Published: May 22, 2009 10:58 pm      

Students learn about the Civil War by experiencing it

RUSSIAVILLE – The gray-clad soldiers wait for the battle to begin, wooden rifles at the ready, eyes focused intently on the ravine in front of them. Suddenly, a regiment of soldiers in blue runs up behind them, whooping and hollering, brandishing their wooden rifles and yelling, “Boom,” as they “fire” on the enemy they’ve just ambushed.

The battle, in western Howard County, ended in a draw, with dirty, sweaty eighth-graders turning in their weapons and boarding their buses to return to their schools.

The students, from Western and Northwestern middle schools, learned about the Civil War by experiencing it during the annual Civil War Day Friday, at the Koh-Koh-Mah Foster Living History encampment grounds.

Western social studies teacher Kevin Pax said this is the fifth year Western students have participated, and Northwestern joined in 2008, when the event moved from Western’s practice football field to the encampment site. He said having it at the site provides a more authentic experience for the students, who study the Civil War as part of the eighth-grade curriculum.

“I don’t think it hit home with the kids” when it was on the football field, he said. “There was no authenticity to it.”

Civil War re-enactors from throughout the state lead the students in marching and drilling through the day, while others provide presentations about Civil War artifacts, uniforms, daily life of soldiers, medical care for wounded soldiers and lifestyle of women during the Civil War era.

The day ended with a mock battle between regiments of students, led by re-enactors.

Mitchell Shahan, from Western, and Tyler Howe, from Northwestern, helped re-enactors clean and load a Civil War-era cannon, and were able to fire it.

Shahan said it was loud, “especially when you’re standing right next to it.”

“You could hear it all around,” Howe added.

Shahan said he thinks students need to know about the Civil War to learn from the country’s past mistakes.

“You know the saying, ‘history repeats itself.’ It could happen again.”

He said the Civil War also shows the importance of fighting for what is right.

Bill White of Sharpsville walked quietly among the students as they prepared for battle, re-enacting John Milton Whitehead, who was a chaplain during the Civil War with the 15th volunteer infantry. White said Whitehead was a Baptist minister from LaPorte County, who earned a Congressional Medal of Honor for his bravery at the battle of Stones River.

He enjoys participating in school re-enactments because “some of the kids, they really get it. Even though the Civil War was costly in American lives lost, there was a loyalty to beliefs maybe we don’t have anymore.”

Western eighth-graders Jenny Jones and Katie Brown said the battle was their favorite part of the day. They found a place inside the fort where there was a hole they could “shoot” through while taking cover behind some logs.

Jones said she thinks having a hands-on experience will help her remember the lessons learned about the war.

“I think I learned more from experience than from lecture or a textbook.”

Northwestern teacher Ryan Berryman said that’s why he and Pax plan the daylong event.

“It’s always good to let them have a hands-on experience. They’ll always remember this.”

• Danielle Rush is the Kokomo Tribune education reporter. She can be reached at (765) 454-8585 or danielle.rush@kokomotribune.com.