Chris Jones: Greene Publishing, Inc.
The Madison Creative Arts Academy 8th graders recently spent four days in Gettysburg, Pa. and Washington D.C.
Language Arts and Science teacher Leigh Ann Browning, who organized the trip, chose several stops and activities that directly aligned with school curriculum. Before the trip, the students read The Diary of Anne Frank, and while in D.C., the students visited the Holocaust Museum. To prepare for their visit to the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, the students studied his “I Have a Dream” speech. Each student researched a service-member whose name is on the Vietnam Wall Memorial, wrote a letter of gratitude or poem, and left it by that person's name on the wall in D.C.
Four MCAA students laid a wreath near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Pictured, from left to right, are: Ben Whigham, Kersten Malone, Cat Maultsby and Tyler Platt.
Prior to the trip, students learned about the Battle of Gettysburg. They memorized and recited President Lincoln's “Gettysburg Address” while standing on the battlefield. Students displayed their command of technology by performing an arrangement of “Battle Hymn of the Republic” on smart phones, syncing microphone and instrument applications with bluetooth speakers. The students learned to install and use the technology and rehearsed the song in their Music Technology class, taught by Mr. Jay Hicks.
The students heard from several guest speakers while on their trip, including Sgt. Dante Skywalker, a former Sentinel at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and two former football players from the 1971 Titan football team, made famous in the movie Remember the Titans. Four students were chosen to lay a wreath at the tomb.