4th Grade Creates a Highlands School Time Capsule

In their spring project work, the 4th grade students at Highlands School have undertaken a special task - creating a time capsule that will remain sealed for 35 years! The capsule is set to be opened in 2058 as our school commemorates its 100th anniversary.

This project has been a joint effort involving various subjects from the curriculum. It all began with the students delving into language arts, where they posed insightful questions and conducted initial research. They explored time capsule stories from five different cities in Alabama and learned about the most suitable (and least suitable) materials to use. Initially planning to construct their own capsule, they later decided to purchase one. Despite finding the ideal capsule for the project, it exceeded their classroom budget. Through persuasive writing and a presentation, the students successfully convinced Ms. Vasil that investing in the capsule was a worthy use of school funds.

With the capsule secured, the students embarked on collecting artifacts from the entire community. Concurrently, they honed their map skills in social studies, mastering cardinal directions, legends, symbols, and grids to locate cities and towns in Alabama known for their time capsules. In science, they focused on the engineering design process, creating prototypes for the capsule container. Math skills were put to use as they analyzed the percentages of each grade in the school since 2014.

In a final presentation to their parents, the students shared their research, findings, and collected artifacts including things from pictures of grade-level traditions to a pair of eclipse glasses. A ceremonial burial of the time capsule on campus is scheduled for later this week. This comprehensive project not only engages students in various skills such as collaboration, creativity, communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving, but also empowers them by offering choice and autonomy in their learning journey.

Click here to see a preview of the project