Students get to 'sweep' through history at Fort

The Fort Scott National Historic Site comes alive both Thursday and Friday as hundreds of fifth and sixth graders from across the area partake in a "Sweep Through History," one of three educational opportunities the Fort offers to visiting schools.

On Thursday, students from Frontenac, Weir, Wichita and half of Eugene Ware Elementary will have the opportunity to relive significant periods in U.S. history as they explore Fort Scott's role in the Westward Expansion, Bleeding Kansas, and the Civil War. On Friday, the FSNHS plays host to students from Girard, Pittsburg and the remainder of Eugene Ware's students.

Park Ranger Barak Geertsen estimates that about 450 students will take part in Education Days at the FSNHS over the two days.

"We focus on historical events that took place in which Fort Scott was involved in," Geertsen said. "Instead of focusing on life in the military fort, we focus on three major time periods in this site's history."

He said those include Westward Expansion in the 1840s, Bleeding Kansas and the Civil War.

Geertsen said the "Sweep Through History" program can accommodate up to 150 kids in two time slots, at 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.

"They get here, we give them an introduction and then break them into three groups," Geertsen said. "Each group will visit all three stations."

Geertsen said each station has an interactive component.

"They are not just getting a lecture, they are involved in some type of interactive activity," Geertsen said.

He said this year's programs will be based on three different topics, including Indian removal during Westward Expansion, where students reenact the Trail of Tears march. He said students also will reenact scenes from Bleeding Kansas in the 1850s.

"We also have a Civil War Quartermasters program new this year," Geertsen said.

He said of course the kids like being out of school, but it also affords the kids a chance to visit history where it actually happened.

"For Bleeding Kansas, for example, we stage events that happened right here in Fort Scott," Geertsen said. "The Civil War Quartermasters was one of the major roles Fort Scott played in the Civil War to provide troops with food, clothing and equipment - necessary things to fight a war with."

He said the programs offer students a chance to learn their heritage from a different perspective than the classroom.

"And hopefully they learn a lesson or two," Geertsen said.

The "Sweep Through History" isn't the only educational opportunity for students this spring. Next week, FSNHS opens its grounds to the younger set for "Life on the Frontier."

"We actually have three different educational programs here," Geertsen said. "One is called "Life on the Frontier", that's for grades K-4. That is a program where we illustrate what life was like at Fort Scott in the 1840s. A lot of the lower grades have units n communities as part of their social studies curriculum and so our program focuses on the community of Fort Scott and how it supported the soldiers in the 1840s."

Geertsen said that program will be presented to visiting schools on Wednesday, May 1 and Thursday, May 2. He said the "Life on the Frontier" programs next week will include students from Fort Scott, Pittsburg, Pleasanton, Weir, Jasper, Mo., Burlington, Galena, Iola, Uniontown and two schools from Parsons.

He said high school students from Nevada, Mo. and Erie will be presenting those programs.

"We've been working with them, training them on how to do the programs," Geertsen said. " We've been working with them for the last few weeks."

He said NHS students will present the programs on Wednesday and Erie students take the helm on Thursday.

Geertsen said when the "Life on the Frontier" programs began, staff presented the programs, which structured to accommodate up to 600 kids a day.

"We're not filled to capacity this year, but we have at least 450 kids each day," Geertsen said.

He said he has been working with the educational programs for 21 years at the fort and they have been evolving all through that time frame.

"We've evolved from 'one-size-fits-all" education programs to three different programs.

The FSNHS also offers a program for middle school students titled "Conflict on the Border."

"We're presenting quite a few of those programs this year," Geertsen said. "They are a little more advanced. The activities are geared toward a little higher grade level. They still focus on events that took place from the 1840s to the Civil War."