For my final product, I created a timeline that has my family history on the top half of the timeline with African-American/American history on the bottom.  On the family history portion of my timeline, I have shared facts/stories I learned, pictures I found with my father, and records from the State Library.   The pictures and records have been uploaded to the internet, and the small pictures serve as links to large pictures on the internet for users to see more clearly.

I really feel like this information can be used in so many ways!  In a professional sense, my students are creating a senior project with a final product.  I would like to use my project as an example.  Then I’ll be able to bounce ideas with them about other presentation options.  On a personal level, this is a product that can be sent to all of my family members via e-mail!  So, all my relatives have the opportunity to access  important records once only held by one family member in a box in the attic or something!  If my family does not have access to e-mail, they can go to the library or I can mail the the Excel file that I created to them on CD-ROM.  My grandmother and aunt are coming next weekend, so I’m looking forward to showing this project to them.   A classic pastime with my father and his family is sitting around the kitchen table and telling old stories; I’m excited to hear what stories are going to be coming from them when they see these old pictures and records.   Lastly, this is a great start to researching family history.  My mother has asked me to do the same thing for her family, and I will likely do it on my summer break from teaching.  Leslie Preddy discusses the importance of product dissemniation and offers a handout to consider presentation options. (Blue Book 256).  I feel like I personally went through these steps….figuring out my audience, deciding the best type of product and why it is the best type.  I will likely use a similar handout with my students later this school year.