This past weekend, a teacher from Camdenton Middle School took his students on what he described as a "whirlwind trip" to Springfield, IL. Not only was this trip exciting, but the educational tour was regarded as an authentic learning experience by both the teacher and the students.
"Students get a kick out of visiting places they have seen on television or heard about in class. This weekend, students walked where Lincoln walked, were inside the buildings that Lincoln visited and touched some of the things that Lincoln touched," CMS teacher Matthew said. "Trips like these give students perspective of places and times that is impossible to get from inside a classroom."
Springfield is one of those unique places that puts students in direct contact with history in ways that simply can't be achieved in the classroom. Tours include Oak Ridge Cemetery, where President Lincoln was laid to rest, as well as the Lincoln home, Illinois State House, and the Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site.
"By the end of the trip, students gained a perspective on who Lincoln was, how he changed, who his family was and what the nation was like around Lincoln and later because of Lincoln," Hendon said.