BOOK NOTES by Dr. Joan Ruddiman
Editor’s Note: Dr. Ruddiman was one of eight teachers in the nation honored this year as a finalist for the Richard Farrell Teacher of Merit Award. At the recent National Competition held June 12-16 at the University of Maryland, home of National History Day, her student Jenny Yu took first place in the nation in the individual junior paper division.
Perhaps you heard of the "Mississippi Burning" trial that began this month in Philadelphia, Miss. After 40 years, Ku Klux Klansman Edgar Ray Killen went on trial for the murders of three civil rights workers.
In 1964, James Chaney, a black from Mississippi, and white Northerners Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner were activists in registering black voters in the segregated South. They disappeared the night of June 21. Their bodies were found 44 days later, beaten, shot and buried in a dam site. The name for the atrocity was taken from the image of their burned station wagon and immortalized by the 1988 movie "Mississippi Burning."
Here’s the rest of the story. Killen went free in 1967 when a jury found him not guilty not of murder, but of violating the workers’ civil rights. Then a year ago, a group of high school girls from Chicago began a research project for National History Day that resulted in new information that compelled the FBI to re-open the investigation. From interviews and other primary sources these kids found, the case moved forward. Killen, now 80 years old, is again on trial this time for the murders of the three Civil Rights workers.
Does it seem implausible that kids can do what professionals could not? Consider the case of Elizabeth Eckford. You may remember the photo of the stoic young black woman, dressed primly in a school blouse and skirt, books under her arm and eyes hidden by sunglasses. Add in Hazel McBride and a cadre of other white students and adults screaming threats and curses at Elizabeth and you will remember her as one of the "Little Rock Nine," making her way into a high school reserved for whites.
Jennifer Jurgensen saw that photo and wondered "What ever happened to that girl?" So she began her search for the answer. Jennifer’s National History Day project included an interview with Elizabeth Eckford, the first Eckford had ever given. When Jennifer’s project made it to the national competition at the University of Maryland, Ms. Eckford came to speak to the students, her first public appearance ever.
Eckford now speaks around the country about those contentious times as she fills in the history of that event. She says that Jennifer’s genuine interest and respectful questions encouraged her to finally tell her side of the story.
History is story. Kids who work on National History Day projects understand that basic premise. They may have studied history and social studies in classrooms where textbooks cram in pages of facts and tests require them to recall those facts. But when students tackle a National History Day project, they begin with questions their own questions sparked by a movie or photo, a story heard from a family member or curiosity about a local legend. Rather than just collecting facts, they research stories from all sides of the issue. They use books and find old magazine and newspaper articles. They interview people who were there or who know something that will add to their understanding. They use the Internet extensively and very wisely, going to sites like the National Archives and the Library of Congress.
And they think. This is their question, and they have to use all the collected information to figure out an answer.
Then they tell the story of their piece of history. Sarah Siegel, Allison Nichols and Brittany Saltiel made a video to capture the events surrounding the Mississippi murders. Students can choose to create 10 minutes of individual monologues or group performances if they believe a dramatic performance best tells the story.
Some create exhibits display boards with photos and artifacts and minimal text such as we see in museum exhibits. And some write historical papers typical of the work done by history students at the college level.
In the 25 years National History Day has been in existence, students all over the nation have discovered, shared and often changed the historical record. Hunter Scott from Pensacola, Fla., loved the movie "Jaws." When he heard the true-life story of WWII sailors who were shipwrecked and attacked by sharks, he set out to learn more. What he discovered in his research was another tragedy. Captain McVay of the USS Indianapolis had been tried and convicted of gross negligence in the loss of that ship and much of the crew. The disgraced captain committed suicide.
But something did not seem right in the story and Hunter dug deeper. You might guess at the rest of the story he found evidence that the captain was falsely accused and had the court martial posthumously overturned.
Here’s a bit more. Hunter took the state’s standardized exam the week he completed his History Day project and made a perfect score. Hunter believes the work he did on his project explains his success on the test.
Now consider, kids can actually engage in sustained, sophisticated research where they read and think critically, develop advanced interviewing, letter writing and other communication skills, and be fascinated with the work. Moreover, they can pass "the test."
The "Leave No Child Behind Act" gets a bum wrap for forcing teachers to teach to the test. Not so. The LNCB act requires that all kids in all schools are tested and that those tests are scrutinized to make sure all kids are making progress.
Back in Elizabeth Eckford’s time, blacks were often classified as retarded so they did not get classroom services and were not given an annual test. They were out of the loop left behind. LNCB is a federal law that demands accountability by all schools for all kids.
However, the law does not say that teachers must teach to the test. Sadly, school administrators too often make the call that "the test" is the curriculum. They believe that the only way to get the numbers on those tests is to teach to what is on the test.
Strong evidence exists from the National History Day research, from ETS the testing folks and other education researchers as well as teachers working with rich and enriching curriculum that good teaching and learning results in positive test scores. Moreover, true learning what you know and are able to use comes from authentic learning experiences such as NHD research.
John Gillum is a high-powered Texas attorney. He is known for engaging a jury with a story rather than dry judicial facts, for incorporating a wide range of evidence to build his case as he sticks to a theme that helps it all make sense to his audience. And he can do this all in a short amount of time.
Gillum was a National History Day participant for seven years, from sixth grade through high school. Six times he went to Nationals. In 1992, he took first place in the nation for his individual exhibit. He also won a four-year scholarship to Case Western Reserve. The skills that make him such a successful lawyer he learned doing NHD. The full ride scholarships he had to universities and law schools of his choice were offered to him because he was an NHD award winner.
As a teacher, I ask that schools have a little faith in kids who really do love to learn, and trust in programs that allow kids to learn for life, rather than to just pass a test. Let kids experience learning beyond textbooks with programs like National History Day. Not only can kids change history, but they can change their own lives for the better.
For information on National History Day, visit www.nationalhistoryday.org
"It’s not just a day… it’s an experience."
Joan Ruddiman is a teacher and friend of the Allentown Public Library.