"Wilderness to World Class: The Story of Holland, Michigan"
“...a beautiful harbor with its inevitable advantages...”
In recent decades, the city of Holland has seen unprecedented economic and population growth along with national recognition for a vital downtown, for gardens and green spaces and even for forward-thinking energy policies.
Why has Holland, Michigan, been so successful for over 170 years?
We know some of the ingredients: Traditions of hard work, entrepreneurial drive, community cooperation and strong, positive values. The mix began with immigrants 170 years ago but has been added to by subsequent waves of immigrants as well as newcomers from elsewhere.
The Documentary
What Holland is now and how it came to be is the story told by this documentary. The project launched with the assembly of a committee, the Holland Film Group, during the summer of 2016. The group included historians, educators, writers and community leaders. It operated with the belief that it is important for future generations to know and understand, and for others who come here to learn about, Holland’s past, present, and future – its “place, people, possibilities.”
This 70-minute film premiered with four showings at Holland’s Knickerbocker Theatre on December 12 and 13, 2017. Despite inclement weather on both days, the theatre was filled to capacity. Subsequent theater showings were equally popular. The film went on to win the State History Award in 2018 from the Historical Society of Michigan.
Today, the film is available through an online portal for use, in whole or in part, by teachers in classroom settings.
Role of Teachers
Teachers have a unique opportunity to explore the historical experiences of local communities, compare and contrast these experiences with those both around the country and throughout the world, and model “historical inquiry,” the actual work of historians, for young learners.
Important national standards and themes identified in Michigan’s DOE documents (K-12 Social Studies); The College Board curricula and course descriptions (AP courses); the College, Career and Civic Life (C3) framework; and other substantive national curricula (Geography, Civics, Economics) find application through use of this documentary.
Within each “section” of the documentary (an introduction followed by eight thematic focuses), teachers may identify key vocabulary terms, analyze quotations, and pose questions of inquiry. A PDF file for each section is available below. The full curriculum PDF is also available as well. The time stamp locations for each section are indicated in parentheses.