Living Primary Source

Friday, my 88 year old grandmother was able to come to Frankfort and visit Mrs. Hudson's 6th grade history classes.  They are beginning their unit on World War II and have just spent some time learning about the Great Depression.  She came prepared with a few stories to share.  The students also had questions for her.

She was born in 1926 and had two brothers.  Her father died of a heat stroke in 1932, right before her 6th birthday.  She remembers her family wasting nothing. The Depression didn't impact them like it did some families because they raised most of their food already and lived off of the land.  She spoke of her father's car - the Overlander.

She spoke about living in the country and having to walk two miles to get to the highway for her teacher to pick her up for school.  She went to a one room school house at first and then they opened a bigger school and she rode on the first school bus the county had.

We discussed her memory of Pearl Harbor and hearing about the war on the radio.  She knew many people who served.  My grandfather was a Marine and served in the Pacific.  He was at Iwo Jima and Hiroshima, after the bomb was dropped.

She told of their early life together, living on a farm and raising a family.

We brought several items that belonged to Mammaw, her mother and her grandmother.  The students enjoyed looked at old postcards, newspapers, a farm ledger, pictures and artifacts.  What a blessing it was to hear her speak about her faith and history.  The students were very engrossed and asked wonderful questions.  I am so blessed to work in a school that welcomes family and community members in to speak and share with our students!

Mrs. Hudson does an incredible job incorporating primary sources in her classes.  They use magnifying glasses and inspect documents.  Photos from different time periods are analyzed and students make predictions about what the photo represents.  Students taste foods and listen to music from the era they are studying.  She engages all their senses as they learn.  History truly comes alive in her classroom!