- School District of Clayton
- Overview
New CHS Program Breathes Life into History
A new program at Clayton High School is breathing life into events that today's students might only know about from their textbooks, the internet or classroom instruction. Through five sessions this school year, the History Alive program is welcoming veterans to CHS to share their experiences with small groups of sophomores enrolled in World/U.S. History II.
The veterans’ visits coincide with the culmination of the course’s units on World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the Bosnian War. During each session, veterans will meet with groups of two to four students to talk about their experiences in the war and also provide firsthand accounts of the historical events students have been learning about in class.
“This is a rewarding experience not only for the students who get to talk face to face with a person who lived through the history we study, but also for the veterans who have the opportunity to work with the next generation and share their stories,” said Social Studies Teacher Bradley Durnell, who organized the program.
Prior to each session, the students gain a strong working knowledge of the war to be discussed, but they also prepare for the veterans’ visit in other ways. The students learn about proper etiquette to use when meeting their elders, such as a firm handshake, and they create handwritten thank you notes for each veteran. On the day of each session, the students dress more formally than they would on a normal school day.
According to sophomore Rucha Kelkar, the History Alive program has been a valuable learning experience so far. “It’s better to hear a more personal opinion of the war than just learning about it in general. I liked hearing the actual experiences from people who were there,” she said.
Veteran Jack Downes, who served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War, is participating in the program because he believes “it’s important for high school students to hear different perspectives about military service. I enjoy hearing the students’ questions and their different frames of reference about the military.”
Following each History Alive session, the sophomores participate in a Socratic seminar with their teachers to discuss the experience and what they learned.
“The foundation of education is learning from our elders,” added Durnell. “This program comes back to that idea by providing the setting for meaningful conversations between different generations.”
If you or a veteran you know would be interested in participating in the History Alive program, please contact Bradley Durnell at bradleydurnell@claytonschools.net or 314-854-6774. Learn more about the History Alive program at historyalivechs.blogspot.com.