Harrison Students Experience Living History
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
They watched as Charlotte Siegfried processed and spun yarn, made of goat, alpaca, sheep or musk ox hair. Students felt the heat of the flames as Austin Williams showed them how he uses the tools of a blacksmith, while Dan Nelson began making a bow out of osage orange wood.
Members of Back to the Days of Kosciuszko Inc. spent about five hours at the Warsaw school to demonstrate living history to the students, according to teacher Judy Kinsey.
“The purpose is to provide students with deep learning experiences in history,” she said. “We had parents come and go during the day. They said they were happy for their students to have hands-on experiences. It was well received, and they appreciated the kindness of the (demonstrators).”
Kinsey said she is not a member of Back to the Days, but she has a strong interest in history. Back to the Days is looking at ways for all fourth-graders in Warsaw and Kosciusko County to have these experiences, she said.
On Harrison’s campus is the Hoosier Heritage Schoolhouse.
“This particular campus could be a resource that ties in to our school corporation’s core values that embraces hands-on learning experiences,” she said.
The Back to the Days re-enactors Wednesday, Kinsey said, covered a timeline of history, including frontier Indiana.
There were seven stations, and students visited each station for about 25 minutes.
“It also gives us an opportunity to talk to children about these people giving of their time, talent and treasures,” Kinsey said.
Joe Sands, president of Back to the Days, said they used to have their encampment at the fairgrounds each year, but because of the economy and dwindling financial resources, they had to regroup.
“Our whole focus is education,” Sands said, so with that in mind, they turned to Harrison Elementary.
He said they sat down with Kinsey and Harrison Principal Lee Snider to discuss what Back to the Days could do to help educate students on history.
“Harrison has a great building (with the schoolhouse), but their teachers didn’t have the expertise or time to use it,” Sands said.
Since January, once a month, members of the Back to the Days group have visited with Harrison students in the Heritage schoolhouse. The visiting expert talks to students about one particular area of life in the frontier days.
“The goal is to bring history to life from people who have a passion for history,” Sands said.
Students may learn how early Americans made bullets, or made a fire. An expert might teach them how frontiersmen found or planted food.
“Harrison has been great to work with,” said Sands.
He said his group has ideas of what they would like to do in the future. Sands said he would like to expand the experience to more area schools, and maybe twice a year, but that’s yet to be determined.
“I can dreams all kinds of things,” Sands said.
Back to the Days has a small membership, he said, but they have a lot of ties to the re-enactment community.
For more information on Back to the Days, visit its website at www.backtothedays.com[[In-content Ad]]
They watched as Charlotte Siegfried processed and spun yarn, made of goat, alpaca, sheep or musk ox hair. Students felt the heat of the flames as Austin Williams showed them how he uses the tools of a blacksmith, while Dan Nelson began making a bow out of osage orange wood.
Members of Back to the Days of Kosciuszko Inc. spent about five hours at the Warsaw school to demonstrate living history to the students, according to teacher Judy Kinsey.
“The purpose is to provide students with deep learning experiences in history,” she said. “We had parents come and go during the day. They said they were happy for their students to have hands-on experiences. It was well received, and they appreciated the kindness of the (demonstrators).”
Kinsey said she is not a member of Back to the Days, but she has a strong interest in history. Back to the Days is looking at ways for all fourth-graders in Warsaw and Kosciusko County to have these experiences, she said.
On Harrison’s campus is the Hoosier Heritage Schoolhouse.
“This particular campus could be a resource that ties in to our school corporation’s core values that embraces hands-on learning experiences,” she said.
The Back to the Days re-enactors Wednesday, Kinsey said, covered a timeline of history, including frontier Indiana.
There were seven stations, and students visited each station for about 25 minutes.
“It also gives us an opportunity to talk to children about these people giving of their time, talent and treasures,” Kinsey said.
Joe Sands, president of Back to the Days, said they used to have their encampment at the fairgrounds each year, but because of the economy and dwindling financial resources, they had to regroup.
“Our whole focus is education,” Sands said, so with that in mind, they turned to Harrison Elementary.
He said they sat down with Kinsey and Harrison Principal Lee Snider to discuss what Back to the Days could do to help educate students on history.
“Harrison has a great building (with the schoolhouse), but their teachers didn’t have the expertise or time to use it,” Sands said.
Since January, once a month, members of the Back to the Days group have visited with Harrison students in the Heritage schoolhouse. The visiting expert talks to students about one particular area of life in the frontier days.
“The goal is to bring history to life from people who have a passion for history,” Sands said.
Students may learn how early Americans made bullets, or made a fire. An expert might teach them how frontiersmen found or planted food.
“Harrison has been great to work with,” said Sands.
He said his group has ideas of what they would like to do in the future. Sands said he would like to expand the experience to more area schools, and maybe twice a year, but that’s yet to be determined.
“I can dreams all kinds of things,” Sands said.
Back to the Days has a small membership, he said, but they have a lot of ties to the re-enactment community.
For more information on Back to the Days, visit its website at www.backtothedays.com[[In-content Ad]]
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