Thursday, February 12, 2009 9:50 PM CST
Area students learn about 16th president firsthand at Lincoln Log Cabin program
By DAVE FOPAY, Staff Writer
dfopay@jg-tc.com
LERNA — If Janette VanMeter’s students had spent Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday at school, their lessons about the 16th president likely wouldn’t have been nearly as extensive as they actually were Thursday.
“It would probably just have been a story about him,” said the first-grade teacher at Carl Sandburg Elementary School in Charleston.
Instead, her students heard a story about Lincoln’s early life read by his cousin Dennis Hanks — well, actually a volunteer portraying Hanks — and learned more about his history at Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site.
“It’s absolutely an excellent way for children to get it first-hand,” VanMeter said.
Site volunteer Brian McNeely did his presentation in pioneer garb and acting as Hanks as he does for the site’s living history program. He said he enjoyed the way the site celebrated Lincoln’s birthday: by inviting area first-grade classes to learn about Lincoln and tour the site.
“They like everything about Abraham Lincoln,” McNeely said. “They listen. They like coming out here. It’s a very interesting place and so local.”
Braidin Wells, one of VanMeter’s students, was quick to answer when asked what the class learned from McNeely’s presentation.
“I learned that when Abe liked to read books he liked to read about law,” he said.
In all, 400 students from first-grade classes in the Charleston, Mattoon and Cumberland school districts visited the site, which was also open to the public in honor of the occasion. That took place even though most activities are canceled because of the state budget cuts former Gov. Rod Blagojevich made last year.
New Gov. Pat Quinn has said he wants the state’s historic sites to reopen. But the possibility of only limited chances to see the site was one reason Carl Sandburg teacher Brock Paul took his students there Thursday.
“They may not get the opportunity again,” he said.
The volunteers read from a book called “Young Abe Lincoln: 1809-1837,” and long-time site volunteer Hal Malehorn said he added some bits of information he knew about Lincoln during his time with the children.
“They know this is a special day,” he said. “It’s great that they got 400 kids here.”
Site Manager Matthew Mittelstaedt said the book was provided by National Geographic and is part of the site’s “traveling education trunks.” Area educators can check out the trunks of material on four subject areas: Lincoln, his wife Mary Todd Lincoln, slavery and the Civil War, he said.
Mittelstaedt also said site officials chose the book about the years from Lincoln’s birth to the time he moved to Springfield because of the event’s focus on first-graders.
“We wanted something they can relate to,” he said.
During other parts of their visit, the students toured the site’s farm grounds and heard volunteers talk about farming practices and life in the 1840s, when Lincoln’s father Thomas lived at the site.
Contact Dave Fopay at dfopay@jg-tc.com or 238-6858.
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The Question wrote on Feb 13, 2009 9:05 AM:
At last. A president with a brain and a sense of humor that doesn't involve bombing or belittling people. "