Further Uses of the Fruit Belt Project

In addition to this curriculum guide, the other components of the Southwest Michigan Fruit Belt Project offer multiple resources for teachers, students, and other groups. Below are some strategies for using these components in the classroom. For more information and reservations, please contact the Heritage Museum and Cultural Center at 269-983-1191.

Exhibit at The Heritage Museum and Cultural Center: On display through 2007, “World’s Largest” presents the history of the fruit industry in Southwest Michigan. Teachers can use the exhibit worksheet (page 62) to help guide their students through the information and highlight important facts. The Heritage Center allows groups of up to 50 participants at a time to visit the exhibit, and provides guided tours and in-house projects for these groups. Reservations for groups are required, and a small fee may apply.
Exhibit Lending Kits: The HMCC has also developed “mini-exhibit” lending kits including eight presentation posters that highlight the exhibit’s main themes, and a brief introductory guide for presenting these materials. Reservations are required in order to borrow lending kits, and a small fee may apply.

WMUK Radio Documentary: A Fruitful Land, produced in cooperation with WMUK (a National Public Radio satellite station) and HMCC, discusses the challenges facing Michigan’s fruit industry today. This 23 min. program includes interviews with local farmers, businessmen, and researchers. Teachers can use this production to illustrate the effects of economic factors on Michigan agriculture, highlight the changing scope of fruit farming, and engage students in thinking critically about the economy, consolidation, and corporate farming. The complete text and audio for this documentary are available on http://wmuk.org/special_report.html.

Michigan History, special edition on the Southwest Michigan Fruit Belt: These editions of Michigan History magazine and Michigan History for Kids, can be utilized as a supplementary reference for the classroom. The edition will include essays and photographs focusing on Michigan fruit agriculture, labor, and culture; as well as a photo essay featuring WPA photographs taken in the Fruit Belt.

Southwest Michigan Fruit Belt Archive Collection: An extensive research, archive, and photograph collection relating to Southwest Michigan’s fruit industry is available to the public. The HMCC holds in these resources in its archive collections and allows public visits and tours of the preservation facility. Appointments are necessary for public use, and reservations are required for group tours (a small fee may apply).
 

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WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY / THE HERITAGE MUSEUM AND CULTURAL CENTER

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