Chaney students uncover family, city history for American Dream project

YOUNGSTOWN

They document the story of steel and tales of organized crime, family histories and plans for the future.

Sophomores in Diane Herdman’s English class at Chaney Campus studied the city’s history as part of a unit on the American Dream.

They relied on the Internet to learn about Youngstown’s past, interviewed family members to gain insight into their personal histories and compiled their findings into posters or PowerPoint projects that line the school hallway.

LaRazia Tolbert, 16, and Ayasha Gordon, 15, both learned more about their families.

“My grandfather moved here from Troy, Ala., when he was 20, and he worked in the steel mills,” LaRazia said.

He was there when the mills closed, too.

The project required students to research the city’s economy from 1920 to the present and to research and write biographies on family people from the city.

Tate Acierno, Elijah Foose and Dominic Naples, all 16, called their project “Murder Town,” recalling the days when organized crime killings were regular occurrences in the city.

Read more of what they learned in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.