Facilitate the development of meaningful learning!
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“Living History Festival.” Drama provides rich experience for students promoting genuine understanding of highlighted events, values, interpersonal and intrapersonal interaction loaded with emotional connections. Our goal is to create an innovative educational opportunity impacting students, educators and community members in Ohio. |
In April of 2003 Director of the Chillicothe and Ross County Bicentennial Commission, Scott Graham, approached Dr. Greg Miller and Minda Hager of Life Centered Learning with the opportunity to bring an innovative educational experience to Ross and surrounding county school students and teachers.
With a focus on highlighting Chillicothe and the founding of Ohio Dr. Miller and Mr. Graham developed a program to enhance meaningful learning for students by integrating theater arts with the teaching/learning of history. "Beginning with a primary source document, a historical vignette is written and performed to allow students to experience history in an active learning application." This program became the Living History Festival and was funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
Minda Hager was hired to direct the project consisting of three major phases. The first phase: a performance to model the project for students and teachers. Minda along with Mr. Robert Ervin, former history teacher, professional actor, and historical author; and Ms. Michelle Phistner, playwright and professional stage manager currently of Julliard in New York City, NY began researching primary source documents pertaining to the founding of Ohio. Resources at the Ross County Historical Society, McKell Library, Ohio Historical Society and Adena State Memorial were utilized.
Minda and Michelle began the development of vignettes about Thomas Worthington, Arthur St. Clair, and Edward Tiffin. Historians, Mary Anne Brown and Patricia Medert were consulted on historical accuracy. A showcase of the first vignette and presentation promoting the project was given in July 2003 to teacher graduate students in Chillicothe, Rio Grande, and Portsmouth , Ohio. Actors, Robert Ervin, Claudia Skinner, and Alex Breech offered their time to perform in the showcase under the direction of Minda and stage management of Michelle.
In August 2003 Dr. Ken Briedenbaugh and OU-C theater students became involved to bring the history to life theatrically. The vignettes continued to be developed by Minda , Dr. Briendenbaugh, and the students by employing theater techniques to enhance dialogue. Another showcase for educators was presented in October2003 to which all Educational Service Center superintendents and curriculum directors and elementary and middle school principals in all counties surrounding and including Ross were invited. The suggestion was made that we take specific scenes pertaining to government into the schools to perform for children in preparation of proficiency testing. In February 2004 three Chillicothe schools requested we visit their classes. Mt. Logan Elementary, Allen Elementary, and Adena Elementary received our actors and then a presentation by OU-C pre-service teachers. Dr. Barbara Trube of OU-C was contracted to develop study materials to support the Ohio statehood content of the performance.
By the spring of 2004 sixteen vignettes were written, directed and acted, costumed, and mounted with scenery, lighting and sound and produced at the Majestic Theater in Chillicothe. The vignettes covered the founding of Ohio statehood and Ohio University and were performed as a pageant entitled Two Ohios: The Story of Ohio and Its First University.
School children from Allen Elementary, Mt. Logan Elementary, Worthington Elementary, Tiffin Elementary, Zane Trace Elementary, Paint Valley Elementary, Bright Elementary, Eastern Elementary and Middle School, Kinnison Elementary, Jackson Middle School, Oak Hill Middle School, Rio Grande Elementary, Greenfield Middle School, Southern Hills Academy, Eastern Elementary, Washington Elementary, Westfall Middle School and Chillicothe Home Scholars attended performances of the pageant at the Majestic Theater. Nearly 5000 teachers and students were audience to the Living History performance.
The second phase: a workshop for teachers providing two hours of graduate level credit. This workshop focused on helping teachers implement "living history" in their classrooms. Primary source documents relevant to the history curriculum were researched, vignettes developed, and presentations given to allow the teachers to experience the program. The workshop tuition was supplied by the grant and credit was given through Ohio University-Chillicothe. The workshop was a hybrid course with two In-class sessions and five weeks Internet course work developed by Minda Hager of LCL Consulting. The workshop was offered Spring and Summer quarters at OU-C. See workshop.
The third phase: a festival for students to present "living history" projects of their own at the Majestic Theater on July 31, 2004. Student groups facilitated by a teacher or parent may participate for recognition of creativity, historical accuracy and genuine understanding. This festival is a celebration of learning through living history and is the culmination of the project. See festival.