Whitesboro Middle School 8th graders started their Spring Break with a bang – literally – when Civil War re-enactors gave a presentation that ended with the firing of an actual Civil War-era canon.
Dustin Parsons teaches 8th grade U.S. History (Colonial to Reconstruction through 1877) at Whitesboro Middle School. He’s always seeking creative ways to connect with his students.
“Teaching history to middle schoolers can be a hard sell. It’s difficult to connect history to today, to try to get students to see that these people we’re learning about were real people, not a movie on a screen,” Parsons said.
That’s why this year, Parsons has made a concerted effort to bring history from outside sources to his students inside the classroom.
In August, Parsons connected with a historian from the Bronx who happened to be vacationing in historic Williamsburg. Dressed as George Washington and remaining in character, the man held a Zoom call with Parsons’ classes and talked about his early childhood, growing up in Colonial Virginia, his first job as a surveyor, getting into the military, his involvement in the French and Indian War and Revolutionary War and his time as President. He then fielded questions from students.
“The kids really seemed to enjoy it,” Parsons said.
The following month, Parsons reached out to The American Journey Experience, a state-of-the-art museum and research library based in Irving, Texas, that focuses on American history from Christopher Columbus to the Space Race.
At Parsons’ request, the American Journey Experience traveled to the school to give a presentation about Revolutionary War pistols, documents and the United States Constitution.
To cap off the year, Parsons knew he wanted to do something big. He got the idea about a Civil War presentation while attending a training. He mentioned the idea to a lady at his church (who also served as a past teacher’s assistant for Whitesboro ISD). She was quick to tell him she was a member of 1st Texas Light Artillery Battery H, a network of men and women who help to preserve and educate people on the history of the Civil War and its artillery.
Last week, four members of the group arrived at Whitesboro Middle School dressed in period costumes. They gave an outdoor presentation about what life was like during that time period, and the men in military outfits explained different roles and duties they might have held during the war.
Students got to see firsthand how soldiers camped, survived on the trail and handled weapons from that era. On display were tents, weapons and a functioning canon, which was fired at the end of the presentation.
Prior to the event, the school notified the city, local police officials and people on Facebook about the canon fire so people wouldn’t be alarmed. Parsons also sent Opt Out letters to parents of his students, granting them the opportunity to keep their student from participating in the presentation. He didn’t receive any completed forms.
“The canon was amazing. You could hear and feel it from inside the building. The kids thoroughly enjoyed it! It was the talk of the halls at school,” Parsons said.
“I’m a visual person myself,” student Kennadi Fuller said. “Instead of learning about it on textbooks, or just writing it down, it’s better to understand and be able to know how it worked.”
Parsons is grateful to the 1st Texas Light Artillery Battery H for donating their time last week.
