Creating a memorial.

Eighth-grade English teacher Laurie Capponi looks forward to the end of the year for more than the obvious reason--it's when her annual Memory Matters project begins. The project, which has become a rite of passage for students at Wellwood Middle School in Fayetteville, N.Y., "is the last thing they do before moving from middle to high school," says Capponi. "If they rise to the occasion, they can do high school-quality work."

The month-long unit starts with a lesson on symbolism. Students study memorials and go on field trips to see real-life examples. Then they select a person or event to memorialize and write a five-page research paper. Next, they create a tangible memorial. The last step is presenting their work through a formal speech.

Capponi says the students enjoy building the memorials and take it quite seriously. After the project ends, the memorials are displayed in the library, where younger students ogle them in anticipation of their turn.

Some of the people students have chosen include 9/11 victims, Dr. Seuss and Martha Graham. "They try to do dead musicians because they think they're cool, but I won't let them do Kurt Cobain, Tupac Shakur or anyone who's gone down in a self-destructive phase," says Capponi.

Although they're forced to do a lot of work when they'd prefer to slack off, students are pleased with their results. "The really bright kids are surprised at how hard they had to work to do well," she says. "And the less academic kids are proud to get through it. It's a real lesson on that level."

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