Lincoln fifth-graders bring 1860s to life at Lincoln Heritage Museum
Civil War Walk planned for March 13

[March 07, 2015]  LINCOLN - Lincoln District 27 fifth graders will embark on a historical journey at the Lincoln Heritage Museum on March 13. Students from Central, Northwest, and Washington-Monroe Elementary schools will present “A Walk through the 1860s,” bringing real historical characters to life through living history presentations in the first and second floor galleries and in the Lincoln Center Atrium. Museum volunteers will be available to guide visitors through the galleries.

“The Civil War Era is one of the topics studied at the fifth-grade level. This turning point in our country's history is full of both tragic and inspiring events and people. As part of the local social studies and language arts curriculum, teachers had students choose a historic person or persona from this time period and they’ll perform as that person at the Lincoln Heritage Museum,” explained Anne Moseley, assistant director of the Museum.

Between 140 and 150 students from three schools will participate in the Civil War Walk. Liz Britton’s and Marla Williams’s Northwest Elementary students will perform between 9 and 10:30 a.m. Kortney Cooper’s, Kate Ewing’s, and Courtney Snow’s Washington-Monroe Elementary students will perform between 10:30 a.m. and noon. Rebecca Bailey’s and Amanda Geary’s Central Elementary students will perform between 1 and 2:30 p.m.

The idea came up at a meeting, and grew from there according to Ewing. Students have been researching their characters, writing their presentations, and assembling costumes. At least one class has been learning to dance the Virginia reel.

“I’d wanted to do something comparable to a cemetery walk, where you go from place to place and learn something about a historic person, and I thought it would be fun for the kids to do Civil War characters,” said Ewing. “I love to see my students excited to share their research and perform as their Civil War person. I want people who come to see the kids to leave thinking ‘I didn’t know that’—to learn something new about those characters.”

“My students have learned so much more about the Civil War from listening to their fellow students' speeches,” added Williams.

[Anne Moseley, Lincoln Heritage Museum via Tracy Bergin, Lincoln Collegte]

The mission of the Lincoln Heritage Museum is to interpret for the public the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln and the world in which he lived—particularly as it pertained to Illinois—and to be an academic resource for students from elementary school through adulthood. The Museum is located on the campus of Lincoln College in Lincoln, Illinois, the first institution of higher learning named for President Lincoln during his lifetime. For more information, visit museum.lincolncollege.edu.