of the local Master Gardeners and/or the school's horticulture teacher concerning which plants are best for Indiana butterfly gardens and even ask about how to create the garden. I can also look into sources for the plants and other garden features, checking prices for the project, with my ultimate product being a plan for the garden and the approximate cost of the materials. These seem to be the nuts and bolts of the project, but I know as I learn more about butterfly gardens my questions and final product may change.
I thought Singer sewing machines would also be interesting, since I am not sure what year my treadle machine was produced. Finding out that Elias Howe and I.M Singer had a five-year battle in the courts (Howe eventually won) was eye-opening to me. What else is there to know about the invention's history that is not well-known? I think looking at sewing machines and how they have changed over the years and predicting the future machines might be fun as well, but like I said, I am really leaning toward butterfly gardens.
Hmmmmmm.....
With the prospects of creating a butterfly garden in the near future, I think I have made my decision. Now I need to start "wondering" about what I need to find out and think about what I already know. This will help guide my initial search and help me decide which questions I can ask a local gardener and which questions I need answer before the interview. I've found from past interviewing experiences that the more prepared and knowledgeable I am about the topic, the better the interview goes. That's similar to "doing your homework" when applying for a job: find out all you can before going, and then ask well-informed questions. I feel more confident now that I know what my topic is.
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I think that both topics you have podered investigating are SUPER topic choices! I selfishly was hoping you would choose to do your topic on singer sewing machines, as I love to sew! It's a shame how machines are made today. There is really very little you can do to fix them. They are made of lots of cheap, plastic parts, and if they break aren't very salvageable. IF taken care of, orginal machines can last a lifetime! I hope to someday find, and own an old singer (especially a featherweight!) that works, for my own, personal use. I can't wait, however, to learn more about Butterfly Gardens. I think it's very neat, and interesting that you are hoping to have one of your own! Good luck to you on this journey.
ReplyDelete--Amanda Miller
Amanda,
ReplyDeleteI have been blessed with a 1969? Singer from my grandmother. She bought a new one, and needed someone to take the old one. I was in need of a sewing machine which did more stitches than the straight stitching of my treadle machine, so I was glad to take it off her hands. It is also almost identical to the one I grew up using for 4-H projects.
I am excited about learning more about butterfly gardens. I hope to begin one this summer, based on my project.
I am glad I chose butterfly gardens as my inquiry topic, although in hindsight waiting until later (think spring time) may have helped me have a better idea of the increased cost of starting with plants instead of seeds. (I felt lucky that I could even find seeds for sale already!)
ReplyDeleteJust off the top of my head I will guess that purchasing most of the propagated plants I don't have could easily be $40 or more, and that is figuring less plants than could result with seeds.
While choosing my topic was initially exciting, knowing where to start was also a bit daunting. This is where returning to the 8Ws model helped me. Knowing that my questions may change as I explore various resources was reassuring yet scary. As an adult, I understand that changing the direction of my inquiry is a strong possibility. This would be where students may flounder. I've had students stubbornly stick to their original questions rather than follow their new questions because they think all the previous work was for nothing. Helping them synthesize their previous findings with the new ideas to be pursued can relieve anxiety, especially if one acts as a partner (Callison's model level of inquiry).