CyberFair Project ID: 7704

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International Schools CyberFair Project Narrative
Title: Stories of the Forty-Four South Village
Category: 6. Historical Landmarks
URL: http://librarywork.taiwanschoolnet.org/gsh2014/gsh7704/fourfour.htm
Bibliography: http://librarywork.taiwanschoolnet.org/gsh2014/gsh7704/narrative.htm

School: Wuxing Elementary School
    Taipei, Taiwan, Taiwan

6 students, ages 11-12 worked together to complete this CyberFair project on March 23, 2014. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): 2012,2013

Classes and Teachers: Li sue-ching, Chefu Wang,Jia-Xiang Liang,Jia Weixuan

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://www.wsps.tp.edu.tw/front/bin/home.phtml

Project Overview

1. Description of Our Community

Wuxing Elementary School is located in Xinyi District, Taipei City. In addition to the natural resource of the Mt. Elephant around, there’s the Zhong Qiang Park nearby, in which the tree frogs are conserved successfully. Since the Xinyi line of the Taipei MRT started working, the transport network has become more convenient. Besides the landmark Taipei 101, there is the Xinyi Public Assembly Hall, which conserves the buildings of Si-Si Nan Cun, the earliest military dependents ' village. The rich resources of the nature and culture here are worthy of our deep exploration.

2. Summary of Our Project

Near Wuxing Elementary School, there is the Xinyi Public Assembly Hall, in which some old houses are conserved as the legacy of Si-Si Nan Cun. We wanted to know why it is called the Si-Si-Nan Cun (the 44th South Village), so we wrote to Curator Lin Jinghao. Not only did Curator Lin give us warm reception and useful information about the Village, but he also introduced us to Mr. Zhang Tianzhi, the head of the neighborhood, who grew up in Jingxin Li and witnessed the beginning and subsequent development of the Village. Aunt Luo, a vvolunteer guide of the Museum of Military Dependents ' Villages, is also the second generation of Si-Si Nan Cun. What’s more, we interviewed our team member Jia Weixuan’s grandparents, who had lived in the Village, and current Wuxing Night School studentWu Liching, an old lady whose husband had been a dweller in the Village. We visited these elders, as well as tasted the food at the noodle shop run by Grandma Lee, who had run a snack stall in the Village, and we also tasted the leek boxes at Grandma Chen’s. We have not only visited the Museum of Military Dependents ' Villages at Xinyi Public Assembly Hall for many times, but also visited Xinyi Elementary School, in which some heritage of the Village is kept. Eventually, with the aid of Chen Ching Hsiang from Nan Cun Culture Office, our questions and confusion about the Village are finally solved. We hope that people know more about the left-behind history of Si-Si Nan Cun through this special web page.

3. Our Computer and Internet Access

A. Percentage of students using the Internet at home:more than 50%

B. Number of workstations with Internet access in the classroom:1

C. Connection speed used in the classroom:dial-up modem

D. Number of years our classroom has been connected to the Internet:more than 6

E. Additional comments concerning your computer and/or Internet access (Optional):

The classrooms in our school are connected to the Internet with optical fiber, and there is a virtual host in the computer lab. Teachers can set each student computer desktop to the default operating environment to cooperate with the learning schedule before class in order to make students learn more efficiently.

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

Without the experience of being homeless, miserable and forced to separate from their loved ones in life and death caused by the cruel war, it’s hard for our team members to be keenly aware of how the villagers felt when they had to take the village as a temporary refuge. What’s more, the references of Si-Si Nan Cun on printed material or the Internet were just fragments, and the well-known Si-Si Dragon is currently in military custody, so we couldn’t see it for ourselves. The elders we interviewed were the second generation of Si-Si Nan Cun. Old photos about the Village were scarce, and family belongings were discarded or lost. Fortunately, with the help of Weixuan’s mother, Weixuan had a profound interview with his grandfather, so that we can catch a glimpse of the village life. With the enthusiastic assistance of Mr. Chen Ching Hsiang from Nan Cun Culture Office, our questions and confusion about the Village were gradually resolved, and we were enlightened through the research process in the long run.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

We must step out to find, gather and explore the history that is almost passing into oblivion. It will be too late to do it in case the witnesses to history fade away.

6. How did your activities and research for this CyberFair Project support standards, required coursework and curriculum standards?

To be concerned with the local history and lives, we are playing the role as “throwing a sprat to catch a whale.” We want more people to know about the history of the Village, and hope that more people would devote themselves to the cultural and historical work for Si-Si Nan Cun.

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Project Elements

1) What information tools & technologies did you used to complete your CyberFair project?

We used digital cameras with filming function, pen recorders, cellphones, and computer software such as web page designing, graphics illustrating, audio, video and word processing programs. The Internet resource played an important role. Our web page was mainly designed with Dreamweaver, and images were retouched and edited with Paint, PhotoCap6.0, and Inkscape as well as Microsoft Office Picture Manager. As for gif animations, we used the online tool “http://gifmake.com.” Flash animations were made with Flash Slideshow Maker to make the web page vivid and vigorous. We also use the Facebook, e-mail and Line, a mobile communication app, to contact for ongoing consultation with one another on Si-Si Nan Cun web page proofreading work.

2) In what ways did you act as "ambassadors" and spokespersons for your CyberFair project both on-line and in person.

Si-Si Nan Cun was a historical product of the merciless war. The tough life the Villagers had is an epitome of military dependents’ village life in Taiwan, and it’s totally unimaginable for people who live in the present peaceful, rich and carefree age.

3) What has been the impact of your project on your community?

Si-Si Nan Cun was a historical product of the merciless war. The tough life the Villagers had is an epitome of military dependents’ village life in Taiwan, and it’s totally unimaginable for people who live in the present peaceful, rich and carefree age.

4) How did your project involve other members of your community as helpers and volunteers?

Eventually, with the aid of Chen Ching Hsiang from Nan Cun Culture Office, our questions and confusion about the Village are finally solved.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

Si-Si Nan Cun is a part of the Combined Logistics Command (CSC) military dependents’ villages. In addition to the CSC villages, there were also villages of the Navy, Army, Air Force, Reserve, Military Police, and Military Intelligence etc.. There had been at least 135 military dependents’ villages in Taipei City, but the historical remains of them are only conserved in Si-Si Nan Cun and Treasures Rock.

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View our CyberFair Project (Project ID: 7704)

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