GDG- Teaching Gettysburg

[128thpa at comcast.net]

Well, I teach 8th graders.  First of all - do you know what the teacher has already taught them?  If your aim is to teach Gettysburg in 50 mins - you can do that with kids if they already have the background on the war.  This is really essential, as 50 mins can go by rather quickly.  You need as much interaction as possible.   You might want to teach them a couple of drills - just right face, left face etc and how the soldiers would load their rifles etc. - then you can have the students do things like on the first day - Buford used a defense indepth (or whatever we are calling it these days - the importance is showing them how it was done and let them do it.  Make sure 1 out of 4 students have to go off and hold the horses.  Remember - you don't have to cover every detail about the battle - but find what might be the most interesting and then just summarize everything else.  The second day they can "refuse the line" or whatever.  The 3rd day - Pickett's charge - whatever.  

Ask them about why the high ground was important - kids are a lot smarter than we give them credit for - don't underestimate them, but you have to give them some background and prodding sometimes.  As far as readings are concern, I would use the words of kids - Tillie Pierce's story is great to use - being 15 years old, she was close to their age.  I would be careful of that "forced participation", you'll lose them with that.  What you have to do is make the interaction and participation fun - then they will willingly participate, even on stuff they normally wouldn't because they get swept up in the moment.  (I can't explain this last part well, but an example - I conduct a variety of lessons, but one lesson with my students deals with the customs of the period including going to a ball.  I teach them the waltz and the Va Reel.  When I start the "cool boys" don't want to participate.  So I let them sit off on the sidelines while the rest of the students are having fun and laughing 
and enjoying themselves.  All of sudden - sitting being bored isn't so great anymore - they want to participate.  It works every time!!!!!!


Ok, I could go on and on - I can't even begin to touch how to get 8th graders interested, but  you can.

Good Luck!

Paula

> 
> On Friday afternoon, I've been offered the opportunity to share what I know 
> about Gettysburg with a class of eighth graders.I'm not a teacher, so I 
> seriously lack class planning skills, particularly in regards to how much I 
> can jam into 50 minutes. 
> 
>