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Hands-on history
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Thursday, May 29, 2008 10:21 AM EDT
Argus-Press Photo by Anthony Cepak Owosso native Kenn Kuester talks to fourth-graders from Corunna Public Schools about Father Marquette and the duties and responsibilities of being a priest during the French fur trade as part of the annual French Voyaguer Encampment at McCurdy Park Wednesday.
CORUNNA - Corunna Public Schools fourth-graders left the confines of their desks to take a hands-on approach to learning Michigan's history at the French Voyageur Encampment at McCurdy Park Wednesday.
The all-day event was organized by Bill Lentz, a Corunna Public Schools fourth-grade teacher. The pupils only paused at lunchtime for a meal of French bread and stew to replicate a meal during that time period.
Lentz said the 13-year-old program was designed to connect what the fourth-graders have been learning about the history of the French and Native American cultures in the Great Lakes area during the 18th century.
“It's great. We use it to tie in all the things that we taught the kids earlier in the year,” Lentz said. “We studied Father Marquette and we have a Father Marquette presenter. We talked about the canoes and the kids get to ride in the canoes with the voyageurs teaching them along the way.”
Father Marquette was a Catholic priest from France who established missions in the Michigan area. He also traveled the Mississippi River with French-Canadian explorer Louis Jolliet and reported the first accurate data on its course.
Funding for the event is provided by the Corunna Education Foundation, the elementary school PTOs and Meijer.
The canoes are a replica wooden bateau and a 26-foot reproduction of a boat that French voyageurs used to sail to Michigan.
The presenters are from Project Lakewell, a non-profit organization that portrays the voyageurs' place in maritime history and the fur trade of the Great Lakes. They have been in existence for 27 years, according to Project Lakewell Director Lynn Johnson.
Among the many stations and activities are canoe rides, Native American crafts, traditional dancing, a river walk expedition and educational stations with reenactors. The seven classes rotated stations once when they heard a cannon fire.
One such station was manned by Kenn Kuester, an Owosso native. Kuester, 83, portrayed Marquette, which he has been doing for 19 consecutive years.
In addition to the Project Lakewell presenters, various teachers volunteer to make stations as well.
According to Lentz, they had about 55 volunteers.
Sally Labadie, a former principal, was in charge of the river walk expedition along the Shiawassee River. She pointed out to the pupils the different plants that could be used for medicines or food.
Although Lentz has been organizing the French Voyageur Encampment for a couple years now, the event was originally started by Robin McKenna, a former fourth-grade teacher. McKenna said she first had the idea when she visited the Sloan Museum in Flint, where Project Lakewell made a presentation.
Charlie Carr, a fourth-grade teacher who also was volunteering, said he thinks the French Voyageur Encampment is a great way for children to learn.
“The kids just love this. They get a real hands-on history lesson and the teachers like doing it too,” Carr said. “This just brings history alive for them. You can talk about the Native Americans and you can talk about the voyageurs, but it is a great lesson when they actually see what it is like to go up and down the river on a canoe or see how things affected the Native Americans when they lived here.”
Comment on this Story
Mr. Bushs th Grade Class--Louise Peacock Elementary wrote on May 30, 2008 9:09 AM:
"It was an awesome experience and was one of the best days of the year. Thanks to all the teachers and volunteers that made this day possible." "
