Vermer Elementary School/Tuscaloosa City Schools

Kathy Perkin's contact information  kperkins@tusc.k12.al.us

The Liberty Bell in Philadelphia

Tour through Hallowed Ground: Making American History Come to Life --Project Summary:
As a 5th grade teacher, I want my students to see the connection between American history and life today. As we learn more about the daily lives of the people who settled America, developed a new system of government, and struggled with issues such as slavery, discrimination, and equal rights for women, we can see the roots of problems we still encounter today. Understanding the successes and failures of past Americans can help students make good choices and realize the tremendous opportunity they have to participate in self-government.

This summer I took an 11-day driving tour through Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, and Pennsylvania to visit 25 historic sites where famous Americans lived, developed plans, wrote about their hopes and dreams for our country, and sometimes died for those ideals. Being able to actually stand where our Declaration of Independence was signed or on the battlefields where Union and Confederate soldiers died made the facts I read in textbooks seem personal and real. As I visited the Presidential homes of James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, and James Monroe, I learned more about the cultural factors that shaped these men as well as the contradiction of advocating both freedom and slavery. 

I collected artifacts, uniforms, photographs, and books along my 2,400 mile journey to bring history to life for my students. I also created several videos at historic sites so my students will be able to visit them "virtually" in the classroom.

 

Alabama Teacher Of The Year “Final Four” Nominees Announced

Verner Elementary School teacher gets trip to Africa

Verner Teacher Chosen for Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy

 

Last modified: Monday, 27 March 2017, 8:28 AM