"Civil Defense in the 1950s" and "1960s Pop Culture"
The NHS Advanced Placement United States History class, led by teacher Mrs. Kathy Steinkamp, worked in cooperation with the Elkhorn Valley Museum to create a student exhibit featuring the 1950s and 1960s. The exhibit includes Elkhorn Valley Museum artifacts and original research that explores Norfolk Civil Defense in the 1950s, and 1960s popular culture in the Norfolk area.
At an opening reception for the exhibit held on April 28, students shared that they learned many surprising details about these decades in Norfolk and the Elkhorn Valley region. For example, Norfolk was the 1960s home of the Sokol Skateboards, a manufacturer of the first surfboard shaped skateboard named Surf Skate. Students were surprised (and impressed) that a small midwestern city, like Norfolk, would create and manufacture something to start a surfboard trend in skateboards. Another interesting research topic shared by students were the number of fallout shelters in Madison County, plus examples of the items that stocked the shelters.
JoBeth Cox, Executive Director at the Elkhorn Valley Museum told us, "I was so impressed with the work of the Norfolk High School students. They really seized this opportunity to fill the shoes of a museum professional for a hands-on learning experience in the field, and did so with vision, initiative, and skill. Partnering with NHS every year offers a chance for area young adults to bring the region's important history to life. We were thrilled to work with these talented students, and look forward to future exhibits!"
The student exhibits are on display at the museum until September 1. They are pretty "groovy", we hope you will stop by and take a look!
