When second-graders at Harrison School started their unit on the Civil War, teacher Rachel Sutton knew she had to plan something special to help keep the unit exciting for them. That’s why she hired Aurora-Based American History Education Non-Profit, You Can Live History Inc,. to give her kids a history lesson they won’t forget.
On Friday, to close out their Civil War unit, the students were treated to a lesson by You Can Live History owner Darrell Osburne, reenactor Tobias Crowder, and local reenactors David Wright and Lee Michels. There was a telegraph tent for students to explore, a replica cannon to try (it shoots flour), and a genuine Civil War-era rifle for students to hold.
Sutton, who has been an educator for more than 30 years, said the event was important because she wanted to make sure her students had a hands-on learning experience to bring this part of history to life.
“They can see actual artifacts, how things were set up back then. It’s just a way to go back in time,” Sutton said. “ Second-graders are young. They remember things the best when they can see things and touch things.”
Osburne, who has been operating since 1991, also organizes Revolutionary and Civil War reenactments where students dress up in period clothing and reenact battles. He says he started his company because he noticed kids didn’t like learning about history.
“It wasn’t getting through to them, they didn’t want to know anymore. It was just a question of them remembering people, places and dates,” Osburne said. “They left out the stories, and that’s what engages people. It’s the stories.”
And it was the stories on Friday that kept the students engaged. They listened as Osburne told them about how much weight soldiers had to carry in battle and how long it took to reload their muskets. They listened as Michels, dressed in an 1800s-style dress complete with a hoop skirt, told them about how people used to make soap and what kind of chores kids did during wartime. They listened as Wright explained what kind of uniforms soldiers wore, and as Crowder played Civil War Period songs on guitar. Sutton was thrilled with how her kids responded to the lesson.
“They were glued to every single word these guys were saying,” she said. “I can tell that they were engaged and really interested.”
Each class had an hour to learn about the artifacts, shoot the replica flour cannon, and tour the telegraph tent. Near the end of the day both classes came back out for more historical stories and songs played on both guitar and banjo. Michels said she loves to “get kids excited about history.”
And Sutton thinks this lesson did just that.
“They will remember this. And that’s what I like when I teach,” Sutton said. “I like to give them experiences that they will remember.”
