All Quiet on the Western Front
European history students headed to the trenches this morning to study WWI poetry. Led by Mr. Wawner and Mr. Fickley, students hiked with 70-pound packs to a natural trench on MSA's trail system. Once there, they hunkered down into the trench while braving cold temperatures and a steady rain to read WWI poetry.
The exercise provided students an experience that allowed them to feel some of the hardships described in poetry about trench warfare. Away from the comforts and warmth of Old Main, students gained a greater appreciation for the horrors of WWI.
“This hands-on approach to studying poetry sparks conversations that are different from what we would have in the classroom,” commented Mr. Wawner. “The discomfort of carrying a heavy pack and the confined feeling of being trapped in a trench allows the emotions of the poetry to be felt by students.”
"This hands-on approach to studying poetry sparks conversations that are different from what we would have in the classroom," commented Mr. Wawner. "The discomfort of carrying a heavy pack and the confined feeling of being trapped in a trench allows the emotions of the poetry to be felt by students."
MSA's 1,600-acre campus provided a canvas for history teachers to deliver an out-of-the-box learning experience--one that brought poetry to life.