To expand on what they have been learning in history class, on December 2, the junior class went on the annual trip to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
The class of 2017 made the annual trek to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to watch history come to life. After spending time in the classroom studying about the Civil War, students visited the historic battleground where the bloodiest battle of the Civil War was fought.
Every year, IB History of the Americas teacher, Tammy Chincheck, leads a trip for her classes and Ms. Tracey VanderNaald’s College Prep (CP) American History classes to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania where they experience a personalized tour of the battleground and Gettysburg Museum.
The 121 step Longstreet Tower and 42 foot by 377 foot Cyclorama painting were two of the main highlights of the junior trip to Gettysburg.
“I can’t believe the war was actually fought here,” said junior Sunita Kavthekar after seeing Gettysburg from the Longstreet Tower.
One of the favorites of the trip, the Cyclorama exhibit, was a vast painting of the Pickett’s Charge battle followed by a sound and lights show which stretched over the walls of a circular barn. Student’s jaws dropped when they saw how realistic the scene looked and how little time it took to make it.
“I could never draw a painting like that in a year, he has so much talent,” said junior Mia Sawyer.
With mud and drizzling rain threatening to put a damper on the day, students toured the battlegrounds by bus as opposed to walking. The bus tour gave students the opportunity to see a large amount of the battlefield and the town of Gettysburg in a shorter amount of time.
The tour guide, Jim Hessler, shared many interesting facts and made the trip more entertaining. For example, the classes learned that in monuments with generals or soldiers mounted on horses, the number of hooves on the ground determines the their outcome. All four hooves on the ground means the person survived the battle, three hooves means that the person was wounded and two means the person died in battle.
Students take pictures and explore Little Round Top despite the pouring rain. (Photo Credit: Allyson Kryk).
GMS students were able to get off the bus at Little Round Top and the Longstreet tower. They took in the beautiful Pennsylvania scenery and got a chance to imagine what it would be like to travel back in time to such a significant moment in history.
The spooky and hazy environment due to the fog added to the historical significance and effect. It looked like the cannon smoke that would have engulfed the battleground during the war.
“It was the foggiest Gettysburg trip [I have] ever been on,” said Chincheck, who has been leading this trip for 18 years and counting.
Though the fog and rain obstructed the view and changed the day, the students still made the best out of the situation. They enjoyed learning more about Gettysburg and its impact during the Civil War.
