A few years ago, after my Roman Technology classes finished our Roman Road Project, I asked the students to reflect on their favorite aspects of the project. It should come as no surprise that this project, despite its difficulty, was wildly popular so I wanted to know what the kids liked about it for future replication. Lots of responses referenced actually DOING something, especially with friends, but the most common responses by far centered simply being OUTSIDE to work on this project. One student summed it up perfectly: "Just the whole breath of fresh air, literally and figuratively."
As a 2024-2026 Grosvenor Teacher Fellow with National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions, for the past year, I've focused on teaching with National Geographic's Explorer Mindset. And this mindset needs to get students outside. Indeed, in the past few years in which I've taught an outdoor activity (the Roman Road Project, the Penelope Project, oak gall foraging), students have commented again and again about how much more they learned when they do it outside. Everything seems more alive outside. The smells and sounds invigorate the mind. I like to call these lessons "Hands-On History" because we're learning about the ancient past using the senses. We're not just reading and writing about the past, but we are smelling it, hearing it, tasting it, and feeling it.
This past spring, with my principal's approval, I decided to offer a new class called "Hands-On History." This class tasks 8th graders with exploring the ancient archaeology of Rome, Greece, and...Louisiana. We are partnering with the Louisiana Division of Archaeology - their educational experts will be with us once per month for hands-on history activities such as atlatl-throwing, mound-building, and trips to local indigenous sites! I've got so many exciting activities planned. I spent many hours during this past summer researching and dreaming.
As I began teaching students about the ancient world from a hands-on perspective, I somehow came into the possession of a book called Hands On History: A Resource for Teaching Mathematics, edited by Amy Shell-Gellasch and published by the Mathematical Association of America. The wonderful York University (Toronto, Canada) math and art history teacher Hugh McCague wrote two chapters, one on medieval masons and the geometry of labyrinths and the other about Roman surveyors' use of a groma (an ancient sighting tool). I LOVE this book even though I don't teach math, but the lessons all integrate math and history! Maybe this book inspired my use of the term "hands-on history," but most likely, I heard about it by following the inspiring open-air museums found in the UK and all over Europe. Butser Ancient Farm in southern England is one of my favorites to watch. On certain days of the year, visitors enjoy history experts leading them through hands-on activities such as weaving, grain-grinding, etc. Tim Betz writes about the particular form of engagement visitors experience at this type of museum in his book Making History: Makerspaces for Museums and Historic Sites. "The museum is an inherently colonial act. ...Today we are moving toward the telling of more truthful, more complex, and more critical narratives....Advocates of the post-museum are less interested in transferring knowledge and more interested in engaging the public with culture and inspiring discussion and reflection among the group, aiming for the generation of new knowledge."
We have already done so much so far that it's hard to put it all in one post! We expanded the garden that our Roman Technologists started last year as an ancient herb space, and we have begun composting our lunch leftovers to create soil for our growing garden.
Most exciting, we have begun our bi-weekly walking field trips to the new branch of our public library. How lucky are we that our school is literally a safe sidewalk-lined half-mile walk to a public library!!? We have umbrellas and panchos for rainy/sunny days, and lots of excitement. Thanks to the Foundation for East Baton Rouge School System, we have all of our activities funded. It's going to be an AMAZING year!!
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