2016 Education

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2016 EDUCATION MAGAZINE LINCOLN DAILY March 1, 2016 Page 19
The idea behind the Civil War Walk was based on
a cemetery walk. In the cemetery scenario, visitors
follow a map or are led through a cemetery.
The grave stones of significant local figures are
marked, and historical performers portray the
person with a short monologue of the person’s
life.
Kate Ewing, a fifth grade teacher at Washington-
Monroe, said, “I a.m. always searching for
something new to try in my classroom and the
premise behind a cemetery walk was the perfect
way for students to learn about the Civil War
and the people who played a part in the events
surrounding it.”
Ewing happened to mention her idea at a grade
level meeting, and Marsha Dallas, District
Curriculum Director, suggested that the Civil War
Walk would be a great opportunity for the fifth
grade classes to collaborate. Rebecca Bailey, fifth
grade at Central School, suggested contacting the
Lincoln Heritage Museum to see if students could
perform there.
After studying the Civil War in social studies,
students chose a person they wanted to portray.
They spent 2 weeks researching the life and
important role their historical figure played during
the Civil War. Once their research was done,
students had the choice of writing a two-minute
monologue or collaborating with classmates on a
reader’s theater.
Students worked very hard fine-tuning their
speeches. Many of the classes performed for other
grade levels in their schools prior to performing
at the museum. The goal of this project was to
provide students with an opportunity to work on
research skills and public speaking.
Students showed how much they enjoyed this
opportunity to shine in the amount of effort
and pride they took in their performances. “My
students impressed me every day with their
knowledge of the time period and the people
they were researching,” said Kate Ewing.
“Researching what people wore in the 1860’s
added another layer of understanding. I think
being in costume made it even more real to my
students.”
Ginger Yeazle, Principal at Washington-Monroe,
was very excited to see the students become so
engaged in the curriculum. “I believe students
will carry this learning far beyond the assessment
process. This will be an experience they won’t
soon forget,” said Mrs. Yeazle.
Anne Moseley, Assistant Director of the Lincoln
Heritage Museum (LHM), was a great source of
help both setting up the museum for the actual
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