While fifth-grade students at Silver Lake Elementary School learn about the American Civil War this month, not all their lessons are coming out of history books.
Inside the school’s cafetorium May 19, students listened as local historian Ron Whittington took them back to Fort Sumter, Antietam and Gettysburg to show them what the war was like for Delaware soldiers.
Whittington said Delaware soldiers played a major role in the Civil War, both in the Union and the Confederacy.
“If you are part of an old family from Delaware, you most likely have someone in your family who fought in the Civil War,” he said.
Whittington said one the first official black units in the United States armed forces was the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, which was made up of African-American soldiers who fought for the Union Army.
“It was probably the most elite group of men ever recruited in the Civil War, and men from Delaware were part of it,” he said.
Whittington said while almost all the battles in the war were violent, one of the bloodiest was the Battle of Antietam, in which 15,000 men died in a matter of three hours.
“One of the saddest things here in Delaware was to see how many men were wounded and how many young men died,” he said.
Whittington said history has always been a hobby of his, but his interest in educating children began 19 years ago when he would tell stories about the war to his daughter’s preschool class.
He said he enjoys giving students information that may incite them to research the topic further and look into their own histories more.
“I make sure they understand this is a great opportunity to get some knowledge that’s not necessarily in their textbooks,” he said.
Fifth-grade teacher Patti Pyle said Whittington is a great role model for the students, and he allows them to think about the subject beyond the classroom.
“We have a diverse population, and to see somebody who has this love and interest, they understand that they can be like him someday,” she said.
Fifth-grader Olivia Bedard said she enjoyed the speech and would like Whittington to speak again at the school.
“He knew so much about the Civil War,” she said. “He taught me things I never knew, and there’s always going to be more you can learn.”
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While fifth-grade students at Silver Lake Elementary School learn about the American Civil War this month, not all their lessons are coming out of history books.
Inside the school’s cafetorium May 19, students listened as local historian Ron Whittington took them back to Fort Sumter, Antietam and Gettysburg to show them what the war was like for Delaware soldiers.
Whittington said Delaware soldiers played a major role in the Civil War, both in the Union and the Confederacy.
“If you are part of an old family from Delaware, you most likely have someone in your family who fought in the Civil War,” he said.
Whittington said one the first official black units in the United States armed forces was the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, which was made up of African-American soldiers who fought for the Union Army.
“It was probably the most elite group of men ever recruited in the Civil War, and men from Delaware were part of it,” he said.
Whittington said while almost all the battles in the war were violent, one of the bloodiest was the Battle of Antietam, in which 15,000 men died in a matter of three hours.
“One of the saddest things here in Delaware was to see how many men were wounded and how many young men died,” he said.
Whittington said history has always been a hobby of his, but his interest in educating children began 19 years ago when he would tell stories about the war to his daughter’s preschool class.
He said he enjoys giving students information that may incite them to research the topic further and look into their own histories more.
“I make sure they understand this is a great opportunity to get some knowledge that’s not necessarily in their textbooks,” he said.
Fifth-grade teacher Patti Pyle said Whittington is a great role model for the students, and he allows them to think about the subject beyond the classroom.
“We have a diverse population, and to see somebody who has this love and interest, they understand that they can be like him someday,” she said.
Fifth-grader Olivia Bedard said she enjoyed the speech and would like Whittington to speak again at the school.
“He knew so much about the Civil War,” she said. “He taught me things I never knew, and there’s always going to be more you can learn.”
