ABOUT THE PROJECT
Dr. Mark Wilson, Director of Civic Learning Initiatives for the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities at Auburn University, contacted Handley High School history teacher, Mrs. Merredith Sears, about a collaboration effort with her students to create a model for an innovative and worthwhile assignment. The project that the Center and HHS students have developed is a part of the Center as well as the Alabama State Archive’s celebration of Alabama's involvement in WWI during 1917 and 1918. The publication of a new book on the topic titled Send the Alabamians by Rod Frazer (whose father served) helped stimulate this project. His book has also been featured in Alabama Living. Sears, Frazer, Wilson
The goal of the project was simple: transform high school students from their traditional role of a receptacle of knowledge into the more active role of a true historian while making local connections to matters of international importance. The model allowed students to become “history detectives” as they engaged in careful research of books, newspapers, war memorials, and ephemera used by soldiers in the Great War. As a part of the project, students gathered information from their communities and surrounding areas to commemorate their county’s servicemen in one or several culminating projects. Sears' students created a poster for public display in various civic buildings throughout the centennial year and a webpage that features the evolving research of Randolph County, Alabama's local contributions to the war effort.
"So far, this project has changed my role and my students’ role in the classroom. We are the historians. We are the makers of history. We are getting to know some of our local participants of the war through various resources, including books, old newspapers, artifacts, and their stories shared with us by their descendants. My classroom right now houses a WWI Army Reserve medic’s uniform, buttons from uniforms, and a Sam Browne belt in its original cover. We have French souvenir photo books and medals and a gun holster and wraps for WWI boots. We also have -on loan- local servicemen’s original draft and discharge papers. For kids in a small, rural Alabama town, this project is pretty significant. These photographs portray men with the same last names as of many of my students. While never included in national history texts, these men are still American heroes and played key roles in the war. As my students are beginning to see these men's place of importance in the history of the world, maybe they can see their own potential for a positive impact on our future...or at least their own."
- Handley High School History Dept. Chair Merredith Sears
A huge debt of gratitude is owed to The Randolph Leader for letting the students come into their workroom and spend time going through old editions of the The Roanoke Leader. If only every town had businesses and individuals so willing to support their local schools. Local historians Wyner Phillips and Rhonda Baldwin were invaluable sources of knowledge and information as well. Lastly, for the family members who contributed photos, documents, and stories, we cannot thank you enough. You made the war personal to my students and brought it into a much clearer perspective for them.
A workshop will be held during the summer of 2016 so more teachers will be prepared to facilitate the project during the 2017-18 school year. Dr. Wilson's goal is for each county to have as many projects/posters ready for display in their local libraries or archives in 2017/18 to mark the 100th anniversary of Alabama's participation in the war.
STUDENTS AT WORK
Riley, Timmy, and Jurnee researching the memorial and Randolph County's Gold Star Boys.
|
Susan Hare, granddaughter of WWI veteran and Reserve Army Dr. John Manley, shows the students her grandfather's uniform and Sam Browne belt.
|
Mikeia and Jacob researching Randolph County soldiers who were members of the famous 42nd Division, also known as the Rainbow Division.
|
AJ and Meilani research old newspapers at The Randolph Leader office.
|