Great History Lessons

Couple of articles caught my eye today about learning history.

Outside Minooka, there was a Civil War reenactment at Dollinger Farm above the I&M Canal.

Tracy and Bryon Swan of Braidwood brought their three home schooled youngsters, who were studying the Civil War, as part of American history.

We've been to these enactments and there's no way you couldn't pick up some piece of history even if you didn't check out the camps and just watched the battle reenactment. I liked what one of the participants said about the history lesson:

Reenacting is an avocation, said Jerry Kowalski, who this year helped run the event and commentated during the battle. In his navy blue uniform, broad brimmed hat and boots, he commands a striking figure as General George Thomas, a major leader for the Union in the Civil War.

"We do it to preserve history, to honor our ancestors," said Kowalski, acting as Thomas, "We teach our children so they don't make the same mistakes."

This retired history teacher in St. Charles, Missouri appreciates the importance of history too. Wish I'd had him as a history teacher. I didn't really like studying history until my husband had us traipsing around Civil War battlefields in Vicksburg, Gettysburg and in Virginia. Cannon balls in house walls got my attention and fascination.

For Donald Wescott, teaching history has served as a vocation, hobby and ministry.

He explains his interest in history and his interest in homeschoolers.

"Education has become so homogenized and bent toward other purposes, with all this testing stuff going on," he said. "People like me study history because we're fascinated; dates in history, for example, are only something you can hang your hat on. History should teach students how we govern ourselves, how to comprehend the society they're living in and the importance of contributing to it. If you don't understand these things you won't recognize that somebody is stealing them from you until they disappear."

Wescott started teaching home-schooled children after a friend asked him to tutor her child who was having a problem with history. The next thing he knew, three or four more children were showing up.

"The home-school mothers I know are resourceful and competent," he said. "When they need help, they find it. There is no end of educational opportunities for their children including a county orchestra, choirs,field trips and more."

It's nice to have someone in his position who gets it about the homeschooling lifestyle.