Testing Day!

I couldn’t have asked for a better class to test the first proof of concept. They were hooked the moment I pulled out the medal. As soon as I told them it had belonged to an actual veteran, and someone who had probably worn it on his chest at one point, the whole room shifted.

Feedback from the students (1) - T.D.A McMeekin Presentation

When I brought out the envelopes, I framed it as a historical mystery we had to solve together as junior historians. Each group got a bundle of documents, and for the next twenty minutes, they were all in, heads down, comparing notes, arguing politely about what fit and what didn’t. I heard one group trying to make sense of a marriage record that didn’t match his service form. Another kid noticed the “permission to marry” line, and suddenly it all snapped into place. Watching that happen in real time was awesome.

Feedback from the students (2) - T.D.A McMeekin Presentation

I learned a lot from this proof-of-concept test. First: Grade 5 students today do not read cursive. At all. It was a funny moment, but also a useful one. I’ll need to rethink how much original handwriting I include, or at least offer a clean transcription.

Second: some of the newspaper scans were way too faint. The kids tried their best, but the copies of the originals won’t cut it. I’ll need to redo those so they’re readable without squinting like a 19th-century telegraph operator.

Feedback from the students (3) - T.D.A McMeekin Presentation

Towards the end, when I passed around the medal one last time, the tone of the room changed a little. I asked my follow-up questions, and the students made an actual connection. As one student said, "Now I know someone who was in the war."

Overall, a solid win. As a proof of concept, it worked. There's something here, something worth building on. Now to plan next steps.

-Dan Barnfield