Show at state archives educates Clippard fourth-graders on Civil War

In a recent living lesson on the Civil War, Clippard Elementary fourth-graders saw history in action.

The young historians visited the Missouri State Archives, a division of the secretary of state's office in Jefferson City, Mo., to learn about Missouri's Civil War history through a theatrical performance known as "Civil War Archives Alive!"

The 45-minute presentation commemorates the sesquicentennial of the Civil War, incorporating its history into the show. Using a time machine, the show's hosts bring Abraham Lincoln to the present. Lincoln teaches the students about the Civil War and how it affected Missouri and the entire country.

Fourth-grade teacher Teri Jones has been taking her students to Missouri's capital annually for the past 15 years. Fellow teachers Cheryl Kratochvil and Tina Meyer helped lead the popular field trip. Jones said this year's "Civil War Archives Alive!" particularly resonated.

"They loved it because that's a way I present Missouri history -- a lot of stories rather than a lecture," Jones said. "It becomes alive and interesting to students to see government in action."

More than 5,000 fourth- through sixth-grade students from across the state are expected to participate in "Civil War Archives Alive!" And they do participate.

History game show

The performance includes a game show in which students match up to answer questions to review what they've learned. Jones said her students did pretty well in the head-to-head quiz.

"They recognized pictures like Dred Scott and key events in Missouri history," she said.

Dred Scott was a Missouri slave who unsuccessfully sued for his freedom and that of his wife and their two daughters in the Scott v. Sandford Supreme Court case of 1857 -- one of the key events that precipitated the Civil War.

"This interactive and entertaining program is a wonderful way for students to discover Missouri's history," Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan said in a news release. "It is great to watch these students have fun while they learn about important events from our state's past."

Programs like Archives Alive! help history's cause, Jones said.

"This really whets their appetite and understanding. They learn that history is not boring, it's alive and pertinent to where we are now," she said.

mkittle@semissourian.com

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