Student podcasts celebrate Civil War’s 150th
by March 20, 2012 12:59 pm 116 views
For a generation of tech-savvy kids, the art of the interview has taken new meaning.
The winners of a Northwest Arkansas student Civil War sesquicentennial podcast contest have been announced and added to the Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission website.
Several Northwest Arkansas museums and historical organizations sponsored a podcast contest for K-12 students in Benton, Boone, Carroll, Madison, Newton, and Washington counties. Students were asked to create a short, non-fiction, audio podcast about the Civil War in the Arkansas Ozarks.
“It’s a great example of using modern technology as a way to encourage kids to learn about local history,” said Susan Young, outreach coordinator for the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History. The museum is one of many history-related organizations who sponsored the contest.
“To today’s student, creating a podcast may have more appeal than writing an essay,” Young said.
Students could enter as individuals or groups. First place winners received a cash prize of $100; second place winners received $50.
In the elementary school category (K-5), first place winners were the Kingston Elementary School third and fourth grade gifted and talented class for A Civil War Tragedy in Huntsville, Arkansas. Lauren Ada of Forest Heights Elementary School in Harrison took second place with The Flag, as Told by Jane Bailey.
Among middle school (grades 6-8) contestants, Maggie Weber and Sarah Strickland of Hellstern Middle School in Springdale took first place for The Battle of Pea Ridge. Second place went to Rebekah Love, Trevor Clark and Alex Eremiev, all also of Hellstern, for Dr. Keller and the Civil War in Arkansas.
First place in the category for high school students (grades 9-12) went to a homeschool student, Sophia Calzada of Fayetteville for The Girl I Left Behind Me and the Battle of Pea Ridge. Second place honors went ti Rachel Brewer and Ryan Gunter of the Benton County School of the Arts in Rogers for Elkhorn Tavern.
The podcasts can be heard here.
The sponsoring organizations were the Benton County Historical Society, Fayetteville Convention and Visitors Bureau, Northwest Arkansas Civil War Roundtable, Northwest Arkansas Genealogical Society, Pea Ridge National Military Park Foundation, Rogers Historical Museum, Shiloh Museum of Ozark History, Washington County Arkansas Genealogical Society, and Washington County Historical Society. The contest was also sanctioned by the Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission.